1956 Sedan DeVille Cardboard Heater Boxes

[Mike Connors]

Anyone have suggestions for getting reproduction cardboard heater boxes to fit on a 56 Cadillac?  I've been wrestling with a set for quite a while and not much closer to making them work than when I started.

[Eldovert]

This is one job I have on the list. Some sort of animal set up house in my ambulance heater boxes . May I ask where you got yours?
Cheers,Pat MacPhail

[Mike Connors]

I've had them for a while now but believe they came from Caddy Daddy.  I see he has them on his website for $145 for the two that go in the kick panel and two for the doors.

They are not a simple fit.  Having trouble getting them in place so that the lower control door moves freely.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

http://www.caddydaddy.com/Boot-Ducts-c783/

[cadparts58]

Mike,
   i am taking a1956 Sedan de Ville aparts for parts. I removed the black hard cardboard boxes from the bottom of both heater cores. They are in decent usable shape, just dirty. Is this what you need? If so let me know and I can send pictures. You can email me at fpuma49@verizon.net. If there is anything else you need let me know. Thanx Frank

[Steve Overby]

The heater valve on my '56 Eldorado started leaking.  Do you know if yours is good on your parts car? 

Steve Overby #25528

[cadparts58]

Steve,
  I have the ranco valve. I do not know if it leaked, but it was dry when I removed it. It still has both sensor leads on it. I can not see any breaks in the copper tubes. If you want, I can send you some pictures. Let me know your email and I can send the pictures. Thanx Frank

[Roger Zimmermann]

Steve, if you can fin a decent heater valve, let it overhaul it. The rubber seal is more than 50 years old and sooner or later it will leak.
Old Ait Products, among others, can overhaul it.
Regarding the heater boxes in the doors: the repro cardboards boxes are very approximate; I have one pair installed in my convertible. If I remember correctly, I had to modify them to fit.

[J. Gomez]

Rebuilding the Ranco heater valve should be a straight forward process; I’ve done a couple and also share a tech file I’ve created with others which had done the rebuild with no problems.

There are several vendors that sell these boxes, unfortunately they are all reproduction and fitting will not be 100% and as Roger states modifications is require.