I just got a 1959 190D, and found it has absolutely none of the heating system left - no fan, no ducts, no core (just a section of pipe and 2 short bits of hose). I do have the levers, but the cables hang out into empty space under the hood! Anyone ever do this much of a replacement job on a heater? Of course, where I live, it only get a little below freezing, but much more likely to get over 100 degrees in the summer, so I guess I should ask if there is any way to add AC!

Another thing - what do you use to repair chipped off paint? I'm not restoring too much, so even if I buy the original paint color, wouldn't it be different from the somewhat faided paint job I have now?

Thanks for any info

My 1961 190Db had an add-on A/C unit under the dash. Think it might have been a Frigi-King, but is way too long to remember for sure. Cooled down very quickly, but had a bad habit of freezing over if the humidity was very high. It also had a bad habit of bogging down the 1900cc's pretty badly, so it was only operated on the hiway!

As far as the ducting and heater boxes go, a donor car could provide all of or part of what you need. There are several current owners of these vintage cars on the Diesel and the Vintage forums who might be willing to post pictures of what a proper installation looks like. The ducting is somewhat fragile as it is a molded cardboard material that has been painted on the outside or in some way partially waterproofed. Each section is held together by some stamped and formed in metal grids. The inline heater cores and fan sections are clamped in place, if I remember correctly.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

Thanks for the info, airplane guy!

I've contacted some folks with heater cores and valves, and while it may seem sacrilege, I will use whatever ductwork and such I can get from "unauthentic sources" (e.g - hardware store, HVAC suppliers) - I will never have the bucks to make it show-worthy, so I just want it road-worthy...and useful (hence, the need for air flow and heat).

Surprisingly my Lycoming is not in an airplane. That was the corporate engine manufacturer for the Cord Corporation until the end of auto production in 1937. Usually gets raised eyebrows when I say that it is in a car!!

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150