55.2-59 gmc who has added heat and possibly a/c

[Missyblue]

So in trying to buy the right components for my engine rebuild I have been talking to Vintage air and old air trying to make sure I don't have to do things twice if I can help it. Anyone have experience with these companies and/or opinions? I do know that since I am GMC I can't use the chevy sure fit or their controllers from vintage air. And living in Colorado I will need some heat and the possibility of a/c someday isnt a horrible idea either but for now windows down and hanging your head out dog style is the plan haha. Also hoping this helps others because I am having a hard time finding much talk about it

So for vintage air for GMC you cannot use your original controls for any go their units and they recommend either

Gen II compact unit catalogue pg 49 and I have to pick a controller pg 50
https://www.vintageair.com/builder-s...%20II%20Compac
pros: 1. heat/defrost/ and a/c
2. vents mount in different locations

2nd they recommend a different style unit called an under dash unit
https://www.vintageair.com/builder-s...1=Under%20Dash
pros: compact. kinda looks decent. cheaper
cons: supposedly no defrost....but couldn't you maybe splice in a t and add a host to the defrost vents or maybe Im crazy haha

For Old air they have 2 recommendations

Cable operated system
https://www.oldairproducts.com/produ...defrost-system
pros: can use original gmc cable controls which would be cool
cons: I want them but don't have them haha. would cost from what I have seen around $300-400 to get an original controller unless I can get lucky and someone has a spare cheaper. then the system itself is more money also

cap 9105-s electronic pod. mounts behind glovebox
https://www.oldairproducts.com/produ...c-pu-cap-9105s
pros: comes with controllers.

they also have an under dash unit but they didn't recommend it up front so I will call today
https://www.oldairproducts.com/produ...eat-electronic

Seems the under dash units have less bulky things to install and might suffice for our tiny cabs. But curious of thoughts.

Also cable vs electronic for reliability?


Sorry of all the crazy just so much to process. Im sure I'll have more just asking advice and experience. I also know there are other companies just haven't gotten that far yet. Initial research seems they have similar options

Thanks!

[dsraven]

if thinking of a/c down the road ensure you get something upgradeable. also, when they sell a complete kit that has air right now it may be cheaper than heat only for now with a/c upgrade later. bundle packages are usually cheaper than an upgrade.
if thinking about heat only for now why not just use the stock heater? it's a small cab. if you don't have the stock heater think about a bus heater or similar as the stop gap to an a/c upgrade later.
the heater/ac units that fit behind the glove box will render the glove box basically useless. the ones that fit under the dash and hang down will be in the way if you have a bench seat and want to have a third person in the cab.

[mr48chev]

One thought, if you have a bad heater core in your stock heater now or it has to have some other work it isn't financially prudent to buy a new heater core for one at today's costs and then replace it in a year or so. If it has the recirculating heater with the round core you are looking at well over 200 for a heater core and that goes a long way towards a complete unit.

If you have a working stock heater that doesn't leak and are looking at upgrading later that isn't an issue though.

Those hang under the dash AC units will get the inside of a truck cab just flat cold even in 100+ weather but if you ride with a passenger in the middle a lot they are knee bangers and the cold air blasts right on the passenger's legs. Had one that I transferred between two rigs and when I had it in my 59 ElCamino it would freeze us out in Central Texas in the summer time.

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by dsraven

if thinking of a/c down the road ensure you get something upgradeable. also, when they sell a complete kit that has air right now it may be cheaper than heat only for now with a/c upgrade later. bundle packages are usually cheaper than an upgrade.
if thinking about heat only for now why not just use the stock heater? it's a small cab. if you don't have the stock heater think about a bus heater or similar as the stop gap to an a/c upgrade later.
the heater/ac units that fit behind the glove box will render the glove box basically useless. the ones that fit under the dash and hang down will be in the way if you have a bench seat and want to have a third person in the cab.

Thank you for the thoughts and yeah that's where I was at figuring cheaper to do all at once as a kit might be cheaper than in pieces. And yes I have a bench and hope for 3 people so wasnt sure how much room that center underdash box would take up hmmm.....

[dsraven]

What I would do.
Get a dimension of the under dash unit, make a cardboard mock up tape it under your dash and see how it affects the foot and knee room.

