'67 heater box refurb?

[Mark S.]

Hey Guys - I'm in the middle of restoring my '67 Coupe (no A/C) and was going to purchase a new heater box assembly from Paragon because mine has a small chunk missing and it's cracked. However, Paragon called me & told me they are on back order with no target date because their vendor can't get fiberglass! I know that sounds stupid & I told them that. Anyway, I know I can purchase a heater box shell from Eckler's but then I have to transfer the hardware from my box. I guess I would drill out the rivets, polish up the metal parts, replace the foam, etc. Has anybody else done this and are there any tricks to this job? Thanks! Mark #34132

[Tracy C.]

Re: '67 heater box refurb?

MArk,

It may be easiler to just repair the box you have. If the repair area isn't something that isn't readily exposed when installed, thats what I would do.

An experienced glass man could probably fix it so it was almost indetectable from the outside.

good luck,

tc

[Joe C.]

Re: '67 heater box refurb?

Mark:

All of the metal parts are painted gloss black. The metals were fastened after paint, so the rivets are natural aluminum. Sometimes the pivot holes for the diverter doors stretch. They can be filled with epoxy and then re drilled for a better fit. Be sure to replace all the gaskets and foam seals. The cable brackets, and actuator arms and cams are all unpainted cadmium (zinc) plated. A small white inspection sticker should be placed on the top surface of the housing half which lives inside of the car. I believe that the reproduction box is not an exact match, so if your unit can be saved, then suggest to do so. It is not easy (trust me), but can be done. Hardest part is coloring the resin to achieve the proper color.

Joe

[Michael H.]

Re: '67 heater box refurb?

Hey Mark -

I wrote an article on Midyear Heater Box restoration that appeared in the NCRS "Corvette Restorer" magazine a couple years back. If you can't locate it, I can send you a copy via e-mail or regular mail.

[Mark S.]

Re: '67 heater box refurb?

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all of your help. I think I will just get my existing heater box fixed by the same guy that's painting my car. I spoke with him yesterday and he said it's no problem. Taking off all the hardware and remounting it seems like too much of a pain when only a few inches of fiberglass needs to be fixed.