heater box question

[jwtdvm]

I have a 57 basic ranch wagon--my heater box looks like others I have seen-on the left side upper (under dash part of heater) is a square opening where a rubber gasket goes from it to something?--I have seen some airhandlers up to defrost that are fairly long and have 4 or so openings at the windshield-but my wagon is not like that--I have 2 small handlers that mount left and right and have oval openings pointed toward center of car/trans hump-----how do I get from square opening in box up to those 2 handlers??I guess hoses come off the 2 air handlers but they must join some sort of adapter that then goes to square opening in the box???

[hiball3985]

Normally the square outlet in the heater plenum mates to a square input on the defroster nozzle. Just a wild guess but possible you have defroster nozzles for an air conditioned model?

[jwtdvm]

this is a bare bones car and all original--no armrests no visor no air--the 2 small air deflectors/handlers are original and so is heater box--something in between the 2 was there but I lost it or it was so bad I tossed it just assuming D. Carpenter would have all I needed but cant seem to find what I think I need--car has been in family since 1960 so I am sure of originality---I would use the larger plenum/defrost but they seem pricey on ebay

[gasman826]

Sounds kinda like the 'two same air handlers' might be the fresh air ducts.  The defrost duct that goes in the square hold bolts up under the dash.  If you're close, I got a couple of them.

[jwtdvm]

Hey Gasman---I have the 2 fresh air ducts installed--My 2 defrost plenums/airhandlers are atached to the dash up high under the garnish molding/defrost openings above the fresh air vents---I would convert to the long single plenum that has 4 openings if you have one---I could probably send a pic with my phone if helpful---there must have been some length of hose with my set up as the airhandlers have a rounded/oval opening where the air would enter from the heater box

[hiball3985]

Some early production cars ended up with a few 56 parts, maybe that happened. If that's the case they would probably be harder to find parts. I've never seen that type of defrosters on any of my old 57's..

[RICH MUISE]

What they said...yours doesn't sound like the normal one. LOL..If I had had one like what you're describing, I may not have had to go thru all the work on mine to remove the square inlet and  10" or so from the center to make room for my windshield wiper relocation.

[gasman826]

Defroster duct bolts into the dash at the defroster openings.

[lalessi1]

I am thinking that there are 2 types of heater boxes, one that is factory installed and one that is dealer added. I have seen both. The "dealer" installed unit has a Ford logo the front and hot air blows directly out of the heater core. The "factory" unit is in a box with outlets directed at the floor and a flapper inside that diverts air to the defroster vents per the pictures on the post. My car is a Custom Tudor also a stripper with the factory heater. The other car I saw was the same model with a different heater. The controls are different on the dash as well. I doubt if the "dealer" heater is connected to the defroster vents. A picture of the controls might help. All of this info is purely by observation and assumption.
Lynn