Makes me scared, I farmed mine out over 20 years ago for $500
which means im about due for another

prob triple now.

now way id do it myself

 

Ya Blues.... $500 seems like a bargain, dude on youtube took the entire dash out of the car, I mean ENTIRE DASH, nothing but wiring harness's left, scary, I'm going to buy the little rubber block off caps for now and deal with it in the future, I've been into the under dash of my 69 convertible to fix stuff and it's amazing how complicated these cars are under the dash, there's hardly room to put your hand anywhere, especially with A/C cars, changing this core, it's like climbing Everest in your driveway,,, lol.

 

I saw the WCCC video and got scared too!

 

I actually got mine done without taking the entire dash off, just the dash bad, globe box and other easily removed bits. I can't remember but I might have loosened a couple of bolts but is did not have to remove the entire dash structure.

I wasn't easy though...... That dang heater box is tougher to get on the an condom on a kitty.

 

If I can do it without losing my mind anyone can. The reason it's so difficult is because Ford started with the heater box and built the rest of the car around it.

 

Hey Kip I have very similar red convertible! anyway when I die and go to Hell they'll be a 69 mustang heater core replacement job waiting for me....

 

Hey RPM,,,, I was born and raised in Oildale....

 

Ya, but you got lucky and escaped There are a few from Bako here. I was in Motown a week ago. I've got a buddy there who owns Central Valley Automotive on McHenry.

 

I did it for the first time earlier this year. Is it a pain? Yes, but it is all just nuts and bolts. I learned something in the process and I didn't try to rush it. Order your parts in advance. I used the WCCC video as my primary guide, took a bunch of pictures and kept track where all the screws and bolts went. While things were apart I fixed/updated a few other things back there as well. Even added a map light! Take pictures and take your time. I wouldn't trust anyplace except a true mustang shop to do something like this anymore.

 

Yes its a PITA.

Try doing one in a Fox with AC or a 80s/90s Ford Escort.

Good luck
Paul

 

Then there's the mid 80's T-Bird or Cougar, Taurus, and the list goes on. Heater cores and A/C evaporators are just one reason I'm glad I don't turn wrenches for a living anymore.

 

It comes apart EASY! It's putting it all back in that is going to be fun.

1969 Shelby GT350 Hertz <-- This links to my firewall/dash/airbox photos.

I took the box apart and replaced all the foam and seals as others have mentioned. Used JB Weld to fix some cracks in the box, sandblasted and painted the metal parts.

 

I replaced mine when my interior was all stripped out, including the dashboard upper / lower pieces and all heater / fan units. So I took this opportunity to change the heater core. So I appreciate how much work is needed if the interior is not stripped out.

I would definitely not trust anyone else to change a heater core unless I knew intimately how good they are working on these cars and putting the effort into someones car.

If the YouTube video is the one I am thinking of, he also mentions about not getting someone else to do it. All those little clips, screws, etc. Will some get lost or broken, or some not put back in? The heater box unit after all these years is very fragile and those clips if removed incorrectly will break it. Utmost care is needed. Hence me not trusting someone else to do it.

While you are in there, replace all the foam seals, etc as they will probably be past it as well.

Just my opinion, but I am very careful about who works on my cars, and I pretty much do all my own work because of this. So far on my Mustang, the only time someone has done something to my car, is to put the tyres on the wheels. And I took the wheels to them. I've seen plenty of tyre centres just put a trolley jack under a car without properly looking and jacking it up.

A friend of mine had a Fox Mustang without air conditioning and I seem to remember that was easy to replace the heater core? But the air conditioned ones are different and much harder.

I did the heater core on my sisters 1980's Ford Escort many moons ago, and I am sure the heater unit comes along the production line and then they weld the body around it. Much swearing that day.

 

Exactly- wing nuts and zippers; just remember where they all came from!! I just did a Blazer core for the neighbor girl last fall- same thing. The dash was supposed to come completely out, and the stealership quoted her $1,800 out the door!! I did it all in for $600 for her. I did think it was nice of Mr. GM to put a few extra bolts behind the dash- just in case I needed them! (I didn't) :wink:

 

I took mine up the street to a radiator shop. The building and the business were both older than my car so I trusted them... and they did a very nice job for $200 +/-. They even cleaned the (rest of) the rodent motel out of the ducts. I bought all the parts and they put them in.
Pembroke Radiator, Pembroke, MA. A good shop deserves a good plug.

 

I've got my dash apart and the heater wasn't hooked up when I got the car. I figure the heater core is bad and the A/C is fully charged, so I'm not touching it. Are you really going to drive it if it's that cold out?

 

I'm in Miami and I want my heater to work. I'm hoping not to have any over heating problems where I can use it to vent off a little heat, unfortunately inside the car, but to have it to help defrost the windshield is nice. And there actually are a couple days of the year when we get down in the 50's here (Yea, freezing days here in Miami) where I would use the heater. I believe with the dash apart and some careful maneuvering you can get that heater core changed out.

 

Ya your all right,,, I can't trust someone to do as good of job as I will (as in repair problems, go the extra mile to do it right etc. ) and I'm in California so Pembroke Radiator's not an option Frankie,,, I just need to man up and start the job, besides almost everything I'll be removing needs restoration to some extent right? Hey the pay sucks but at least the work is hard,,,lol

 

Back in the day I helped a friend do one. IIRC it was an early 70's GM or something to that affect.
it had a trap door with 4 bolts behind the glove box and we changed it in less than a 1/2 hour. dont know why he needed my help lol

now why couldn't ford think of that

 

Oh great. I have to do it on my wife's 69.

 

i was thinking, cant it be just cut out from the bottom with a cut off wheel. pull the core and just epoxy the sucker back in there or use caulk and construction tape???

 

I assume most comments are people with cars that have factory integrated HVAC systems. A while back I had a mint Arizona 81 Granada. It was unusual...no factory A/C. Replacing heater core was 45 min job including coolant drain and refill.

With factory A/C the book shows 8 hour standard job, $600.

It's ironic today (since 1990) A/C has been standard. On a recent vehicle it's as major repair as automatic transmission replace/rebuild.

 

I looking for some heater core replacement advice and saw your post couple of years ago. I also have a 69 Gt350H. Looking at your thumbnail it appears that maybe yours does not have the emblems on the roof. Is that true? The reason I ask is that my never did and I bought it from the original owner after Hertz and he said the car never had them. One more question you said that it was 1 of 2 in Miami, how did you find that out? I like to know how many were sent to S & C Ford in San Francisco.

Thanks for reading this

Chuck Sellman
Dublin. CA #1906 (Like the year of the SF earthquake)