Sold Out - Installed AC and Heat in the wagon

To some on here you will say I 'sold out' for putting one in. After some very cold drives home from shows last year I decided I like to have heat and for anyone who has lived in the south knows it can get hot.. A few months ago I ordered the Largest GenII set up from Vintage Air for my 53 wagon. Its a big unit and takes up most of the under dash area. I thought I could do the install myself but once I got it out of the box and took time to read the instructions (my first problem I guess) I got worried and decided to call a friend for help who has done a ton of these installs. Well after a week its in the car and blowing warm or cold. A thermometer check put it at 17 degrees when on the max cold... so it will cool the interior with no problem.. The only down fall will be little to no glove box, still have to shorten it up, and no were to put the stereo (may go with a tissue dispensor and put it inside of it).

 

COOL...and hot, if I lived in your area, I would have done the same...you sell out . -Joe

 

That's perfectly acceptable. Now if you were puttin' it on a hoodless coupe or roadster( ) then we would have to talk.

 

I want to see some photos. You should have done a tech-o-matic on this...

I don't care if it makes me a sissy, I like to be comfortable.

 

Ryan, I've done two installs of vintage air kits; one in the dodge and one in my dad's '72 chevy pickup. They're pretty easy to do, probably would take a couple guys a day to put the in.

 

Yeah they're not to difficult. Pretty well do***ented to. Thoutgh I highly recommend the extra set of hands method (i.e. have a friend help) Shouldn't take but a day. I also recommend the Vintage Air setups over Old Air or any of the others...

 

Ryan, now that I have seen it done, it would not be to hard, All the externals are straight forward, IT was connecting all of the AC stuff that I thought were beyond my ability. If you can find someone who can crimp the hose ends I am sure you can do it... I will take some pics later on and post them. Since I went with the largest set up they make (per their recommendations) it takes a lot of underdash space. Did not even think about doing a 'How To'

 

I have one in my Buick too. I installed the evap before I put the dash in so it was really easy.

That unit comes with an electric valve the for the heater core instead of the cable actuated design too.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Ryan, now that I have seen it done, it would not be to hard, All the externals are straight forward, IT was connecting all of the AC stuff that I thought were beyond my ability. If you can find someone who can crimp the hose ends I am sure you can do it... I will take some pics later on and post them. Since I went with the largest set up they make (per their recommendations) it takes a lot of underdash space. Did not even think about doing a 'How To'

[/ QUOTE ] Is that the Super or the Monster ?

 

Here are a few pics of the unit installed. Right now I have under the dash vent pods as the diameter were just a little to big for the flat section of the dash and I did not want the square vents. Also do to the size of the unit I could not run a center vent and just have two tubes dumped straight down. I am thinking of directing them thru the speaker grill in the center but I am not sure if it will let enough air out of the grill openings.

 

Here is a view looking thru the speaker grill opening

 

and one from under the dask to show how large this unit is. It goes from the steering column to at least the outer edge of the glove box.

As you can see we had to trim the bottom of the dash to gain access to the control panel to install or remove it if it is ever needed

 

Here's the engine compartment

We fabbed up a firewall panel to fill the unwanted holes and to smooth it off alittle, just tacked in for now.

We also moved the top of the radiator back about an inch to provide clearance to the condensor.

 

last pic of the radiator area

 

Do they have to go under the dash? I want AC eventually, and 95% of my car's heater junk is under the hood on the firewall, pretty much just the defroster fan sticks into the cabin.

 

I guess you could mount the unit anywhere you want but I think it would depend unit you ordered.

Anyone know of any good aftermarket vents that are smaller then the ones that come with the Vintage Air kits (no square vents) oval or round is preferred

 

Ryan, I did a 55 chevy installation last week....just take your time and it's not too bad.

 

Billet Specialties sells some really nice looking ones, but they're WAY overpriced if you ask me.

 

My brother (MO JUNK) had his air coming out of the speaker grille on his 48 truck. He changed to another method as it was restricting the flow a lot. It made a big difference in the cooling of his truck.

What radiator did you use and what do you think of it?

 

That turned out real nice. I work in a shop that is a distributor for Vintage Air and we get to complete a lot of projects that were started by the owners, but not completed. Give yourself a pat on the back. You certainly deserve it.

 

Boones- why not hit the junkyard looking for vents? Seems like you could find something cool.

 

That's not a sellout, that's a survival tactic....!

Brian

 

I am using the middle grille on my 53 wagon. IC made a plate to seal it with two duct fittings and it flows enough air. I would still like to add some hidden directional vanes though.

 

Miles, I was thinking of doing as you had done but was worried about the restricted flow. I am leaning towards building a small senter console (dip in the dash) to install vents and to put a radio but my problem is I want it to look like it belongs, not an after thought. I may start another post asking for ideas or suggestions for a center console pod...

thanks for the compliments but I can not take them as my buddies who build cars for a side job did the majority of the under dash install hose work.. I did the wiring, vents and other under the hood work.. Without them I would still be looking at the unit trying to figure out how to plumb it...

 

Boones- I think air is more imortant than lots of other parts in the build......also heat is underrated-I want it on my driver too.

 

hey it's your ride. put curb feelers on if you want!

 

hmm... What do you guys think about putting AC in my 39?

Esp if I'm livin in Texas and driving the car almost everyday.

 

i wish i'd had a/c on the way back fron bowling green. i have it just need to get off my *** and put it in. going with and older underdash unit

 

Life is too long to suffer without AC.


**** it,we have the technology.Why do we have to sweat like farm animals ?