Markeb01 Build Thread

[piratexpress1369a]

looks good ..is it my eyes or does it not sit level

[markeb01]

Your eyes are correct, it's not level. It's mounted at the angle of the bottom of the dash. That is exaggerated by the fact the faceplate is also angled uphill on the case itself. I did it that way on purpose for best cold air distribution, and also because it provides the best clearance at the back for connection of the hoses. If I change my mind later, it can be easily adjusted by changing to longer brackets at the dash.

Thanks for looking and asking.

[pdxhall]

Great job on the AC, Mark. I like the look of those under dash units and that one is especially nice. Summer cruising in comfort now. Stellar work as usual.

[markeb01]

Thanks pdx. I’m really looking forward to having it functional.

So far I like everything about this system better than the Old Air A/C I had years ago. Like any other hot rod kit, there are some minor tweaks needed, but nothing dramatic. Another 3 ½ hours in the garage this morning and the condenser, receiver drier and hard pipes are in place. The most difficult part was decided what had to be connected without breaking into the sealed components. Problem being some of the fittings cannot be accessed after the radiator is back in place.

The only things left to do now are measure/cut all the hoses, have them crimped, hook up the evaporator drain, and the electrical connections. All the operating pieces are in place now, but I don’t want to connect any hoses until I can get it vacuumed and charged, not several days later - after the Goodguys show this weekend.

Here’s an overall shot showing the condenser in place:



And here are two of the hard lines coming from the receiver drier and condenser (poking out under the battery):



I’ll take better pictures when I have it apart again to install the hoses. I was in a hurry to get it back together as I need it for a special date tonight with my squeeze.

[66-PMD-GMC]

I think I need to stop by Mark's place and have him help me button up my A/C project. .. ;-)

[markeb01]

Sounds like a plan! Of course the travel time may be a little inconvenient!

We're heading over to the fairgrounds tomorrow morning to pick up our registration packet. With that in hand we can just cruise in early Friday morning and set up while there are still a lot of nice places to park.

[Bomp]

Wish I could be there this year. Had a blast last year seeing and hearing the truck.
It was also nice meeting you and your wife.

Have fun at the show

[markeb01]

Thanks Greg, your presence (and that of your lovely wife) will be missed. I do however understand about travel, money, time, etc. A few weeks ago the forecast threatened to be in the high 90's, then switched to thunderstorms, and now seems to predict low 80's and thin overcast which I find ideal.

I'm very thankful to have such a supportive wife. She's been making cookies and stuff all day so anybody that stops by won't go hungry! Have a great weekend. Regards, Mark.

[markeb01]

We had a great time at the Goodguys Spokane show Friday and today. Met a lot of enthusiasts and spent some time with Captain Fab and Rustbucket66. It’s always nice to put faces with names.

We’re dog sitting for the next week so we won’t be attending Sunday. There was a bigger turnout of 60-66 trucks than I’ve ever seen previously. Here are some photos, starting with our truck:

[markeb01]

[markeb01]

[markeb01]

[markeb01]

[64shortbox]

Looks like an excellent turnout. Thanks for posting the pics.

[likaroc13]

Cool pics Mark! I added a few for my albums. Glad you guys had a great time at the show & had a chance to meet some fellow forum members.

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by likaroc13

Cool pics Mark! I added a few for my albums. Glad you guys had a great time at the show & had a chance to meet some fellow forum members.

X2!!! Looks like loads of fun!!!

[piratexpress1369a]

the guy who has the flip hood is he a member on here

[1963c-10]

Great pics...thanks for sharing them!!!

[Ta2Don]

I believe the White truck toward the end of the pics is the Canadian Rustbucket build...

[dwcardfan]

Looks like a lot of fun!! Lots of nice trucks.

[markeb01]

Got some more work done on the air conditioning today in spite of the 90+ degree temperatures. Pulled the evaporator and made new longer, cleaner looking dash hanger brackets and painted all the hardware black.



Once the evaporator was back in its new permanent location, I started working on the hoses to see if they could be attached without having to drop the evaporator back on the floor again. After removing the clock and defrost diverter for better access, I found that I could indeed attach the hoses & fittings permanently with the evaporator in place.

I wanted to use a straight fitting on one end of each hose so I wouldn’t have to bother clocking the fittings, but it only worked out on the hose running from the receiver drier to the evaporator. The other two either couldn’t be routed to a straight fitting on one end, or a straight fitting wasn’t provided:



So I just marked the hoses and fittings with a white paint pen to keep the orientation correct. I’ll take them all to House of Hose in the morning and get them crimped. Once installed I can finally hook up the receiver drier (completing and closing the system). The trinary switch mounts on the drier. Once that’s attached the only thing left is wiring, getting it charged, and putting little things back like the clock and diverter. It’s getting close!

[piratexpress1369a]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

I believe the White truck toward the end of the pics is the Canadian Rustbucket build...

that is an Alberta tag on it

[markeb01]

Yes indeed that truck belongs to Rustbucket66. We met at the show a couple of times and like everybody I've met from the forum a great guy and fun to be around.

[markeb01]

Went to House of Hose this morning and had my fittings crimped. $8.39 for all 6 crimps, and they look smoother than the kind you do yourself with a tool that costs $200-$300:



Stopped by Napa for a V-Belt, but they didn’t know what a “17 series” belt meant, and neither did I. So I bought the wrong belt, a standard 3/8” width Chevy belt. So I jumped on line and looked it up, and a 17 series means 17/32” width or just over ½”.

Vintage Air mandates use of either a Dayco, Gates, or Goodyear reinforced premium belt or the warranty is void. I rarely ever see them anymore, but decades ago the longest lasting belt I ever had was a Top Cog. Rather than having the notches against the pulleys, the bottom is solid for better contact/grip and the top is notched for flexibility.

More internet researched identified it as a Dayco product, and more searching turned one up at the local Motion Auto Supply. Part number 17610 and listed as 61” long for anyone interested. It fits perfectly with plenty of adjustment left for stretch:



Now I’m waiting for new firewall grommets from Summit (should arrive today or tomorrow) and I can connect all the hoses and drier. While I’m sitting on my hands I’ll get started on the wiring today.

[rustbucket66]

Thanks Mark for posting all the pics of Good Guys Spokane, and some of the trucks there, including mine. It was nice to meet you both days, check out your truck, and compare notes. The people were very good to us there, the collections we saw, the parties, and all the folks we met. A great time for us. We also saw the Riverfront Park, which was awesome, and ate at the old flour mill in a place called Clinkerdaggers. We also had breakfast in Knight's Diner, a really cool old train car turned into a vintage diner. I didn't get to meet Captain Fab though, maybe next year. That blue suburban had 3/4 ton modern chassis underneath and Duramax diesel in it, very cool. We watched the cars come out the exit on Saturday, including yours, over an hour of all the cars and trucks leaving. A good parade. Here are a couple pics of mine after the parade when we were about to leave. There were a lot of cars and trucks from Canada there. Thanks to everyone there for making it such a fun weekend.