[_Ogre]

i used the gen II compac in my chevy truk, yes va makes the surefit for mine but i like the new technology
it's worked great for the past 10 years with no problems (once i figured out i had the heater valve in backwards)
you do loose the glove box and it hangs down under the dash a bit, i made the dash valence to hide it
if you do a bigass console, you need to duct the floor heat to the drivers feet

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

One thought, if you have a bad heater core in your stock heater now or it has to have some other work it isn't financially prudent to buy a new heater core for one at today's costs and then replace it in a year or so. If it has the recirculating heater with the round core you are looking at well over 200 for a heater core and that goes a long way towards a complete unit.

If you have a working stock heater that doesn't leak and are looking at upgrading later that isn't an issue though.

Those hang under the dash AC units will get the inside of a truck cab just flat cold even in 100+ weather but if you ride with a passenger in the middle a lot they are knee bangers and the cold air blasts right on the passenger's legs. Had one that I transferred between two rigs and when I had it in my 59 ElCamino it would freeze us out in Central Texas in the summer time.

To be honest I have a heater but have no clue if it works so was looking to upgrade since my husband wants me to do a/c at least someday. And yes sadly I like the idea of the underdash and the lesser cost and easier install but......you are so right! I do hope to have 3 sometimes but 90% will probably just be me and the dimensions make them stick out at least 3 inches past the dash which seems a little offputting 😩 vintage does have a slimline series I guess that would maybe only stick out 1.5 inches but isnt quite as visually appealing haha.

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by dsraven

What I would do.
Get a dimension of the under dash unit, make a cardboard mock up tape it under your dash and see how it affects the foot and knee room.

Definitly will try. The unit I like sticks out like 3 inches 🤔😩 they have a slimline that supposedly would only be 1.5. But mr48chevy had a good point of the poor middle person freezing out their knees haha. But actually even the gen ii units have 2 side vents but then 2 vents right at the knees again. So only maybe slightly better since the air is split 4 ways and not all 4 vents on the knees haha 🤪

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

i used the gen II compac in my chevy truk, yes va makes the surefit for mine but i like the new technology
it's worked great for the past 10 years with no problems (once i figured out i had the heater valve in backwards)
you do loose the glove box and it hangs down under the dash a bit, i made the dash valence to hide it
if you do a bigass console, you need to duct the floor heat to the drivers feet

Wow your setup is really nice! I will be doing a bench so no big console to hide stuff or add venting

[G&R's57GMC]

What engine are you going to use ?
If you use a Chevy small block they have the brackets for it in the "kit".
If you run a "LS" you just use the stock "LS" compression and brackets.

If you run the stock GMC V8 you will have to fab the A/C brackets and find a pulley.

I had a '56 GMC 347 V8 that was changed out for a '60 Pontiac 389 that was fitted with a '60s GM A6 compression and brackets ... Good Luck finding that today as this was done in the early '70s . It used a factory '69 Camero a/c unit .


On my current project I'm running a 2005 5.3 out of a van with all the stock accessories including the compressor and the Old Air unit inside and all vents will be mounted in the dash .

[dsraven]

