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Panteras competing in the early days had to run cut-off heater flow valves because of the number of failures and injuries to drivers from rupturing that little 3" heater hose under the dash. High rpms on overage hoses were the cause. Passengers have been injured as well depending on how the hose blew.  Some owners didn't even realize there was a breakable hose down there.

We had to use TWO VISIBLE manual valves when competing  because Tech Inspectors had no time to have you pull the firewall door and trace out the plumbing to be sure the valve(s) actually cut off the heater feed. Sure, one valve would theoretically be enough but again, Inspectors were often not Pantera owners. So electric valves were illegal and thus very uncommon.

Good idea. Fresh air is nice if/when the A/C goes out. Early '71 and later '74s had a stock fresh air option with different controls, routed thru the heater boxes. I ran two such cowl holes to big 90 degree copper fittings with home-made throttle valves aimed at the seats (no hoses needed). They were very effective crossing the Mojave desert, as my A/C never made it to and from 'Vegas while operating! Cracking a window makes conversation impossible over 100 mph.

My car has the shut off valves, so normally there is no hot water to the heater core at all. Last January, I had to drive the car on a 28 degree day in light snow. I drove for about 40 minutes and the cabin was comfortably warm. I didn't have to defrost, though, so I might have needed the heater for that, but for simple driving, I see a functioning heater as a pretty low priority.

On my drive yesterday back from Orange CA (all of Southern California!) I drove in hail and rain!! I want all that stuff to work being my daily driver!
I may sound like a wimp but I had enough of that BS when I was living (in Northern California in the foothills,) in my 1974 Pontiac Safari Station Wagon when I came to the States in winter 1995!  I paid my dues!

Last edited by LeMans850i

I am replacing the 3 cables right now for hot and cold… Defrost and so on.. those levers have two holes in them for the cable to hook in! The one closest to the part you push on are used for the on off valve, and it works perfectly to shut it off all the way and open it all the way! The other two go in the other hole, closer to the pivot point! at least for the shut off valve I’m using It works IMG_1169IMG_1170

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Last edited by LeMans850i

Looking good.

I just finished the same project this weekend.  I don't like the final location of the hoses in the engine bay, so I plan to go at that again when I get time.  Need to add some tension relief on the hoses too.

Also going to hide the wiring when I get time.

First 95F day in PHX so I should be able to test my cooling system and AC while I sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 101, on the way to the monthly Pantera dinner.

John

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The theory is that about 25% (4 fan sections in total, one of them fed solely by the hose) of the air moved by the fan is fresh outside air which can be directed with the heater controls to the windshield or down or whatever the flaps are set! Or 100% of whatever air is pushed by the driving speed thru the grill under the windshield with the fan off…

we will see…🤓

Last edited by LeMans850i
@rocky posted:

Looks good!

I assume you are back from the Wienwald, and are going to torment us with a continuous stream of accomplishment!!!

How many laps of the Nurburgring did you do?

😎

LOL…. Just for 2 weeks… then I’m gone again… I better get something done!!! (And loose the 15 pounds I gained)

You sit back, have a beer and enjoy my misery…

AND I have to recover from 2 weeks of this too

IMG_2809

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