Air Conditioning

[focusedontheprize]

Looking to hear opinions and routes guys have gone with for putting A/C in their trucks. Vintage Air's kits are a bit steep for my budget..

[sqrlnts]

I too will be in this boat come summer. Have you looked at purchasing the Vintage Air Evaporator kit and then piecing the rest of the system together? This would get you all the wiz bang interior features they offer.

[focusedontheprize]

Originally Posted by sqrlnts

I too will be in this boat come summer. Have you looked at purchasing the Vintage Air Evaporator kit and then piecing the rest of the system together? This would get you all the wiz bang interior features they offer.

The Evaporator kit I was quoted of being $800. Still looking for other ideas.

[mr48chev]

I think they have a couple of universal ones that don't have all the bells and whistles for a lot less.


Some guys have pulled heat/ac units out of small pickups and small cars and used them but I don't know which units to look for.

[AZbent]

My dauhgter drives my old Nissan HB truck, that gets AC gets real cold. And this is during the summers here in PHX. I am planning on trying to fit the unit into my AD.

[Mac the Yankee]

My Toyota 4Runner stays nice and cool, even on the hotteste days down here in Georgia- I may try to find a spare at the Pull-a-Part

[focusedontheprize]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I think they have a couple of universal ones that don't have all the bells and whistles for a lot less.


Some guys have pulled heat/ac units out of small pickups and small cars and used them but I don't know which units to look for.

Yeah this is exactly what I am looking for. I will start looking around and post if I find anything.

[gregw98]

I bought a unit from Rainbow Products and installed it in a 71 Nova. That thing would freeze you out. Good price too. I plan on ordering this unit for my 54/S10.

http://www.rainbowproductsonline.com...=108&Itemid=32

[sqrlnts]

Originally Posted by gregw98

I bought a unit from Rainbow Products and installed it in a 71 Nova. That thing would freeze you out. Good price too. I plan on ordering this unit for my 54/S10.

http://www.rainbowproductsonline.com...=108&Itemid=32

thats $400 less than Vintage Air! How long have you had the system installed? Does it have all the mix features that Viintage has?
Thanks!

[gregw98]

I had the 10750 unit in a 71 Nova and it completely fit up under the dash. This was heater and A/C. I had the car for 3 years and this A/C never let me down. I am, without a doubt, going to put a unit from Rainbow Products in my '54. The guys was extremely helpful there.

[focusedontheprize]

Originally Posted by gregw98

I had the 10750 unit in a 71 Nova and it completely fit up under the dash. This was heater and A/C. I had the car for 3 years and this A/C never let me down. I am, without a doubt, going to put a unit from Rainbow Products in my '54. The guys was extremely helpful there.

Interesting I will definitely look into this. I was reading somewhere they "copy" the old design of Vintage Air. Is that true?

I am not looking to drop $1400 for an A/C unit right now so if this can handle its own I will be in.

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by gregw98

I bought a unit from Rainbow Products and installed it in a 71 Nova. That thing would freeze you out. Good price too. I plan on ordering this unit for my 54/S10.

http://www.rainbowproductsonline.com...=108&Itemid=32

Be careful with Rainbow Products. I bought my Vintage Air unit from them, and an A/C/alternator bracket. "Mike" assured me the bracket would work with 4" valve covers, and it was not even close. We agreed that I would do a return at the winter Louisville swap and they didn 't show up. Then we agreed I would do a return at Street Rod Nationals and they didn't show up. I called them from the show and gave my stuff to their buddy. He didn't show when he was supposed to, and I had to call Mike a few more times from the show. He finally showed, but I was obviously an inconvenience. 6 months and many communications went by. No refund. They couldn't find my return. I think they were hoping I'd go away, but I didn't. They finally sent me a check but the whole process was a PITA.

[gregw98]

Why didn't you just mail it back? What did you finally do to solve the tall v/c problem. Guess when you get down to it, that same situation could happen on just about any internet or mail order transaction. I know it was a bummer though.

[Denee007]

I bought classic auto airs system. Kind of pricey, but there's quite a bit to installing a AC system in an old truck, especially when hiding the hoses. Dwight at classic auto air knows me all too well as I needed his expertise in the tech support area. My link below is not complete, I need to put more info and pics soon. We spend a great deal of money on these classics, what's another 15-1800! Lol ; )
Dne'

http://www.classiccarsandtools.com/2...-conditioning/
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[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by gregw98

Why didn't you just mail it back? What did you finally do to solve the tall v/c problem. Guess when you get down to it, that same situation could happen on just about any internet or mail order transaction. I know it was a bummer though.

