what to use for cheap A/C

i'm trying to get all the fabricating done on the inside of the 53 right now and i was wondering if any one knew of any good salvage yard heat / AC units that are simple and compact that would work good in a rod. i have a rear unit out of a van right now but the only place i can find that it would fit decent is under the seat, which would be neet but it would involve alot of piping and screwing around with making vent controls, and i'm getting lazy. a vintage air system or the likes would be nice but i'm being a tight butt right now :D

I used to make out just fine with a 4-60 unit. Roll down 4 windows and get her up to 60.

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Originally posted by techinspector1
I used to make out just fine with a 4-60 unit. Roll down 4 windows and get her up to 60.

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i noticed the " i used to " in your response. it sounds like you have A/C now :LOL: :LOL:

Good question Chevy5. I am wanting to know the same thing, those vintage air systems are WAY too much money for almost anyone. Rolling the windows down work's unless you are dressed up in a long sleeve shirt with a tie and black pants and you end up somewhere smelling like something just died under your arm pits and bottom end (and no not the bottom end of your engine either). :p

Here ya go..... www.classicair.com N/N:whacked:

You might want to read the good tips at the front of the Vintage Air catalog...... vintageair.com

They tell you about sizing a condenser and compressors. Using this, you can source your condenser and compressor from local suppliers (junque resellers, auto stores, etc) and then purchase the evaporator unit from someone. The under dash Vintage Air evap lists for under $300. I realize that there is an argument made about a complete kit being matched....but you can do it.

I built one for a 350 Chevy using a late model truck compressor (96-99 since I had a serpentine belt) and a condenser that was the biggest one that I could get in front of the radiator. I bought a evap and dryer from Vintage Air. Thing works great. Here in Tucson, we need a one speed blower since HIGH is the only setting.

mike

All this AC stuff is VERY expensive. I wish there were a way to go get a unit out of another car at a junkyard but sure that is not possible so looks like you have to go and buy one of these almost one thousand dollar rip off kits from Vintage. Maybe they aren't rip off's but prices are way too high. They can afford to set em high I guess because not many AC companies for hot rods for many people to go to.

I lucked out and found a used complete Vintage Air system on E-Bay last year, won it and was less than $200 with shipping, guy was restoring a 65 El Camino and was putting all the factory stuff in it....

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Originally posted by techinspector1
I used to make out just fine with a 4-60 unit. Roll down 4 windows and get her up to 60.

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The cheapest is an ice cube in yer' pocket ............... Upgrade to a plactic zip lock bag if you don't like the wet look. :) :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

You also need to watch what type of compressor is used compared to the rest of the system. Some are not compatable.

Or ya could get one of those old swamp coolers that ya put ice in, then it hangs on the window and air blows over the ice into the car (LOL)

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Originally posted by HWORRELL
Or ya could get one of those old swamp coolers that ya put ice in, then it hangs on the window and air blows over the ice into the car (LOL)

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Can it B color matched to the vehicle?

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Originally posted by pro70z28
Can it B color matched to the vehicle?

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Certainly !!!!!!! or sortanly, yuk,yuk

Kewl......... a.........uummm.....Cool.

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Originally posted by DennyW
I'm just using an add on evaporator for my truck. The condensor is out of a car that was close to the radiator size. And, the compressor is off another car, the one that will fit on the lower pass side of the block. I will run a high-low safty shut-off, and that's about it. Total investment 30.00. The evaporator costs a little more, I won it off ebay, hahaha. But, it was the style I wanted. Variable speed blower, and temp settings.
http://home.att.net/~dennysplace/dennysplace003005.jpg

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i never really thought about having a seperate heater and A/C unit, i may look into that. now i just wish i hadn't hacked up my original heater unit trying to stuff an evaporator in there with the heater core :CRY: . some things work on paper but not in real life.

ps. i'm going to pry the car cover off the T/A tonight and get you those carb numbers

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Originally posted by pro70z28
Kewl......... a.........uummm.....Cool.

