1954 Willys Aero Ace Sedan

[WillysTom1]

  In Hemmings: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/willys/aero-ace/2169705.html. It looks good! Hopefully a club member will buy it.

[joefrazer]

A 226 equipped with overdrive...that would make it a good road car. I don't think I've ever seen an Aero with the heater delete.

[rialto]

The heater controls are left of the speedometer. The delete plate is for a radio. There is no antenna. There are heater hoses under the hood.

[Thomasso]

It appears to me to be a heater delete car with and after market heater.  On these cars the heater box is on the left side of the firewall.  The controls on the left are for the lights and blower and the factory heater controls on the right.  At least thats how it is on my 55.

[Thomasso]

Looks like a very good buy to me.

[joefrazer]

In one photo one can just see the aftermarket heater under the passenger side dash. The 54 and 55 used the same layout so yes, the heater controls should be to the immediate right of the instrument cluster. If this car is as solid as it looks, I think it's the big deal of the day.

[rialto]

I saw the hoses but didn't realize the Aero had the odd light switch.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Heaters were optional equipment.  During the 1960's I went with my dad down to Florida and the Ford dealer in Key West didn't have heaters on any of his new car inventory.  The kit for the heater/defroster Ford offered (like Kaiser-Frazer and other car companies) could be dealer installed.  Ford dealers in the Miami area had heaters as part of the combination heater/air conditioner unit and were sold for the A/C function.  Key West was the only place where I have ever seen new cars in dealer inventory without heater or A/C.

[Gordie]

Heaters were a hard sell in California right up into the fifties and most did not have or really need one.  I guess that we were tougher then but my first new car was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Aire coupe and I did not want power steering or air conditioning but I sure wanted power pack.  My second new car was a 1958 Chev. Impala convertible and it had all of the bells and whistles but no air conditioning.  That was my last Chevrolet.

[joefrazer]

My 50 Traveler was sold new in El Paso, TX and does not have a heater. The knockouts are still in place and block off plates are used where the controls should be placed. I drove the car for most of one winter out of necessity and was glad my office was only a mile from the house!

[MarkH]

I don't know how the options were but I haven't seen a Brazil Aero with a heater.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

If you look up the particular Aero Willys car (1953-1954 model years only) you will find the list of options that could be factory or dealer installed.  I don't have factory or distributor released info for 1952 and 1955 model years cars.  These items are on the KFOCI HANDBOOK CD