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11-06-2020, 09:20 AM | #1 |
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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.
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11-06-2020, 02:07 PM | #2 |
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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.
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11-06-2020, 02:37 PM | #3 |
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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
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11-06-2020, 02:52 PM | #4 |
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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. |
11-06-2020, 02:58 PM | #5 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
My early (21 stud) 38 standard 2dr has the defroster slits built into it.
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11-06-2020, 03:55 PM | #6 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
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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.
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11-06-2020, 03:55 PM | #7 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
Sorry, “slits” not slim
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11-06-2020, 07:54 PM | #8 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
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.
Last edited by Zeke3; 11-06-2020 at 07:55 PM. Reason: added a word. |
11-06-2020, 08:24 PM | #9 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
So the defrost slot would not have appeared in the factory sheet metal until 1939?
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11-06-2020, 08:34 PM | #10 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
My 37 appears to have a factory slot for the defroster, even without a heater installed.
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11-06-2020, 09:36 PM | #11 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
Very interesting; in the dash itself or through the interior windshield trim ? Perhaps this was an option ?
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11-06-2020, 09:42 PM | #12 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
Double post.
Last edited by JSeery; 11-07-2020 at 12:48 PM. |
11-06-2020, 09:46 PM | #13 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
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.
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11-07-2020, 10:13 AM | #14 |
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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. |
11-07-2020, 12:38 PM | #15 |
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Re: 1938 Station Wagon / Defroster vent question
Thank you very much; I have the service bulletins and will take a look !
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