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HERE.......www.ClassicAir.com

i used to have one of those swamps on me 56 oval vw
but it ran off 12 volt it work but not that good
and it cost like $500 bucks

I had a 55 ford pickup a while back . Me and my soon to be wife decided to drive to
Augusta Ga one very hot day. We were drinking in those days ( quit for over ten years now) and had a cooler full of ice and other stuff. Anyway I got the idea that if I took a piece if cardboard and made a shroud from the open cowl vent down toward the cooler full of with the cooler open it might cool us . It worked quite well. Cost about three bucks for a cooler 100 mile round trip drive.

Remember that R12 is like a 100 bucks a pound and you will need about a pound and a half.

R134A is less expensive. It runs at higher pressures. Remember too that R134a cannot tolerate the refrigerant oil required for R12 and vis-verse. So you must clean every molecule of the opposite refrigerant out of a system before switching. Use methanol. Make sure it dries out completely. You must throw the opposite type dryer away and replace it with an "unpoisoned" one.

Use saftey glasses!! The pressures involved in refrigeration are FAR FAR FAR higher than your normal experience. If refrigerant is blown under your skin the only recourse is immediate amputation of the limb. This is to prevent death. Also watch the truely "instant" frost bite.

Have fun! :LOL:

Too bad I have no clue about nothing on air conditioning systems or else I would know what your talking about there kcress. heh

hmmmmm HC 12a.... Sounds almost like "batteries that never wear out" or "air filters you never need to clean" heheheh..

Haint heard oh that there stuff B4. Thanks Denny. :eek:

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Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
Too bad I have no clue about nothing on air conditioning systems or else I would know what your talking about there kcress. heh

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you should hang around me for a summer at work. there is a co worker that calls me Captain A/C of America :LOL: the first time he called me that he was doing a superman stance with a " cape " on, i about died from laughing :LOL: :LOL:

i think i found the cheapest source yet for A/C www.streetrodstuff.com $329 for a heat -ac unit with the controls, made for little cabs :cool:

Honestly, by the time you match a used condenser, used compressor, replace the lines, match a controller and modify the ventwork, you may be better off to spend a couple hundred extra dollars and get the new system from vintage air.

just my $0.02

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Originally posted by DennyW
:LOL: Keep up on this stuff, will ya :LOL:
http://www.autocool-refrigerants.com/

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This looks like the way to go,but I am curious as to why it's not being promoted more aggressiveably. I'm going to do some research on this.

Ken, their shop is about 10 miles from my house. Maybe I'll slide over there one day and scope it out.

It may be the promotion is trying to keep below the view of some govm't overlord's notice. They are getting real testy about non-licenced (recycling, air quality) refrigeration work.

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Originally posted by kcress
It may be the promotion is trying to keep below the view of some govm't overlord's notice. They are getting real testy about non-licenced (recycling, air quality) refrigeration work.

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Agreed, but if this stuff is all that it's cracked up to be it would just about eliminate the need for the gov't to be involved. Though I don't use it, I am licenced.

Thanks for the offer Richard, I am very curious.
Ken

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/refrigerants/hc-12a.html

Read this epa site stuff......dont always agree with the epa but they do have some testing resources. Also, the word illegal pops up regarding the use of some of the gasses in automotive A/C systems. Why use a substitute when an R134 retrofit is so easy?

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Originally posted by techinspector1
I used to make out just fine with a 4-60 unit. Roll down 4 windows and get her up to 60.

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I am currently using 2/80, I only have 2 windows, so you gotta go a little faster.

On a more serious note though, I have been looking through some of these posts and have seen some very interesting things. Some good kits and alternative cooling agents, and I would like to say be careful what you buy to put into your AC units. Buy from a reliable source, and make sure what you get it what it says it is. There are some very good cooling agents out there that you don't want in your AC system, like butane, propane, and a few other nasty little highly flammable gases. Most I have seen here look good, but just make sure you research what you get. Many get put on the market just long enough to get rid of and then they are gone.

