A/C dash vents without A/C?

[BigRed76]

I'm just curious has anyone installed factory A/C dash vents into a factory non-A/C truck, while leaving the truck strictly heater only, no A/C...

I'm asking because I like having dash vents for heat, but don't really need or want to convert my non-A/C truck to A/C.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by BigRed76

I'm just curious has anyone installed factory A/C dash vents into a factory non-A/C truck, while leaving the truck strictly heater only, no A/C...

I'm asking because I like having dash vents for heat, but don't really need or want to convert my non-A/C truck to A/C.

Why cut a perfectly good dash? Some will tell you, go for it. It's your truck and you can do what you want to but personally, the only way I would do that is if the dash was already cut. You'd be surprised how my people turn down purchasing a truck because it's been cut up.

An option you could consider is a small fan on the floor board?

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Why cut a perfectly good dash? Some will tell you, go for it. It's your truck and you can do what you want to but personally, the only way I would do that is if the dash was already cut. You'd be surprised how my people turn down purchasing a truck because it's been cut up.

An option you could consider is a small fan on the floor board?

I understand your point, and agree to an extent. But I'm never going to sell this truck so for me I'd rather customize it how I'd like rather than factoring in the resale value.

[67ChevyRedneck]

My only concern is functionality... its been quite a while since i added A/C but if i recall there is only two vent hoses from the heater, with one going to each defrost vent and a slit on the bottom of the box for floor heat? You would have to tap into the hoses for the defrost vents and share the heat with the dash vents while it is in defrost... not sure how that would affect how well the defrost will work? I cant think of any other way for it to work with the stock heater only box. You wouldn't be able to split the heat ... both would be on at the same time.
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[BigRed76]

67chevyredneck, i've thought about that idea also. I've never actually seen the a/c vents first hand, do they completely close so if you wanted just defrost you could close those vents?

The other idea I thought about was maybe taking the under dash air box for an A/C truck and mounting it under the dash to allow for the proper outlets for all of the dash vents. And then leave the existing heater box on the firewall with the heater core in it...

I know that might sound like a lot of work for just vents, but I'd still rather not install a compressor, evaporator, condensor, and all the other stuff that goes along with A/C.

[BigRed76]

Or better yet I could install a factory a/c air box under the dash with the heater core and eliminate the air box under the hood. But then I'm not sure what I'd do about a blower motor...

[67ChevyRedneck]

That's where I'm out of my element... I know that the cab is slightly different for the A/C trucks vs non A/C trucks, but I've never physically taken apart an A/C truck heat/air system, so I don't know how well all of that would mount up? You can always cut the box and use fiberglass and resin to "make it work"?

I have aftermarket style vents in my truck... don't know if or how well factory ones close. I think you can turn the ball so that it stops the airflow, but not 100% on that.

[BigRed76]

Yeah I've seen how one of the large holes in the firewall is different between A/C and non-A/C trucks. So an A/C box under the dash wouldnt line up perfectly with the heater box under the hood. And that was where the idea of eliminating the underhood air box came from.

I've heard that there are aftermarket A/C & heater systems that are setup with the blower motor under the dash but I haven't been able to find any pictures to show how it's done...