Date:         Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:03:25 -0600
Reply-To:     arbosch@RA.ROCKWELL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alan Bosch <arbosch@RA.ROCKWELL.COM>
Subject:      Heat lamp, cold weather, etc., etc.
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Holy cow!!  It was colder than a witch's t...  ahhh...  toe last night!  Minus 2
deg. F, with a 25 mph wind!!

Thanks to all who responded to my heat lamp query.  Here's what I wound up
doing, in a pinch.

I found a 24 inch square cardboard box in the garage.  Trimmed it for height -
that is, I cut the sides down until it would slide under the engine with a
minimum of clearance.  After I cut the sides down, I lined the inside of the box
with aluminium foil, shiney side up.  Punched a hole in the box and ran some
12/2 SJ electric cord - from an old extension cord - through the hole and wired
up a porcelain pull-chain fixture I had lying around.  Then I placed a
150w/Par-38, 130 volt outdoor spot light bulb into the fixture, placed the
fixture into the box using the porcelain fixture as a pedestal, and slid the box
under the engine.  Plugged in, adjusted a bit so the light was where I thought
it should be, and went inside for a hot toddy then bed.  When I came out this
morning, I unplugged the lamp and slid the box out prior to attempting to start.

Put the key in and old Phred phired right up - a little slow to turn, but
nothing like yesterday morning, when he barely cranked over.

Now, did this little set-up work?  I dunno.  Seemed to.  Then again, maybe the
wind died down enough so as not to make it as cold.  It's supposed to be as cold
again tonight.  I'm going to experiment with a plain old 100 watt light bulb and
see what happens.

Alan Bosch
& Phred ('88 Wolfsburg) - the Phearless, Phrozen Bus
(Talking Heads "Psyco Killer" refrain here...) Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa,
fa, Frozen Rochester, NY