There is a baffle plate inside the front heater box that appears to
block most of the air from getting to the heat exchanger.

Only about 1/4 of the heat exchanger is actually getting air because
of this bafffle, which has holes in it, mostly along one side.

Does anybody know what the function is of this baffle plate, or
whether cutting a few more holes in it might increase the heat available?

According to an extremely unscientific polling at samba at
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=277650 removing the
baffle plate seems to make little difference but might offer a little
improvement.

But I cannot imagine that the plate is there for no reason as
somebody obviously went to a lot of trouble to make it.

You can see a picture of a baffle plate where somebody drilled a lot
of new holes in the middle section here:
http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/419753.jpg

Is this a folly idea????????? ,   or what is the downside????

Notwithstanding the people who said they were happy they removed
their baffle, one person on samba once said: "I have heard that if
the baffle is missing, that the heat output from the front core will
be minimal. If the flow through the core is decent, then I'd be
tempted to see if that is present."

In response to this, Terry K blurted out, as he tends to do in an
incendiary manner, "He-she is dead wrong. You obviously personally
haven't been into a heater box ever."

_______________________________________________
Derek Drew
Washington DC / New York
derekdrew@derekmail.com
Email is best normally but...
PHONE: 202-966-7907 (Call the number at left normally)
(alt/cell for diligent calling only): 703-408-1532