Vintage Air on Factory A/C Car ?

[Nuts]

I am considering putting a Vintage Air system, into the BelAir. It currently has factory A/C system, installed, but I'm not happy with the cooling of the car. Yes, I know that you could cool a side of beef with yours, but mine barely keeps us comfortable.

I downloaded the installation instructions from Vintage Air and it seems pretty straight forward, but left me with a couple of questions.

What happens with the passenger side louver assembly and the kick panel ? They say to remove and discard, but then what replaces it ?

Maybe it's just my simple mind, but the repositioning of the knob on the control don't make since to me ? Why doesn't the HEAT knob control the heat/AC ? Why move the FAN button to the middle ?

Well if anyone has installed this system in a Factory A/C car, maybe you can help me out here. Does the system work better than the factory A/C system ?

Thanks
Bill

 

[oldskydog]

I am considering putting a Vintage Air system, into the BelAir. It currently has factory A/C system, installed, but I'm not happy with the cooling of the car. Yes, I know that you could cool a side of beef with yours, but mine barely keeps us comfortable.

I downloaded the installation instructions from Vintage Air and it seems pretty straight forward, but left me with a couple of questions.

What happens with the passenger side louver assembly and the kick panel ? They say to remove and discard, but then what replaces it ?

Maybe it's just my simple mind, but the repositioning of the knob on the control don't make since to me ? Why doesn't the HEAT knob control the heat/AC ? Why move the FAN button to the middle ?

Well if anyone has installed this system in a Factory A/C car, maybe you can help me out here. Does the system work better than the factory A/C system ?

Thanks
Bill

Bill,
I believe Larry,( AZ409) is the resident expert on this. I'm sure he will respond to your question.

 

[mac1]

IMO, your factory A/C should out perform any after market A/C. Plus the factory unit just looks cool. It sounds like you have a leak in the system. I would take your car to an expert and let them shoot some dye into the system to check for leaks. Very often, the compressor itself will leak. I use a Sandon aftermarket compressor on my factory A/C and it works great. (You can see a picture by clicking on my link and scrolling down to the bottom) Classic Industries sells replacement evaporators cores if your original core is damaged. If you go the aftermarket route, the instructions are fairly detailed and most offer tech support at no extra charge. You will need to buy a passenger kick panel for non a/c cars and a complete vent assembly. Both of these are available aftermarket. One more thing, make sure your compressor is not cycling off to soon. Mac

 

[Nuts]

Thanks

Mac,

Thank you for your response. The system is tight and maintains pressure. I believe it is cycling off too soon as you suggest, but the shop says they can not adjust the switch. It is one of the STV update kits and I don't think it is functioning correctly.

I have thought about putting the STV back in, but don't have the knowledge or tools to rebuilt it. Do you have any suggestions ?

Thanks
Bill

 

[mac1]

Nuts, try putting an insulator between the STV sensor bulb and the return line. You probably have to remove the pass fender to do this. A thin piece of gasket material should work. This should help the compressor stay on longer. You CAN manually force the compressor to stay on by running a 12V wire to the compressor via a switch under the dash. Just don't leave it on all the time or the evaporator core will freeze up. Mac

 

[Brian Thompson]

Bill-

I put the Vintage Air kit on my car. The original side panel is no longer needed. You can get an aftermarket kick panel for a non-A/C car to replace it. You may also want to get the vent and vent cover(grille) for it as well. I may have some lying around if you can't find any.

As far as the controls, the cables are no longer used and replaced with electronic sliders. You can change the location of which lever controls what, but the original fan control is not used at all.

Not sure if it works better than the original A/C system, but I would have to say that I doubt it does. Nothing beats an R-12 system!

I wish you spoke up about a year ago. I had everything NOS, including STV, to rebuild the factory A/C system. I sold it all on ebay when I decided to go with the Vintage Air kit.

 

[Nuts]

Thanks

Mac

Thanks, I'll try the insulation tip and see if that works. Sounds like a duable options and would tell for sure if the switch is not set correctly. Doesn't the STV system keep the compressor running all the time ?

Brian,

Thanks for your input also. I do have the complete factory air system and all the stuff, in fact I have an almost complete spare. I agree that the R12 system should be working better than it does, or I'm just too critical and think it should work better than it can !!!

It's just that, before I make the next 2500 mile trip to Thompson, OH I know I'll need a better option for A/C !!!!

Bill