Stock heater vs After market

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Rengo

Rengo

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My situation:
I have a 1975 Plymouth Duster and the current heater box is smashed up, you can see the heater core. I have no hoses that lead up to the dash but the heater system works.

I also have another heater box to replace this, but now I am considering something modern.

I need an efficient system that will work for this winter so I can see while I drive 30 miles to college.

Does anyone know of an after market set up that is reasonable? Any review and input is welcome.
 
Had a 75 Duster (318, 3 speed, no ac) back in my college days (late 80's)and after having the tank heater replaced after about 15 minutes the heater would have the car nice and warm. So my vote would be get a used heater box. I would think you could pick one up pretty reasonable here on FABO, put a DMT reseal kit in it and a new heater core.
 
I don't think modern cars have changed the technology much. Still hot engine coolant flowing thru a heat exchanger with a squirrel-cage blower. My 02 T&C uses a solid-state element to control motor speed, but other Mopars still use resistors. My Mercedes 300D's have a small water circulation pump to get hot water to the box faster, but a silly contraption I removed. If not too smashed, I would repair the box with fiberglass. Otherwise, get one from the same year range. The hoses are a bit hard. I had to measure and search on ebay, and need a bushing since Mopar decided to make the ends different sizes to give us a challenge.
 
Original factory box will easily keep you toasty warm and fog free all winter long, as my first ‘67 Dart did for six Maine winters back in the early seventies when these were normal every day cars. These old cars take three to four miles to reach full operating temperature, and don’t warm up to blow heat as quickly as modern engines.

Just replace with used box, but take the time to clean it out, perhaps replace heater core if at all suspect, and rebuild it with kit from Detroit Muscle. Vent duct and bushing can be head from Dante’s Mopar.

I a few years ago I rebuilt my current ’67 ragtop Dart’s heater box, and it keeps that drafty old heap nice and warm down to 10 degrees, and perhaps colder I can’t say as it rare that I drive her in winter.

http://detroitmuscletechnologies.com/

http://www.dantesparts.com/partsforsale.html
 
Edge that modern cars have in heating is insulation, not in heater cores. And intact here were tempurature goes under -20 modern diesel engine will newer get to the operating tempurature whitout extra heater like webasto.
Old cars are acually wery warm if they are in stock condition and fully operating. Tried duster in winter -15 celcus and after 5 mins it was nice and warm
 
Alright, I will have a guy show me how to pull everything this winter break, all I need to do is buy a new core and blower motor. I just don't know how to disconnect the cables on the back side of the heater control.
 
I would unhook the control cables at the heater box, remove the glove box(don't remember how many screws, after all the screws are out it kind of folds in half then slides out)then just reach in and unhook the cables from the box.
 
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