I just need heat for the defroster.

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Surfer Tony

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Hello, fellow Mopar gearheads. I finally got my 1974 Dodge Dart Custom running and ready for the highway. It had factory A/C but over the years the original slant six, compressor and other A/C parts are long gone. It still has the A/C duct assembly below the dashboard but the vacuum lines and wiring are a rat's nest. I would imagine that I can bypass the hot water valve and somehow jury rig the blend door ( if I knew where it is) and hotwire the fan so I can have heat for the defroster. I need to sell the car but I don't feel right not providing a heater. It's a safety issue. I've looked for info all over the internet but basically, I'm a construction man and not an auto electric whiz. Could anyone give me some pointers on how to get this done?
BTW I will have a handful of extra parts and will be unloading them for a nominal price and shipping costs. I have extra hubcaps, alternators, carburetors, a rear end, a 904 trans, and a totally rebuilt 1965- 225 slant six motor that I purchased before I breathed life into the motor that's in it and got it purring like a kitten. I also have a straight and clean 2bbl intake for a 225. If you are anywhere in the Central California vicinity give me a holler and perhaps we can figure a way to get you these parts.

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You'll spend more time riggin **** than fixing it right. You can fix the heater right without the A/C. Lack of heat is a comfort issue, not safety.
 
bcschief said:
But lack of heat makes for a worthless defroster.
Click to expand...
Now THAT is a legitimate point. Skyooze me for livin in Georgia. That's somethin that I didn't think about. LOL
 
Yes here on the Coast fog and rain make a good defroster necessary. Chances are that in order to have a semblance of heat I'll have to connect a vacuum line or two to enable my heat to work. The problem for me is I don't have access to a factory manual and I can't seem to figure out how to connect said vacuum lines and appropriate electrical connections to run the fan. Like I said the under dash was a rat's nest when I acquired the car. I'm hoping someone can explain the simplest solution for me.
 
I didn’t have have heat in my car for years. Yes I live in Texas not much need for it but when I went up north or to the Gulf Coast states I soon discovered how important a defroster was. I started using RainX Defroster on the front and rear glass in my Barracuda. It’s a lot of real estate to cover and worked great. I would apply it about once a month. Drove it for years like that.
 
There is a difference between defogger and defroster. Defroster throws heat at the glass to melt frost. Defogger short cycles the a/c to remove moisture from inside of glass. My 96 Camrys, Wifes RAV4, etc.., are pretty air tight vehicles. A 74 Plymouth was not. If it sits out in the rain, there will be moisture in it. I won't go into what I have heard about the stamping dies wearing out and why the a-body was discontinued in 1976.
So anyway... if you have frost on the outside of the window, or moisture on the inside of the window of a 1974 A-body, the very best fix is correcting the OEM equipment. How do I explain in simple terms? I'll try this..., Drive the wifes RAV to the grocery store and and sit in it while she shops a few minutes. It's august here in the south and very humid. She opened and closed a huge door. Although the engine and a/c ran entire time, there isn't a whole lot of condensation dumped by the a/c. I remember when our 1973 4 door Valiant would pee like a horse in the same spot and time span.
 
All my old Mopars have heat/defrost and NO AC. But most of Tx is like most of Ca. (except Mountains!???) we usually need little to no heat!! lol
 
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