since you want a bench seat and a/c your options are gonna be to use an off the shelf aftermarket heater a/c unit, like vintage air or similar, and lose the use of the glove box. or, use the universal under dash "freeze you knees off" system, which will be cramped for space if you are the "middle guy", or, try to fit a unit from a donor vehicle that mounts a bunch of the parts on the engine side of the firewall to free up cab space and keep things useable inside. you could look at some of the builds that joedoh does and see how he makes that work. if that is appealing to you then possibly score a heater/a/c unit from an s10, or another donor, and go to town cutting and fabbing to make it work. basically you would copy the cutouts from the donor where the unit attached to the firewall. you can always plumb the venting into the dash wherever you like, once the main unit is installed, and use aftermarket vent louvers available from suppliers like vintage. it will mean your truck will lose that stock dash and under hood look but you will have the bench seat, reliable heat and defrost and nobody will have frozen knees or sore legs from being cramped. since you are using a small block for power you should be able to find a compressor, pulley system and brackets to mount the compressor on the engine and any hydraulic hose supplier should be able to hook you up with custom hoses and fittings to fit your needs. I suggest to strip the complete package from a single donor so all the parts work together like they were made to. if you have the time and tooling available you could even cut away that part of the firewall from the donor so you have a pattern to work with as you may find there are humps and bumps on the donor firewall that correspond to irregular shaped areas on the actual heater box profile. find an S10 or donor vehicle with a small block or a 4.3 engine because the 4.3 will use the same basic profile as the sbc for mounting stuff to the engine. the 4.3 parts actually fit a bit closer to the engine, I think, and they may use some stamped steel bracketry instead of aluminum sometimes. be aware of water pump lengths and offsets and know your clearance to the rad on your set up before you go. maybe joedoh could answer some of that for you. that would likely get you a serpentine belt driven system if you are looking for a more modern a/c compressor that is made to pump R134A. if at a wrecker you could come up with a serpentine belt driven system from another stock chevy vehicle, other than S10, that should bolt up to your sbc and include an a/c unit. just be aware that some of those serpentine systems may have the water pump that is driven in an opposite direction than the older style belt system. your engine is apart anyway so swapping a water pump will be easy. these systems could put your a/c compressor and alternator up high on the pass side so connecting would look less cluttered under the hood. some systems run a smog pump that can be deleted. some have a more spread out configuration. some have the a/c unit on the driver's side. be sure to grab the a/c compressor for your proposed system to ensure it works properly with the refrigerant you will use. likely R134A because it is the more standard and readily available type. also grab the alternator, power steering pump and hoses, all the tensioners, the interior heater controls and even the wiring harness ,or at least the plugs with a pigtail of wire left, in case you need to convert to a newer style alternator, basically grab everything in the system that bolts to the front of the engine. accy's tensioners and idler pulleys, coolant hoses, thermostat outlet, all the bolts in the vicinity, wiring harness, a/c condensor and brackets, (rad?), a/c plumbing hoses, pulleys, fan (may run backwards to what you have from the donor van), fan shroud (important item for an a/c unit to have ample air flow through rad and condensor), carb fast idle dashpot and wiring, check if anything bolts up to an exhaust manifold bolt in case the depth is different from your donor van parts, etc. if/when dismantling remember there will be pressure and oil in the a/c system. it may be unlawful to release the refrigerant into the atmosphere, there could be inline filters and/or orifices in the hoses and/or connections so don't lose any of those parts because it will make it easier for the a/c guy if he has the originals to compare parts when he recharges the system. take some hose plugs with you to cap all the connections so dirt and excess moisture stays out and oil stays in, grab the a/c spec sticker or take a pic of it from the stock vehicle so the a/c tech will know how much refrigerant and oil will be required for the stock system. you can use the stock dryer etc for mock up but understand that the tech will replace some parts because he will want new filters and dryer. moisture in the old parts can become ice in the a/c system plumbing which causes blockages. if doing the donor a/c it is a good idea to take a cardboard cutout of your firewall and inner fender configuration to take with you just so you know what you have for available space. remember the inner cowl and the wiper motor and arms on the old truck are gonna also be something to consider for space limitations. when you factor in all these items you may be liking the tucked away vintage air system after all, lol.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-499193

serpentine belt systems on small block chevy, with pics. a good read if you plan a donor a/c system or simply wat a serpentine belt system.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=233335

[dsraven]

here is a thread with a few pics of different things. one thing I suggest was mentioned by orrieg in another thread as well. if you run the a/c or heater hoses through the inner fender or inner side cowls then it makes it cleaner looking but also makes it harder to remove the front clip later if required. a simple set up with the hoses kept independent of any aux sheet metal means the front clip can be removed without having to disconnect and purge/recharge the a/c system, the clip and engine can easily be removed and the a/c compressor can be tied up out of the way but still connected to it's system and charged with the whole time. also, in my opinion, any hoses that run through a sheet metal part are better off using bulkhead connections instead of rubber grommet protection against the sharp metal edges. that's just me though. lots of guys do the grommets.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=541365

[G&R's57GMC]

I tried posting a picture last night of the underhood of the '56 GMC with the Pontiac V8 and a/c .

Here ya go ... Well this is odd , it seems I'm not allowed to post pictures even though I'm a Premium Member what's up with that ?

[1project2many]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

I tried posting a picture last night of the underhood of the '56 GMC with the Pontiac V8 and a/c .

Here ya go ... Well this is odd , it seems I'm not allowed to post pictures even though I'm a Premium Member what's up with that ?

The premium banner wasn't showing up, then I posted, then it was. Strange. But you should be able to post pictures either way.

