Rear heater in a tuffy console (1 Viewer)

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As much as I respect the oem rear heater in my ‘73, my kid will crush it if I reinstall it. I’ll add I’m pretty far from stock. I’m thinking about getting a tuffy console and was wondering if anyone retrofitted a rear heater into or under it? I’m not sure it’s possible, but my kid would really appreciate it. The truck will go without a top until I get around to restoring the hard top. Way low on the list?
The late model units are going to be expensive to cut up. The tuffy console is probably In the future. My initial thought was the Astro van rear heater we had as a kid, but I think it’ll be to big. Minivans seem the obvious choice, as think most cars just use ducts to the rear seats?
 
Here is a picture of the rear heater in my '73. As you can see, my Dad made a metal step/cover over that has lasted over 45 years and through 7 kids ( I was/am a big kid :)). I have a CCOT center console (much like a Tuffy) and it works great. Just a thought...

20190318_185947.jpg
 
Put this underneath the front seat and aim it toward the back...
 
Check summit for compact heaters.
I dropped those words in summit’s search bar. Initial results were eye opening- $300+. That cushioned the blow for further searches, but still more than I was hoping to spend on this project. The console is a bit more than I was hoping to spend after my rear axle upgrades.
Put this underneath the front seat and aim it toward the back...
This is getting closer to my budget. I was hoping someone had an idea on something I could get at the pick n pull. But this unit has some appeal in terms of plug and play.
 
I dropped those words in summit’s search bar. Initial results were eye opening- $300+. That cushioned the blow for further searches, but still more than I was hoping to spend on this project. The console is a bit more than I was hoping to spend after my rear axle upgrades.

This is getting closer to my budget. I was hoping someone had an idea on something I could get at the pick n pull. But this unit has some appeal in terms of plug and play.
I always like to explore all options.

It would be nice to first secure a console, that way the fit parameters would be dictated by it. Just as a thought...maybe the OEM heater could be used. It does have a relatively small footprint which is shallow. Maybe it could fit into the bottom of the console lengthwise. Cut some ports in the rear bottom, maybe install some expanded metal on the inside to prevent large debris from getting inside.
 
I put an fj80 rear heater under my factory console and drivers seat in my 73. It took a little work, but came out really good I thought. The heater from the 80's has a two speed fan, and the tubes off the core have 90's on them. It just fits with a couple extended legs under the right side drivers seat slider and the bottom of the original center console. The 80 heater has some plastic ducting on it. Used some of that and also made an "okay looking" metal duct piece with a screen attached to some of the plastic duct to shoot hot air out the opening on the rear of the factory console where the original heater lines laid. The rest of the warm air blows towards the fuel tank and towards the back side of the wife's legs.

Another option is the 60 series rear heater, the 1980 and up 40's had a similar heater in the rear console. Problem with them is they have a heat valve on the heater core, the core tubes go straight and down to go through the floor differently and they only have a one speed fan. I was able to wire the two speed fan of the 80 heater right to the factory dash switch. I got the special molded plug end from Coolerman and changed the plug on the 80 heater to match the 1973 FJ40 wiring.

Seems all the rear heater does is spread the warm air better. I run both usually to take the chill off on cool mornings. I have a soft top now, so any morning can be cool/drafty. When I had the hard top, even with both heaters on full blast it was hard to keep it warm in the cab on very cold sub-zero days. I like how it opened up the rear floor though, I did a Geo Tracker bench seat, so the foot space was needed. I also had my original rear core repaired twice now, it kept cracking at the solder to the core and tank. 80 series rear core may be easier to source in the future.
 
And speaking of rear heater damage, when I was kid and my dad drove my 40, I thought the rear heater was the step point to get in the back. I remember making a point to step on the poor thing every time I got in the back.
 

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