My partner in grime and myself just picked up an '82 Dodge P/U for parts. When we got there and looked it was pretty burnt up. So hot inside it had melted all the aluminum parts off the steering column and most of the metal frame for the dashboard. We started talking to the guy we got it from and he started telling us the story. Seems like his son was driving it and it started to smoke from under the dash so he stopped and got out. It immediatly burst into flames and he called the fire dept. It burned so hot so fast that it was almost out on it's own before the fire dept arrived, 10 min later.

So I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

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Originally posted by DennyW
Robot, that is the standard, to use the 134a retrofit kit. Comes with the oil, charge line, and freon can. I'm not sure about this year. Last year, I installed a dash unit in a friends 66 Mustang, and I believe I was asked for my MACS Card. Varifying I was approved to do AC. You might want to check that out in what ever your state, to be sure. :)

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In NY you can pick the R 134A retrofit kits up at any auto place, including Wal Mart auto dept, for like 30 bucks, they don't question a thing. My dad used 1 on his '83 Mercedes and it worked for a year, it now needs recharged but, they sell recharge cans for like 10 bucks for 2 or somthing.

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Originally posted by DennyW
Yes, you have to be careful even with the so-called safe stuff. I remember some time back, a mix was going around with the highly flameables. Remember r-12 boils at like -21 degrees, and if exposed to a flame, it's a poison. :(

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Yup. I remember in A/C class the instructor said if you remember nothing else, remember this. If R-12 is burned it becomes a deadly gas. And that the gas was heavy so if you are in a grease pit the gas will find the low spot and that's the end of you.

See, I did what he said, i remembered to stay out of the grease pit. HEHE

Oh yedah, freons can be some nasty things. r134 not so bad though and I don't think anybody is regulating it the same as r12 and some those derivitaves. Sorry my spelling sucks tonite. You can buy 134 over the counter most places without any certifications. R12 and the others may be different.

One more thing, sorry if anyone else has mentioned it, freons do not go bad or wear out. Your AC needing a "recharge" just means you've got a leak, which in turn is one of the reasons the EPA wants to do away with R12. Many folks think it's just wearing out when in fact it's leaking out.

i have no doubt that there are products superior to 134a but i so far have have pretty good luck using it. i like using an industry standard just because of availablilty of things, but thats just me.
Hmmmm, maybe i should use propane, i heard that does work pretty good :eek:

When heated sufficiently freon converts to acid and Phosgene gas which was a *wonderful* poison gas used in WWI. The acid lays total waste to the whole system.

The good news? This usually only happens in electrically powered systems.

BTW: 134a is scheduled to be phased out in the future as it also harms the environment, just not as bad as R12.

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Originally posted by NTFDAY
This looks like the way to go,but I am curious as to why it's not being promoted more aggressiveably. I'm going to do some research on this.

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Probally because shops would be required to have a 3rd recovery machine,
currently I have 2, (R-12 & R134-A)
If I pull a vehicle in the shop for A/C work
it's hooked to the refrigerant identifier first, anything other than R-12 or R134-a in the system out the door it goes, The cost of contaminating my equipment far outways the loss of an A/C repair....

Oh for cryin out loud the numbskulls require a different machine for each refrigerant?!?!?!!? What is it, a vacuum pump, and a cylinder?

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Originally posted by kcress
Oh for cryin out loud the numbskulls require a different machine for each refrigerant?!?!?!!? What is it, a vacuum pump, and a cylinder?

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Yup,they do, and they ain't cheap,a little more than a tank & pump, also tanks hafta be tested and certified every 3 years ?, and if ya did have a 3rd machine for other refrigerants then ya got the disposal problem when the tank gets full, I was quoted $600, so no off the wall refrigerants here......Besides as long as the cooling system & condensor are in good enough shape to keep the high side preasure down it's been my experiance that the 134 works better than the R12 anyway.

Wow.

Thanks for the info HWORRELL.