Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-06-2020, 09:20 AM   #1
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

It seems that the 1938 models may have come both with and without defroster vent cutouts in the interior window frame, even though any heater / defroster would need to have been a dealer-installed option.

Is this correct ?

Would appreciate enlightenment prior to starting heater installation.

Thank you.
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 02:07 PM   #2
blucar
Senior Member
 
blucar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ventura, CA
Posts: 2,464
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

To the best of my knowledge the '39 and earlier, ie; any vehicle with a crank-out windshield did not have builtin provisions for defrosters. Ford did not offer hot water heaters until 1939, prior to that they were the manifold hot air heaters.
Ford did offer an accessory defroster unit that attached to the face of the dash extending up to the windshield..
The majority of the accessories offered by Ford were dealer installed, the reason being to keep the base, and unladen weight price as low as possible.
__________________
Bill.... 36 5 win cpe
blucar is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 11-06-2020, 02:37 PM   #3
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Thank you; with the fixed windshield, I’ll poke around to see what the defroster option looked like - the 1939 heater I have (from Kubes) accommodates defrost, as does the Ark-Les switch ch
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 02:52 PM   #4
Zeke3
Senior Member
 
Zeke3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Columbus, IN
Posts: 1,401
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

My car is a 1937 coupe, so it has the crank out windshield. There is no large round hole in the dash panel (aka firewall) below the battery, so I assume it did not have a heater installed when it was new. There are two slots for mounting defroster ducts cut in the body with a screw hole on either end of the slot. The window moldings for the windshield each have two cutouts on the bottom front edge, one for the arm for the crank out windshield mechanism and the other where the defroster opening is.

I do not have any experience with a fixed windshield body style such as the station wagon to be able to help you.
Zeke3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 02:58 PM   #5
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

My early (21 stud) 38 standard 2dr has the defroster slits built into it.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 03:55 PM   #6
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Are the slim formed into the top of the dash itself or integral to the interior window trim ?
Although a Deluxe, my wagon was a bare bones delivery - no radio, etc. , although the buyer did spring for Washington Blue paint, which I understand to have been a special order, if not an actual up charge, for the 38 wagon.
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 03:55 PM   #7
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Sorry, “slits” not slim
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 07:54 PM   #8
Zeke3
Senior Member
 
Zeke3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Columbus, IN
Posts: 1,401
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacques1960 View Post
Are the slim formed into the top of the dash itself or integral to the interior window trim ?
Neither, there is no provision or accommodation for the defroster vent in the dash itself. On the crank out windshield version the slot is in the body sheet metal just below where the dash board attaches, see the attached photo.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_0001.JPG (98.9 KB, 42 views)

Last edited by Zeke3; 11-06-2020 at 07:55 PM. Reason: added a word.
Zeke3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 08:24 PM   #9
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

So the defrost slot would not have appeared in the factory sheet metal until 1939?
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 08:34 PM   #10
Zeke3
Senior Member
 
Zeke3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Columbus, IN
Posts: 1,401
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

My 37 appears to have a factory slot for the defroster, even without a heater installed.
Zeke3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 09:36 PM   #11
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Very interesting; in the dash itself or through the interior windshield trim ? Perhaps this was an option ?
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 09:42 PM   #12
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacques1960 View Post
So the defrost slot would not have appeared in the factory sheet metal until 1939?
Double post.

Last edited by JSeery; 11-07-2020 at 12:48 PM.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2020, 09:46 PM   #13
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacques1960 View Post
So the defrost slot would not have appeared in the factory sheet metal until 1939?
Have no idea on a station wagon, but I just posted they are there on the 38 standard. There is a cast part that bolts below the cutout that connects a a fiber hose. I would think the location of the slot would be difficult to install on a special order basis.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2020, 10:13 AM   #14
Zeke3
Senior Member
 
Zeke3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Columbus, IN
Posts: 1,401
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Ford approved heater and defroster data is published in a Service Letter dated 12-16-37 for 1937 and 1938 vehicles in the Early Ford V8 Club 1937 book, pages A-37 and A-38.

There is a note when installing a defroster in the open cars and station wagons as follows:
"When installing open car defroster it is necessary to replace the present left hand windshield side finish strip with new strip - 78-711291-B for 1937 open cars, and 81A-741227-B for 1938 open cars."

It looks like the defroster kit for 1938 open cars and station wagons is 81A-18470-B.

I am curious whether the open cars and station wagons only had a defroster vent of the left side since the service letter only mentions replacing the left finish strip.

Hope this information helps your search.
Zeke3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2020, 12:38 PM   #15
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question

Thank you very much; I have the service bulletins and will take a look !
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:46 PM.