Electric heater

[Splinter]

Would it be a bad idea to replace the heater core with an electric heater?

[Legacy777]

Why? Other then instant heat.

To get any substantial heat, it's going to have some serious amperage draw.....So personally, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Subtle]

Plug in a Koolatron with the polarity reversed to the heat mode--do hot dogs while your driving.

[Splinter]

I wanted to get rid of a bunch of crap under the dash to make room for the CarPC, and I also want to keep the engine bay as empty as physically possible

[DLC]

Just get a Pentium D in your CarPC and run Folding@Home, that's 130W right there!

[BAC5.2]

Get a Block Heater for instant heat and better gas mileage!

[All_talk]

Not to be a buzzkill, but it will never work. (I've been through this before with air cooled VWs) Its all in the numbers, lets do the math...

Lets say you upgrade to a 100 amp alternator and use all of the available current.

100amps x 14volts = 1400watts

Your average hair dryer is 1600-1800watts, and that wouldn’t even keep the windows defogged.

And as further proof, years before I “did the math” I built one for my '70 Beetle. I rewired a small hair dryer to draw about 40amps, so about 560watts (the fan motor already ran on 12VDC using the coils and rectifier diodes to drop the 115VAC). This was just designed to boost the defrost, so it pulled (warmer) air from inside the car and blew it out the defrost vent right in front of the driver. If I was lucky and it wasn’t too cold or icy it would clear an area about the size of my hand after 5 minutes or so. And if you didn’t let the car run for a bit after turning it off the battery would be dead (stock generator in only 40 amps).

So as much as I hate to shoot down free thinking and fresh ideas, this one ain’t goin nowhere.

Bummer
Gary

[Bheinen74]

didnt old VW's use gas/kerosene heaters that would cause +100 degree inside temps when the outside weather is -10 i hear those things roasted your nuts