|
Chuck,
I didn’t have time to dig that catalog out just yet.
How stock appearing are you trying to keep the car, or is that not an issue? I’m not familiar with that Newport dash. I think finding and making the ’55 rear air work would be more difficult than working with readily available aftermarket pieces. Plus, I’d prefer working with an evaporator that was designed to work with 134a, and was made 50+ years newer. 134a runs at different pressures than R12. I’d feel more comfortable with a fresh evaporator (and condenser). After spending all that time and money converting a car over, I’d hate to have a leak in the old piece once the system is pressurized. But then again, that’s part of the adventure of playing with old cars.
The problem I see with a rear mounted system is running the lines and wiring to the back. It’s not impossible, but it will take some effort. Also, some fabrication will be needed to mount the hardware in the back. Again, not impossible, just needs some planning. I would run hard lines to the back, along the rocker area in the car, and use flexile hoses to make the connections. You’ll need some flaring tools, and to work with a hydraulic hose shop in your area to crimp the ends onto the flexible hoses. The hard lines will need to be insulated to keep condensation from building up under the carpet.
It may be easier to just run an aftermarket setup up front. Some of the same fabrication cautions still apply, but less of the car has to come apart. Most aftermarket A/C setups use under dash units that contain the controls, vents, and evaporator. The system works completely independent of the factory heat. The dealer add-on A/C systems were of this design. If you want to keep it looking closer to stock, you could hunt down a used dealer add-on under dash unit, then source the under hood pieces from the aftermarket, or rebuilt factory parts.
There is supposedly an aftermarket A/C system that adapts the factory heater controls to run their A/C unit. I think that is Air-Tique. They have conversions for factory systems mentioned on their site, but it looks like that is for factory A/C controls. I’d have to go back and take a closer look.
Did the factory A/C Newports have the vents in the dash? I know that’s how my buddy’s ’67 Fury III is. If the under dash unit is too cluttered looking, you may be able to hunt down the factory A/C dash vents, or even hide the vents further under the dash. Your feet might get pretty cold though. For controls, use modified non-A/C controls, or hunt down the factory controls and adapt them to whatever system you plan on using.
Classic Auto Air in Florida sells both aftermarket and factory parts and systems: http://www.classicautoair.com/fa_parts.html
Air-Tique offers under dash and Street Rod style systems: http://www.air-tique.com/classics2.html
As does Vintage Air:
I hope this helps. The same principles would apply to an Imperial as well. Eventually, once all the other little things holding my LeBaron off the road are addressed, then I’ll take a look at the A/C.
Rob McCall ’67 LeBaron
-----Original Message-----
This is for a 65 Newport that has no factory air - my 55 New Yorker Deluxe had rear air only and worked great - I'm trying not to clutter up the dash. Would an old rear air unit from an Imperial work w/ 134?
Chuck |
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network