Classic/Antique Car Repair: Heat from car, smart aleck, trans tunnel

Question
I just purchased a 1967 Xr7 cougar for my son and when we drive I feel a lot of heat coming from under the dash where your feet are. Is this normal if not what can I do to fix it? The car is not running hot on the gauge. Thanks Bill

Answer
Hi Bill,

The most obvious answer is that the heater is on.  Sorry, I'm not being a smart aleck, it's just this:

What's happening is that, as normal, coolant is circulated throughout the radiator, and the engine, AND the heater core.  The heater core is usually mounted on the firewall on the passenger compartment side.  It's ideal position would be centered but it's usually just to the passenger seat side of the trans tunnel.  And typically for a 67-era car it is buried inside a brownish black hard-plastic enclosure that interferes with your legroom.  The purpose of the enclosure is to direct heated air up to the windshield vents and down to the foot-level vents.

The way it works is that the heater core always has hot coolant available to it...when you turn the heater "on", what you are doing is opening flap doors (via vacuum elements or bowden cables) allowing heater core warmth to enter the passenger compartment, "under the dash where your feet are".  When you activate the heater fan, a small fan on the backside of the heater core, it pushes the heated air near the heater core out onto you feet as well.

So...I suppose the answer to your question is...it's normal to have a hot heater core...the problem is that unless the flap door between you and the heater core is well closed and well insulated, the hot air will tend to work its way to your tootsies.  Great for the winter months, right?

The fix is to get at that flap door and see that it's sealing material is still in place and the door is held tightly closed (like with its spring) when the heater is off.

I hope all that makes sense.  Let me know what you find.  Have fun with that cool looking Cougar!

Dave