Ok i live in montana so its not the warmest in the winter (obveously). I have a 1968 VW bug and i was just wondering what the best way to heat it may be. any info would be apricliated. thanks

install a 12vdc power outlet under the dash or else where.

order one of these:

www.harborfreight.com/...mber=94592


or just use "stock" heater boxes on the exhaust....

ok i have a 12vdc heater but it just dosent do the trick when its 15 below zero, i was just wondering if there was another kind of heater out there.

Stewart warner or Janitrol made gas heaters for vw's if you can find one. Todd

is it a baja? relocate the oil cooler to the back seat and use a fan to blow through it. same idea as a heater in a water cooled.

i live in washington so i feel you pain, somewhat. right now all i have is the stock heat system. brrrrr! i'm thingking about running a tube to connect both heater boxes and use a fan to blow air from the cab through the left side, the heat would come back in the cab from the right side up to the dash so i can feel a little warmer. kind of a air recirculation type of system. any thoughts????

kevin wrote:

install a 12vdc power outlet under the dash or else where. order one of these: www.harborfreight.com/...mber=94592 or just use "stock" heater boxes on the exhaust....

Do those work worth a darn here in AZ? I've got no heat system at all- thinking my 10 minute commute is gonna be a little chilly when I get the car running.

Since I'm gonna have to let it idle before I go, I could have that thing (or something like it) running inside...

I hate to rain on the idea but look how small the wires for the plug are. I don't think that would even defrost a window. I think that you would need more ampage to do any good.

Well, for only $13.00, I may just try it. My car's gonna be tucked in the garage at night, so it shouldn't be THAT cold in the a.m....

We'll see.

HOT WATER BOTTLE!

Thick jacket, gloves, long johns, and 2 pairs of socks allways worked for me..... well and a ski mask when I drove the Vert in the winter.

I was thinking of goin with a converter (JCWITNEY) like one of these.
www.jcwhitney.com/COLE..._10107.jcw

Then look at the small more powerful ceramic or similar heaters, like one of these.
www.homeandbeyond.com/...0180317-00

Any good sparkies to put there .02 in, I know winter is all but over but never to earliy to plan.
your in for a little over $200 but do some shopping I am sure it could get cheaper.

better idea...send me the $200 and I'll just keep it. You'll be hotter thinking about me ripping you off than with that ceramic cutie.
Cold hard facts from former Colorado VW nut and winter baja/glass buggy! driver:
at -15 in a vw !you ain't gonna get warm.
If you have a complete, well maintenanced stock system(boxes,flaps,t stat, good cables etc..)you can at least choose between your fingers or your toes. Just using boxes without the flaps and t stat ain't gonna do much but let fumes in.
I never used the oil cooler in the car deal, but have heard it's a "smelly" option.
A gas heater is your only pretty much guaranteed option. $200 should find you a unit that needs some work. Parts are available, as is a reproduced service manual(search samba).
The "cold" we face in the sunny southwest is but a nice spring day to you. Our fun is dealing with 120' interiors and furnace blast wind coming in.
Just 30 years of vw's biased opinions...I'm old and smell like it.

Well oldfart, think of it this way, with the converter when you are out camping or forgot to take you morning dose of medamusal you could just pop it in the blender.

Here in the North East we are not blessed with dry air so 9 times out of 10 half that heater crap is gone.
I agree with the oil cooler idea, if its already that cold out you engine will struggle to run at its proper temp.
And in my opinion of having a gas heater a constant flame that sits over the gas tank while I bounce around is not my type of warmth. I might as well strap a propane tank in the back seat with one of those heaters that attach to it.
I still think the converter/small heater will work.

[quote="BAJABUGNUT"]Well oldfart, think of it this way, with the converter when you are out camping or forgot to take you morning dose of medamusal you could just pop it in the blender.

Hey I resemble that remark!
Ok I've tried a Coleman catalytic heater, round thingie(12" or so)ran on cook stove fuel...worked great if your hands were right over it. Then years ago I tried a GM accessory heater, plug into your lighter, blows air that feels warm. Geez even after leaving it on for 30 minutes at 20 degrees...nothing but a warm lighter.
Gas heaters worry me too, but they've been a genuine VW accessory(sorry, living in the past again...were a genuine accessory)for decades and I've never heard of one making anybody a semore.
And yes, the humidity of your wet winters is a different ballpark.
I've wondered about a setup similar to a Honda 600 sedan. Certainly everybody is familiar with them(just think of a much much smaller Minicooper)......anyhow they had a 550cc bike engine, aircooled, fantastic heater. It was nothing more than a sheet metal housing over the exhaust manifold ducted to a electric fan. The effected part of the manifold looked like a stock vw heater box with the outer tin and insulation removed. Guess its advantage was a. closer proximity to the engine heat
b. less distance to travel. and of course c. a much smaller interior. But it worked! and it'd drive you out of there! BTW...the ex and I got passed by a 68ish campmobile loaded with college guys while struggling to make it up Eisenhour Tunnel in our loaded for camping 600 sedan at 10 mph.
Barneys in Tucson runs a monthly ad in HOTVW's re;booster fans for bugs and busses. Check out 12volt fans for boats, look similar.