I went to a show this week with the 56 and it was hot. My wife really wants air in the car. I’m curious what you guys are running. I hear a lot about Vintage Air Gen IV but wondering if this is the best unit or if there are other units I should be looking at.
In my opinion, after having three units, I would not gamble on any thing else. Mine work great. VA does have controls to work with your original heat/vent controls.
I had a small Vintage Air unit in my '40 coupe and it did well. I ran it 20 years and didn't even have to top off the charge. I bought this '55 with the air already in it. The thermometer in the vent says the air is 38 degrees but unless the vent is point right at you it is not cool because there is so much gl*** in the car. I see several AC dealers selling this under dash unit, including Vintage Air. I would suggest calling Vintage Air and get their recommendation for your car and climate. They have been doing this a long time and know what they are talking about.
I think you will be satisfied with Vintage Air. The Gen IV air ducts fit nicely under dash on our cars and almost looks like a factory install. My windows are not tinted and I stay very cool, even with temps in the mid to upper 90's. I will add this about the Gen IV. It's their largest system and it's a tight fit and you will not have your glove box remaining when you are done. Other than that its a good fit.
I've also been looking into this for my Ranchwagon and as far as I can tell VA doesn't sell a complete kit made to fit. Looks like you have to get all the pieces separate and hope you get the right combination of parts. Cl***ic Auto Air has a kit made to fit 55-56 Fairlanes and that's what on my wishlist.
Had a friend install the Cl***ic Auto Air kit, wished he had used Vintage Air after one summer. Just FYI.
i have an old 60s jc pennys foremost system that still works great up front. doubt you will find anything today that will last 50 years. plans are to make a consol that brings air to the back of the wagon. it works great for me up front but cant cool the back. remember you get with you pay for whatever you buy
I used Southern Air in the wagon and it works but I wouldn't do it again, Vintage Air is the best bang for the buck. HRP
He had a heck of a time getting it installed he said. He spent a lot of time on the phone with them getting it sorted out. He said that he had the chance to ride with a friend who had the VA Gen 1V unit in his and he said it cooled much better. Sorry to say that my friend is no longer with us so I can't ask him for more info. He just suggested that I stay with VA. VA does have controls that will work with your original controls but they don't advertise them for some reason. I can post the info they sent me when I spoke with them originally. Since mine is a 55 they thought I might modify their stuff to fit. Once I decided to go with a modified dash I decided against it.
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