Not a wrench

[coolford]

Bought this item at auction yesterday for $3.00 as it interested me.  Brought back memories.  If you know what it is, just say "I know" and wait until someone doesn't know and I will discuss it when someone doesn't know.

[leg17]

I think I know.

[oldgoaly]

From central Indiana? I think I have some literature on them.

[Bill Houghton]

OK, I don't know.

[lptools]

I don't know, either!!!

[Papaw]

I don't know.

[international3414]

i didnt want to sound stupid..lol,,,but i dont know...........?

[coolford]

I figured oldgoaly would know.  It is a southern breeze automobile heater that runs on gasoline.  In the olden days people often bought cars that didn't have radios or heaters.  After a time most in the north wanted a heater and this heater was the cheapest way to get warm. However, it was a little dangerous as heating with gas inside the car was not the safest, but many people bought them and they were very popular in the 40's and early 50's.  They were placed under the dash on the passenger side and a fuel line was tapped into the line going to the carb.  I never owned one myself, but did ride in cars that had them.

[oldgoaly]

I haven't scanned them, but have them in a folder for safe keeping.

[coolford]

When was the last time you saw one??

[gibsontool]

I'm glad you let us know what it is because I'm like several of the other members, I didn't have a clue what it was. I thought maybe a fuel tank off a small motorcycle.

[leg17]

I think I know.

Well I was embarrassingly way off.

[Bill Houghton]

"Southern breeze" seems like an odd marketing name for a heater.  Granted, a southern breeze in July at 1,000% humidity is pretty hot, but that's not the image conveyed by the phrase.

I'm always a touch amazed at the health hazard levels that were once acceptable in automobiles.  The old air-cooled VW heaters were the same sort of thing: in theory, they just drew air from around the cooling fins on the motor; but, if you had any kind of exhaust leak (which didn't take long), you'd wind up pumping exhaust gases into the car.  I used to call that design the "death heater."

Although, on a lot of older cars, there was probably enough in-car pollution from exhaust gases, burnt oil from oil leaks hitting the exhaust manifold, gas vapors from the carb or the leaky gas tank, etc., that a little extra from a gasoline-powered heater at your feet was trivial.

[oldgoaly]

From the same company, a few years before the heater pretty well obsolete about 1930. Hint "Fords" never used them.This "kit" was sold to dealers and garages.

[coolford]

I had a senior moment when I said "Southern breeze".  The correct name is South Wind.