Hey guys, I know this has probably been spoken about a fair bit but I really can't find what I need. So, can someone please please give me a detailed explanation and even better, pass on any links to diagrams, on how the heat exchanger system works on type 1 beetles, I have a 58. As I am doing an engine swap and want to see if I can rig up a heating/demisting system for the car using both models if I have to. If anyone has attempted to install aircon that would be great too. Really just looking for knowledge here guys as it's holding up the build planning quite a bit and your wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

is this what you are after ????????
http://www.iceac.com/Articles/install_ac/index1.html 

http://www.gilmore-enterprises.net/Air/Beetle.htm 

A later heating system will work in a early car, as for the aircon you might be able to adapt one to your car, you do not mention what engine you want to fit, search the samba for information.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/ 

what engine are you putting back in the 1958 beetle?

A 1950's engine, or a later engine?

Thats a starting point, as the early heat exchangers are different to the later ones.

early heater - the hot air from the engine was redirected into the car with square metal flaps behind the pushrod tubes

about ?? 1962 they changed to the fresh air heating where the air doesn't go over the engine but they have heater boxes where the air goes thru and gets hot...
the heater boxes are part of the exhaust...

air conditioning is difficult and expensive in a beetle..
most kits are for LHD only...

cheers

LEE

What do you call an engine swap?
to a later VW engine or something watercooled?

I've got A/C in mine but It's a Subaru engine and in a late Superbug so doesn't really apply to your car.

But there is more and more being fitted with A/C all the time.
The Retro air units sit snugly under the dash of flat screen beetles.
Just gotta find somewhere good for the condenser then as well as mount the compressor and run the hoses.

PIC OF TWO DIFFERENT AIR CON.. MODS..


LEE

What about the new 4WD rear mount ELECTRIC units.......sounds like a system that might adapt to a VW well.

In my opinion a straight answer would be to forget the air conditioning. Air cooled VW's are cool enough as they are.

Till summer hits 40c.... then let me hear you say that again

It's not that hard, bout half of the bugs sold in the 70s in the US had A/C

Thanks for all the info guys. The air-con isn't a necessity, more a "what-if" option for me at the moment anyway, as I'm really only concerned with the heater/demister system at the moment for the rego guys. The engine that's going in the 58 will be a 13B out of a S5 if I ever find one.....So I'm starting to look at the VW system and the RX7 system to see how I can go about merging the two. @ 68autobug, thanks for putting up that pic of the compressor on the left hand side, that mount might work out quite well for what I have in mind. Back to the heater tubes, I'm thinking of fabbing up my own designed heater tube that will accomodate both heater channels off the custom exhaust for the car. Probably further down the system rather than near the headers as rotary exhaust temps are alot hotter than piston engines.

Why don't you do the obvious, fit a heater out of a water cooled car.