This is kind of a sore subject with me, so I'm going to try not to explode :~). Some of us really like to pay shipping charges, but I'm not one of them. I was in no hurry. It just seemed so easy to take the article to the swap they said they'd attend (I was going anyway), have them look at it with me to acknowledge condition (You can't install the bracket without putting minor bolt marks on it.), and do the transaction. Silly me.

I paid the bucks and bought the Billet Specialties bracket.

It's true that it could happen on other long-distance transactions. It's my job to alert my friends about the abusers.

[sqrlnts]

Originally Posted by DransportGarage

This is kind of a sore subject with me, so I'm going to try not to explode :~). Some of us really like to pay shipping charges, but I'm not one of them. I was in no hurry. It just seemed so easy to take the article to the swap they said they'd attend (I was going anyway), have them look at it with me to acknowledge condition (You can't install the bracket without putting minor bolt marks on it.), and do the transaction. Silly me.

I paid the bucks and bought the Billet Specialties bracket.

It's true that it could happen on other long-distance transactions. It's my job to alert my friends about the abusers.

understandable, but there are so many custom trucks out there so you're bound to not have a bracket here and there not work. Being able to adapt and modify is crucial. You obviously went above and beyond to get the correct bracket shipped and it still d't work outt sucks thanks for the heads up
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[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by sqrlnts

understandable, but there are so many custom trucks out there so you're bound to not have a bracket here and there not work. Being able to adapt and modify is crucial. You obviously went above and beyond to get the correct bracket shipped and it still d't work outt sucks thanks for the heads up
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The good news is, I'm having a ball with the truck build, and I'm about 1500 hours in. It's 19 degrees here (probably a little warmer in the Phoenix area ), so I'll be on the computer buffing up my electrical drawings, and I'll be in the basement finishing off my HEI. (It's been buffed up too.) Then there's that Super Bowl thing...

[solidaxel]

There is a lot of blueprinting you can do with that distributor now that you have it in that stage !

[focusedontheprize]

any other recommendations? Thanks for the responses everyone.

[lazypineapple]

i went to Good Guys show last year to ck out the AC vendors Vintage and Old Air, were there.
I was impressed with Old Air's thru the speaker vent idea, But the Volume of Air wasn't there for me, desent air for anyone sitting in the middle but not so much for drv and Pass. If you see their Booth. stand back at Arms length back from the vent opening and see how little air gets blown on your face. Not Much. I want it to blow like hell on HIGH.
Then I went to the vintage Booth.
their GEN II Compac and mini were as weak as the Cold Air Products Units.
Again I stood back Arms Length, to feel the volume of air coming out, was not impressed for the dollar$ $pent.
then I looked at Vintage air's Gen IV units. Wow! this unit BLOWS great volumes of air.
it blows as strong as late model AC units. Arms length away it will blow your hair back.
But they dont offer a kit for the 47-54 chev trucks. ;-(
I'm leaning toward the Gen IV unit. the measurement of the Gen iv unit are available so i made a cardboard template unit to see if it will phyicaly fit under the dash, and it does.
it hangs alittle low under the dash by and inch or 2. but i think its doable. of course i will have to fabricate all the mounting brackets to tuck it up under the dash of my 52. but after building the whole truck the AC is just another fab job.
Next,
I walked around the Car Show and found some peeps that had the Vintage and Old Air units in their Trucks and asked them how they Worked for them and if they liked it?
no one Said " Great". all said " better than nutin" or did the ol hand wave shake with an eeeh, it's ok,
I still havent bit the bullit on an AC yet, but this just my .02.
I like the idea of a production car or truck AC shoe horn in there but finding the right unit is the problem.
next time Good Guys Show is in your area go see the units for your self.
down here in Texas we need ICE COLD AIR.

[gregw98]

A bit pricy but,
http://www.classicautoair.com/47_55_..._Chevy_AC.html

And others:

http://www.luckysrodandkustom.com/coolonly550.htm

[Ronald29609]

I have an A/C system from a '72 C10. Can it be fitted into a '67 C10 that didn't have A/C originally?

[Highsider]

Originally Posted by Ronald29609

I have an A/C system from a '72 C10. Can it be fitted into a '67 C10 that didn't have A/C originally?

Uh..welcome to the 47-59 board?

[Ronald29609]

Oops wrong years. Must be CRS