aftermarket a/c

[brian mac]

What brands of systems do you guys suggest. I have a non air cab. I will install vents in the dash. I will be running a gm serpentine belt with a gm r-4 compressor with r-134a refrigerant.

[big_al_71]

Classic auto air is what I used in my non a/c cab....It came with ev erything necessary to put it together. You have to cut a center vent and one on each side of the dash.It works awesome....

[67ChevyRedneck]

I like my Vintage Air kit.

Check out my signature for the install.

[scott's69]

I have a Classic Auto Air unit. Their quality is top of the list.

[rodstored-72]

i also ran a vintage air setup in my 1972. i have had it a year & i love it.

[fnoblitt]

i have old air products unit with underdash vents. works nice

[69sixpackbee]

Honestly, if it were me, I would acquire all of the necessary components from a truck with the factory setup and put that in. It is really not that much more work. I speak from experience here...been there and done that. I started with my '72 non-air truck. Bought the kit from Old Air. It worked okay but what these after'mkt systems fail to supply is the ability for fresh air which is the way that the heater and defroster is "intended" to work. Can you say "stale" air and "fogged up" windows. I ran 2 seasons with the Old Air (134A) setup. Got tired of the poor performance. Yeah, the A/C worked great but remember that when the factory setups are on "recirc" this is where you get the best vent temps as all of the aftermarket systems are full recirculating setups..but the heat and defrost is where they lack. Others I'm sure will chime in and say that theirs are okay but I am one who likes the systems as tey were intended so this is why I am writing this.
I have many years of experience with automotive systems and you will be hard pressed to capitalize on teh factory setup!
I yanked the sub-par system (small evaporator and the fan would drown out the radio) and went with a larger underdash unit...still trying to make the most of it. This time it was the "king Kool" unit from Air Vintique (no longer in business) I even went as far as using a digital PID temperature controller to sense the evap. core saturation temp and cycle the system right at the freezing point. I could program the temp swing and the hysterysis points to within a tenth of a degree. Froze my ass off but still the heater sucked and still no means to blend the fresh air. I even went to the trouble of cobbing up a makeshift fresh air door out of an original kick panel vent actuator from the factory system. Better but still "no bueno". I got tired of the cycling system so I yanked EVERYTHING and started in with the grafting of the 4-Seasons setup into my non-air cab.

Since I already had the guts from the previous iterrations I left them in place. This consisted of a Sanden SD5H14 pump, 260 sq/in "piccolo" style condenser and all of the hoses. I grafted in the firewall cutouts from the A/C cab into mine and all of the associated holes,..etc, i.e., cowl flapper and bushings, actuators and mounts, so on and so forth. The OEM evap housing was split and cleaned completely. The evaporator was checked for integrity as was the heater core. The outer housing was completely insulated with glass and foil wrap and taped with aluminum tape after being sprayed into place with 3M adhesive. All vacuum hoses were replaced new and the vacuum reservoir was mounted. A brand new heater valve and hoses too. I had new suction and hi-side hoses made for the new setup. I re-adjusted the POA to 26PSI (this is the core freezing pressure for 134A). I still went with a trinary switch to call my pusher fan when needed but the big 7-blade thermo-clutch fan pulls alot of air!

I cut the dash for all of the factory balls and the center vent as well. The controls were swapped in after a complete disassembly and restoring. The cables, "S" plenum, lower duct, diverter box (mine was still good but can be had aftermarket) everything was put in right down to the last fastener and switch. New duct hoses and glovebox liner, buttoned it up and, Viola! No one can even tell this was ever a non-air cab. If I had'nt already had most of the setup already for 134A I would have gone back with R12 but if the system is matched and adjusted correctly they both work almost exactly the same!

I can really expound further on the rest of the setup but all tolled the little extra effort more than payed off in the long run.

The OEM setup is a POA system (pressure operated absolute) whereas the compressor continually operates and will supply gas as demand dictates keeping the core temp right at the freezing point unlike the clutch-cycling TXV system, which is what the other setups are, and the temp swings from the vents can be quite drastic. The old A6 compressor was hard to beat especially at slow speeds!

IMHO, the original setup is the way to go and if you compare the costs associated with one to the other you will find not much difference in the outlay of capital!