OP, I've attached pictures of the OE factory 1995 Wrangler A/C system. It's an add-on style system. The controls are separate from the heat controls, just like many of the aftermarket systems. There's a notch on the LH side that could be positioned in the center of the truck. It looks fairly small to me. Maybe you can find YJ Wranglers in your area? I know there's a place called Jeeps Unlimited in Grand Junction that dismantles Jeeps and sells the parts. Maybe they can help?

[carbuff382]

I used the compac unit by VA and did what OGRE did to cover it up. Use vents in dash to get the most out of your unit , BTW , this unit does a great job at heating and cooling a truck cab.

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by carbuff382

I used the compac unit by VA and did what OGRE did to cover it up. Use vents in dash to get the most out of your unit , BTW , this unit does a great job at heating and cooling a truck cab.

Wow that does look nice. I have the added problem of having the curved gmc dash like this so I'll have even more to hide I think haha.

So you cut the dash to add vents right? Would be nice to have them higher.

[dsraven]

wow, that cab looks NICE. is it yours or a pic of a truck like yours?
some of those aftermarket louvres would fit in there if you can find something that looks period correct. personally, I would hide the a/c behind the glove box like the vintage air system. that would keep you happy from all angles most likely. out of sight, nearly. not gonna freeze the 3rd guys knees. heats AND cools in one unit. parts readily available. downside? price. but weigh that against the other options and how long you plan to keep the truck and what that option will increase the truck value should you decide to sell one day.
a few outlet choices. they could be placed in a lower dash valance that you fab to cover the section of the a/c unit that hangs in sight below dash. that way you don't have to cut the dash up.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-490538

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-492056

https://www.raceplumbing.net/Vintage...h_p_89333.html

http://theairshop.com/louvers/

http://hawkhardware.com/index.php?ma...123_27_209_215

http://www.curtsrodandcustom.com/vin...cessories.html

that should keep you busy, haha.

[dsraven]

Ogres valance panel looks like a stock part.
You may be able to make something along those lines out of plastic sheet formed over a plywood buck bent/shaped with the aid of a heat gun.
Or just make it outta steel and bondo, haha.

[Missyblue]

Originally Posted by dsraven

wow, that cab looks NICE. is it yours or a pic of a truck like yours?
some of those aftermarket louvres would fit in there if you can find something that looks period correct. personally, I would hide the a/c behind the glove box like the vintage air system. that would keep you happy from all angles most likely. out of sight, nearly. not gonna freeze the 3rd guys knees. heats AND cools in one unit. parts readily available. downside? price. but weigh that against the other options and how long you plan to keep the truck and what that option will increase the truck value should you decide to sell one day.
a few outlet choices. they could be placed in a lower dash valance that you fab to cover the section of the a/c unit that hangs in sight below dash. that way you don't have to cut the dash up.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-490538

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vta-492056

https://www.raceplumbing.net/Vintage...h_p_89333.html

http://theairshop.com/louvers/

http://hawkhardware.com/index.php?ma...123_27_209_215

http://www.curtsrodandcustom.com/vin...cessories.html

that should keep you busy, haha.

Haha you are good at keeping me busy and I greatly appreciate it. And no that's someone else's beautiful truck haha. Couldnt find my dash pic since I painted it 2 tone like that. It came all blue but I loved the 2 tone. Heres some pics I dug deeper and found my before and after finally. My truck looks ok from afar just dont get close. The previous owners did a lazy paint job and let their friends kid do it. But good enough for me I dont have the money for fancy paint I just want to drive it. Plus my daughter then 4 yrs now 6 helps and crawls all over the thing haha

What do you fab these valances out of? 1 looked like a good upholstery guy but ogres looks like it must be molded plastic or metal or something? Not sure I'm a fab person hmm.....

[dsraven]

I think ogre has done a lot of really nice fiberglass interior work in his truck.
With the GMC curved dash you could possibly make a straight run to the curved section and then zig and zag over to the column area. Make a pattern out of wood and bend some lighter gauge cold rolled flat sheet around that. Curl the edges over with a mallet or another piece of wood and a hammer. Or hammer on dolly. It doesnt need to have a large lip to screw it to the dash or on the lower edge either. If you have an hvac shop nearby that has a break for forming ductwork they may be able to make you a channel shaped section cheap enough. Or a fab shop could easily make what you need. Lighter metal is easier to work with but will also gets damaged easier to. 18ga would hold up well and also be sturdy for drilling and screwing the vents in. When you make a vent hole it will weaken the structure in that area.