So you want a Classic Mini Heater Matrix?

Which Mini Heater matrix would you Buy?

 When we recently uploaded our Classic Mini heater matrix stock to our website we were reminded that there were a lot of different Mini heaters available on the market. A lot of the heaters out there were extremely cheap imported units and our experience with these units tells us that they are also very poor quality. In this case it seems that you do get what you pay for!

 Most of the Mini owners who contact us are enthusiasts who take great care of their pride and joy and want to fit the best possible parts, but judging by the heaters being bought on sites such as EBay this does not appear to always be the case. It may be that the people who buy these heaters don't realise that there can be a big difference in quality between these units and that it may turn out to be a false economy.

 Below is a brief description of the heaters we sell and why we think you should choose them.

 All of these heaters are made in the UK to the highest standards, they are all fully tested and come with a full manufacturer’s warranty. They are all made from top quality copper and brass even though some of the originals are plastic and aluminium. This means that they are considered to be more robust than the plastic technology heaters.

 These heaters were originally designed in conjunction with Mini enthusiasts and Mini Clubs to ensure that the very best results were achieved for fitting, function and strength. The designs have been sold successfully for up to 30 years in some cases and i can’t remember ever getting any returns. I'm pretty sure this can’t be said for the imported heaters.

1964 - 1984

The top two are real classic Mini Heaters and are based on the original heaters with the seam around the top of the tank. We have lost count of the amount of these we have sold over the years and sales have only slowed recently with the introduction of a plastic and aluminium import. Our only concern here is for the customer as they may require another one sooner than expected.

The only difference between the two is the corners that the pipes are mounted and you can find more info in the link above to our website.

 1984 - 1992

The next heater down is based on a plastic and aluminium original with a separate pipe set attached to a diamond shaped flange. This was one of the first heaters we came across which used plastic tank technology. Within a couple of years our manufacturer was being asked to reproduce this heater in the all metal format as the original was not considered robust enough. The pipes on our all metal version are silver soldered directly into the tanks for strength and to avoid any problems with the pipe flange seal. As above we have been supplying this heater for a long time, even against the competition of far east imports which don't reach the quality standard of the substandard original. We have found that the true enthusiast will pay that very small amount extra for a far better product.

1992 onwards

The bottom picture is the last of the Mini heater matrix range, again based on an original that uses plastic tank technology. Like the earlier heater it didn't take long before the manufacturer was asked about a copper and brass version. So as before the pipes were silver soldered directly into the brass tank to avoid the need for separate pipes and rubber seals which have the potential to leak. An extra consideration with the alloy pipes on the original is that they are liable to corrode to the point where you cant seal your rubber hose on, this means that they will need to be replaced. If you buy a poor quality cheap import it will not come with these pipes and you will end up paying another £20 for a set. Unfortunately you probably wont realise this until the heater and car are in bits and you have a useless 'cheap' heater in your hand.

 We do also supply the heater matrix for several other old Mini models so feel free to contact us at: sales@motoradsonline.co.uk