Family says they don't wanna ride in the 50 Chevy cause it's too hot. This weekend the temp was 107 and the heat index 114! New set up is not in the budget right now. Has any anyone done a junkyard swap? If so did you piece it together or get the whole set up out of a particuler vehicle. I have several yards within a short distance so access is no problem. Thanks in advance for any info.
I've been wanting to do an ac swap from a junk yard this whole summer. I would recommend getting the entire set-up from whichever vehicle you want an ac system from. Things to consider: Interior size of original car compared to yours. (aka: cooling capacity). Parts availability and replacement-parts price. Compatibility with whichever style pulleys you have (v or serpentine). As for the controls, they aren't super hard to set up using old factory parts or even your original fan box/heater unit with a few wiring/ducting modifications. From experience, I will note that piecing it together could be a bit difficult with different hose fittings, line pressures, condenser sizes, etc... unless you stick with one particular type of vehicle. Just my .02.
I don't blame them, this Texas heat ****s! If you do it, at least put the vents in one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MK-IV-Air-Conditioning-Monitor-60s-A-C-/250881347252
Richard D that is a cool looking piece, but i was thinking a little more. My car is a four dour and for the moment it is poorly insulated. Was thinking about that foil backed insulation you can buy in the larger rolls and put it everwhere i can make it fit. Then maybe an a.c set up from an suv or minivan with rear vents. Any input? Thanks.
Trying to retrofit late model AC is not a good idea....but you can add two underdash units, if you want. I had a rear add on ac unit for a van that I put in the back of my 66 suburban years ago, it sat along the side, right behind the driver, and kept the kiddos cool. Or see if you can find the rear ac unit from an old Suburban, 70s-80s, they had one that mounted in the ceiling just in front of the tailgate. You'd need to modify the housing. Just tee the rear unit refrigerant lines to the lines that go to the front unit. When I was a kid our 67 plymouth wagon had a rear ac unit just behind the rear seat, on the ceiling. I think during the 15 years we owned that car, the AC worked a total of about two weeks.
If your wanting something simple and compact look for rear ac units from SUVs and minivans. Most are ac only, small and have off and two or three fan speeds.
It is so hot here, the squirrels are blowing on each others nuts. Anything you can buy complete or cobble together will be COOL. I used an underdash unit and a dryer from Nostalgic Air. I had a good Sanden compressor, I made a bracket and idler. found a condenser and had a friend who has a bearing and hose supply company help me with the fittings and hoses. some relays, wiring etc. and were cool and comfortable. I saved money by working a little harder. Probably spent half as much as I should have.
Here you go, don't even try to fit something from another vehicle, nothing but wasted money and grief. http://www.vintageair.com/catalog11/pg41wc.pdf
add on air, find one out of a old car get a newer pump like what is in the kits and go r 134, actually r 12 is better but not serviced i got that in a waggon black longroof and it worked fine in Salina, takes a bit too cool off now go out and find a nice underdash unit for a old car and start getting components to finish the job
Unless you know what you are doing, I think you are probably ******* in the wind. You have to know your **** to service an existing factory A/C system yourself properly; let alone construct one from junkyard s****s. Hate to piss on your parade, but I've been there with an experienced mechanic showing me the way, and it's no picnic. Cobbling one up from pieces, I wish you luck. Please take lots of pictures and show us how you did it.
Richard you may be right, but I have more time than money. As far as cobbling one together I was thinking more along the lines of transplanting an entire system that was originally designed to be compatible. Luckily the guys at one of junk yards have taken an interest and are also eager to see what can be done and are willing to help me experiment.
One of those old Mark IV style under dash units is probably going to be the easiest to put in and also it isn't too hard to modify the brackets for the York compressors to fit under older hoods. When they work right they cool pretty damned good too.
Since you didn't post it,what's under the hood? If it still has the six that might be a challenge as far as brackets and pulleys,now if you went the common route with a SBC swap then it can be EZ.Living here in Phoenix I wanted A/C in the '65 C-10 I had I had a 250 six and couldn't run across brackets in the wrecking yards so I figured to use up some of the SBC parts I had and stuck a 350 in the truck.Then things got EZ I found a Pontiac Ventura with the corporate SBC and got all the brackets,pulleys and compressor off of it for $75, picked up an under dash unit from a '66 C-10 for $35 and got the goods to convert to 134a had 2 hoses made to run to the underdash unit,my neighbor did an evac and we charged it up total cost was $175 it would blow 44 degree air at 110 outside temps. I am now doing my '54 Ford with an '65 Mustang underdash unit and the factory York compressor which is larger capacity than the more common Sandens being sold.Now that being said there are larger Sandens available the main reason they are in demand is they draw less horsepower and they look pretty when they are polished or chromed,which won't keep you cooler.Those older underdash units can move a lot of air,you have to remember those were sold primarily in the late 60's & 70's when cars were much larger,I sold a bunch of those for Sears in that era.
Some early Mustangs came with a dealer mounted A/C unit. I had one in a '66, many years ago. Hell, I gave it away, back when. Perhaps you could check some of the vintage Mustang sites. The one I had worked great. I gave it away because, back then, us youngsters had the idea that A/C robbed horsepower. Boy,we were stupid.
I think the Mustang underdash thing is the best idea yet, esp. with a York compressor for the old look. They do rob H.P. Fred, a tiny bit, not enough to sweat your *** off in a street car over! HaHa. When are we gonna beat this heat and have a beer? I'm back to work but on vacation until next Wednesday.
50Styleline: Let me p*** this tip on to ya. I had a 67 ChevyII ,with factory air. It was the under dash type. I had that thing serviced,checked ,evac'd & refilled to Hell and back. It would pump out ice-cold air at the outlets. But,as soon as the car started moving ,the cold air was ****ed out by the worn,leaking w/strips,door seals & window seals. So, my suggestion is that you need to stop all the leaks that you can . Also, you might consider some insulation in the floors,roof,doors, etc. Making up the cold air is one thing, keeping it in the car is another. Stan
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