Factory AC vs Vintage Air (etc)

[1FaastC10]

which would be a better and easier choice for my C10. factory air(for which my truck was not equipped) or a Vintage Air type system? how hard is it to convert a non-AC truck to AC?

[SCOTI]

My old 78 camino didn't come w/a/c. I was considering a Vintage Air's set-up but once I started adding everything up it was $$.

Since I'm an addmitted 'cheap f**ker', I went to a local wrecking yard & got an entire dash + a/c set-up out of a later model 4 door malibu for $100 w/me pulling it all. This included all switches, vac lines, duct work, brackets, etc. I swapped everything (which was time consuming) but when I was done, my total cash outlay was $230 after getting a new compressor + dryer, & getting it all charged.

There's still alot of these trucks that are later model (burbs/blazers & LWB's in particular) out in the wrecking yards w/all the a/c stuff still in them, so if your not 'mechanically challenged' you could do the swap for a couple hundred. If you are 'challenged', the vintage air stuff is good quality (if you can afford it) & their 'systems' are designed to work together (sized for optimum cooling perf).

[ItsNotABlazer]

I myself will be going with Vintage Air eventually mainly so everything will be new and for the fact that it cleans up the firewall. I have everything for the A/C on the Jimmy but its not hooked up right now. I never put everything back together after I had the engine rebuilt. Already having the stuff I can sell it and recoup some of the cost of the Vintage Air.


Brad

[Mike76251]

I have heard bad things on Vintage Air.
Things like "It won't cool".
The GM system will work better and probably cost less.

[1FaastC10]

Originally posted by SCOTI
There's still alot of these trucks that are later model (burbs/blazers & LWB's in particular) out in the wrecking yards w/all the a/c stuff still in them, so if your not 'mechanically challenged' you could do the swap for a couple hundred. If you are 'challenged', the vintage air stuff is good quality (if you can afford it) & their 'systems' are designed to work together (sized for optimum cooling perf).

heh, since i've got it down to the bare cab in my garage, i hope that automatically puts me in the "non-mechanically challenged" group.

[Slonaker]

I have heard bad things on Vintage Air.

A good friend of mine used to design systems for them. I asked his opinion on them. He said they work very well. They were actually designed for r134a, and the compressors are more modern ones (Sanden, maybe?) that use less horsepower.

The only down side, according to him, was the price and the location of the evaporator. He said that moving the evaporator to the cab cleans up the firewall, but causes the water to drain into your cab if the case ever leaks.

Slonaker