What To Make A Dash From?

[BigMuz]

In an F series truck?

1/4" steel checker plate. Reinforced in the back with 3x3 1/4" angle.

You beat me Brad :D

I was thinking expanded mesh, stick welded to some old star pickets. Then tied in with nylon string..

Seriosuly though, the most durable will be glass or steel. Go talk to a steel fabricator, they can roll steel into pretty detailed shapes. You just make a dummy out of cardboard and sticky tape and take it to them to copy.

Do all the cutting and fitting then take it out and paint it. Easy done.

[Roadsailing]

i'd make the heater box out of aluminium. and the average car heater will put out something in the order of 5 kw of heat, why not use energy that would otherwise be wasted?

[tandy ass]

shinybluesteel thats what I was wondering, why not use a free source of heat that would otherwise be wasted out of the radiator rather than stuffing around with extra wiring and other expensive devices, a small HVAC unit would flow more hot air than the electric heater...

1,000w of heat at 12v is 83 amps!

[Jason Broadhurst]

It would be a tidier engine bay with a electric heater though.

[Pete]

Thet might be better than they used to be but in my experience electric heaters are very fragile and always seeme to smell of burning dust for a short time when they are first turned on.

Just my thoughts.

Pete.

[BigMuz]

It would be a tidier engine bay with a electric heater though.

Because F250s are short on space in the engine bay :D

[edo]

Heater??? In Townsville?

Stick a demister element on the windscreen, Otherwise 12V blower heaters are avaliable at camping stores.

Dash... cut, shape & bend a sheet of aluminium...then get someone handy with a tig to weld it up all nice...then, cause its you, have it anodised a really loud colour

[hotgemini]

I think a lot of these guys are missing the point with the heater, to register it bodgy will need to be able to blow hot air at the windscreen... Its a formality, whatever will achieve that for the least complexity is the winnah. Hence 12 volt heater, it won't do the job, but it will do the job.

[oldenholden64]

styrofoam and fibreglass it when you have the shape you want.

I find that shaping foam better, especially if you want to put in small detailed work. the styrofoam tends to come off in big chunks

[80DGY]

I think a lot of these guys are missing the point with the heater, to register it bodgy will need to be able to blow hot air at the windscreen... Its a formality, whatever will achieve that for the least complexity is the winnah. Hence 12 volt heater, it won't do the job, but it will do the job.

:D

Bingo As long as when button is pushed hot air comes out at base of screen, car has 'demister/heater' and passes

and edo, no anodising, I'm covering it in bright red () suede :D

[Bermo]

In our rally car we run 2 12v hairdryers connected to ign power and a switch on the dash. Works resonably well and weighs alot less than the old heater setup.

[Nero]

that's what I'm interested in...do the hair dryers actually demist well enough?

[260BC]

Any other electric options besides the hair dryers? For 'intermittent' use?

The water heater/demister setup weights too much and requires plumbing for the water, another potential leak source.

[Bermo]

The hairdryer setup is untested yet, but the screen does warm up pretty quick. All we did was pull the old water setup out and sealed the hair dryers to the original windscreen vents.

The only problem is the dryers pull 15 amps each so it does pull a bit of a load on the alt, but if its just a street car should run no worries.

[Nero]

I need someting for Godiva in the future hence my interest. The other option is getting a screen made with the electrical demister built in.