Ok I know a lot of guys like to roll stock here.. well I live in muggy *** Florida and would like A/C in at least one of my cars. Does anyone know how I might go about adding A/C to my 57 Cadillac? I want for it to look stock or hide controls for it. I think old air has a kit. Other than that , I know nothing. Alex
YA have to go with the Vintage Air guys. I have call them and talked about the technical side of installing the AC. I also live in South Florida and I will be installing a new AC in my Caddy as well. Talking with the Vintage Air guys they don't have a direct fit for my 55 but they my have one for yours. If not they have a large universal kit that will hook up to your factory controls if you have some, if not they have some vintage controls you can get. Their kit come complete with compressor and mounting brackets its best to call so they can get you the right parts.
pick your company for the actual AC unit but there are a couple of companies that retrofit factory controlls for AC. I'd reccomend using factory brackets and pulleys--they pop up on ebay regularly and Old Air makes a compressor that's supposed to be a direct fit. I haven't put it on mine yet, but I've seen it installed on a early 59 390 which is the same block as your 365. I've had a new sanden compressor and the universal brackets for years and never gotten around to fabing it up to make it work. with the old air compressor it seems that's the better route.
From an AACA post from 2010: '57 was the first year for "through the dash" A/C on Caddy's and they basically blew it. Very inefficient thanks to the vents coming out immediately below the windshield and radiated heat through the gl*** immediately soaking up all the refrigerated air. Back seat occupants are not happy campers in a '57 Caddy when temperatures get much above 90 degrees. A VintageAir hidden under dash installation is the way to go. Though my '57 Eldorado Seville has factory air I found about the only way to improve on factory A/C is to use modern heat shield insulation between the roof and headliner as well as in the floor and on the firewall. From: http://forums.aaca.org/f151/air-conditioning-57-cadillac-288592.html
while I don't have a caddy I can relate the monster cooler from vintage air worked ok but the area from my shoulders to my head wood not sweat but not really cool added an below dash one and now I can almost freeze meat. lol.
I've done quite a few old cars, and try very hard to disguise the AC, at least in the interior. Eliminate the factory heat, weld up the holes, and weld in brackets to hold a behind the dash unit. In most old cars, there is usually enough room, though you might lose glove box space. Vents you can hang under the dash, set them back a ways to be unobtrusive, or integrate some round ones INTO the dash to look factory. Like fenching an antenna! Controls can usually be gutted and adapted to work with the aftermarket switches, though sometimes it is a real chore to do. I recently did a 61 Olds, and wound up using generic plastic gears and racks to get the factory pulls and slides to work the rotary switches that came with the AC set-up. Not super difficult, but took some time and experimentation to get it right. Underhood, you really can't hide the compressor, so just make it as clean as you can. Probably have to make up engine mounting brackets for the compressor, and as said, use factory pulleys, or have a machine shop cut some modern pulles on a lathe and weld them to your existing pulleys. Sanyo universal brackets will help make mounting the compressor a bit easier. I've even used the original generator brackets to mount the AC, and then hung an alternator elsewhere, they are so small, it's much easier to find a spot for them. I also like using "hard lines" everywhere except where you go from the engine to the wheel wells or firewall. Smaller, neater, cleaner, and you can make tighter bends than with thick rubber hose.
Thanks for the reply's / knowledge all. I found an old AC control out of an Eldorado of the same year. Soo I think I have the stock look covered (in cabin anyway.. mostly). Now I just need to do like Chopolds said and modify it so I can control the AC using the old levers etc. I'll probably be looking for more info on AC later but for now I'm going to research before I buy anything really big. Thanks! Alex
Although Vintage air makes a kit for my truck I bought a kit second hand that I was ***ured would "bolt right in". Well it didn't so I had to call Vintage Air several times to figure out how to make what I had work. They were always very helpful with tech stuff and swapping parts back when I ordered the wrong stuff. If they have a kit for your car you are golden.
I agree with BuiltFerComfort's comments. I will add a little extra info. 57/58 Cadillacs have a large air plenum running across the top half of the fire wall. The heater attaches to this plenum on the driver side under the fender. There is a similar attachment plate on the p***enger side under the fender. There is enough room in that area to hide an evaporator. You could then use the plenum (in addition to some higher mounted vents to get the cool air to you. I have a 57 Coupe DeVille without A/C and a 57 Sedan DeVille parts car that has a complete factory A/C setup. I talked myself out of using the factory setup. I hope to be installing a vintage air setup as I described above some day in the future. Carmak Riverside, Iowa
Done many an old car a/c upgrades. DEFINITELY a challenge. We are finishing up a custom install on a 1950 Buick with straight 8 now. Big PITA to make the engine bracket, but mission accomplished!
I've for a couple old accessory under dash a/c units? They look neat No matter how big the ocean is you can always break gl*** with a hammer!
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