Heater Identification

[cmiller]

I have been around Minis for over 50 years and still run into things I have not seen before. Helping a friend sort through a 50 year accumulation of Mini parts. Today I went through the heaters. The heaters in question are the standard interior heater used from approx. 63 to 70ish. We have several heaters that do not have the blower motor on the left side as normal. Instead there is a blanking plate where the motor mounts. There plates were obviously factory installed as the are spot welded into place and they are all the same. Like no blower motor was ever installed in the heater body. I know the very early heaters had the blower motor in the engine bay above the flywheel side. The interior heater on these cars were markedly different from the 63 on units. I am at a loss for an answer. Anyone else ever seen this?

Chris Miller

[woodypup59]

It could be a version of the cold climate / export heater. Some pictures would help

[iain1967s]

Agree, it sounds like the 4kw cold climate heater. Same metalwork but instead of the built in motor they used a separate more powerful blower mounted in the engine bay. Ref #56 & 68 on the Somerford page. https://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/fresh-a ... ts-1969-on

[davidmuir]

My '67 Morris(originally exported to Germany according to the Heritage Cert.) had the external/engine bay blower unit and no fan inside the car. I removed the fan from the engine bay unit and fitted it inside the unit inside the car.(single speed)
(the car also had a steering lock fitted to the column-Export only??)

[cmiller]

Mystery solved thanks to members and some thorough reading of some of the books I have. Indeed this heater body was used with the external 4kw motor in the engine bay. As stated it was primarily used on export cars that went to colder climate destinations. I have this blower unit on my 62 Woody but uses a different heater body. The factory must have used this combination even when they switched the design of the interior heater body.

Chris Miller