I am looking at heater options for my 1969 mini and want to know if anyone has fitted a rover heater (no air con) to a early australian mini. This looks like a good conversion if I can get some info on the rover heater as I don't have access to a rover mini, and as there are no reproduction cooper heaters available (unless someone can supply me with very good drawings and measurements for mark 1 cooper S heater, then I could make my own). I would like to know the following about the rover heaters, where are they attached to the body?, how is the switch pannel mounted (to the dash rail or heater)?, how many hot air outlets are there and where do they go? How do the ducts for the dash vents pass through the car? Any info or even better pictures relating to rover or mark 1 cooper s heaters would be great.

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Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Why not just fit a Clubby heater, as fitted to the very last of the MK2 Ss with the Clubby doors...
Cheap to get, at least it'll keep your toes warm until you find a Mk1 version.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I'd like to use a clubman heater as I have a few in the shed, and I know how the ducting and mounts go. But my only problem is the controls for the heater, how were they done on the last of the mark 2 cooper s'?

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Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Roundnose Minis fitted with Clubbie heaters had the controls on the drivers side of the steering column, on a special bracket. They used push/pull controls rather than sliding controls as per Clubmans. Bear in mind one of the cables runs the heater tap - there is nothing stopping you using a Cooper S tap on the cylinder head and running the heater cable in the factory location. Then you need to find somewhere to mount a heater blower switch but this is a simple on/off switch. Then you just need a cable to operate the ducting, which you could mount on a bracket under the dash somewhere.

Rover heaters are the same as used in some Mokes. I fitted one to my 1970 Mini K van.

Note that it dose stick out further than a Mk 1 Cooper S heater and looks a little untidy. I used a Rover lower crash pad to make it look better.

The heater is simple enough to mount. The holes are already there in the bottom on the dash below the switch panel. At the back you just have to fit a couple of L-shaped brackets to the firewall. The heater hoses are on the "wrong" side of the heater to go through the holes in the firewall where the brack and clutch cylinders go on a LHD car. You can either use longer hoses and runthem behind the heater to those holes or put new holes in somewhere on the drivers side. Just make sure you are well clear ofthe exhaust, carbies, brake cylinders etc.

For the windscreen demisting to work you will need the correct ducting to go to the dash top. On the driver's side you will need to drill out some spotwelds to remove the ducting box behind the trim on the firewall.

For the electrics you will need to run power from the ignition switch the heater switch and connect an earth wire. That's about it.

Cheers,

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

Just a point, a minor one...The "Rover" heater is just as crap as the Aussie one and as an added bonus, they have a tendancy to rattle.

The plastic aussie clubman one seems to be okay.

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speed costs....how fast do you want to go...