The big brown resto-mod parts truck (ie UPS truck) came by today and dropped off a new Classic Auto Air "Perfect Fit" A/C kit. First impressions are good quality stuff, and if you have a V8 the directions for installing all the underhood stuff is decent. The directions for the interior work looks very good.
Looks like I've got a fun project to start.

 

Sweet! Post up some pics when ya can

 

Does your stang currently have air?

The reason I'm asking is because I live in Texas and, well, it was 97 today. My a/c is cool, but not very good at taking heat out of the car (dark green with black seats and carpet doesnt exactly make the job any easier). I know it needs a good charge of refrigerant, but I'm really curious about the upgrade to CAA.

Keep us posted on the installation and how it works in the end.

Thanks,

Allen

 

Thanks guys, will do on the pics. Might try to put up a quick web page when finished to cover the install.

Back in '81 I worked for an ARA shop, installing A/C, cruise controls, stereos, etc, for what was called "Dealer installed options". Just finished reading through the instructions for the third time. Seem's some things never change. No way am I going to use tek screws through the cowling, and there are a few other things I will need to change.
Otherwise this could easily be done in about 1/2 a day (with air tools).
Currently my car is about as stripped down as they came. No A/C, no PS, no PB, no PT.
Just a straight 6, a 3 speed and an AM radio. California doesn't have the humidity you have in Texas either, and I specifically bought a car with a light color top and interior to help keep the heat off.

You might try asking Soaring how his is working. He's got a factory system in his car. If I remember right he says it works really well, as it should. The evaporator is huge!!!

Check you site glass, if you see bubbles in it, you are low.

 

Just curious, why would you not use self drilling screws in the cowl?

 

Very good question.

I'm just...uh... A. Retentive

They have you drill into the bottom of the cowl, which is where any water that collects will be. Tek scews come loose with vibration over time and are not stainless, plus I would be opening up some nice clean unprotected metal by drilling though the body.
So what ends up happening 3 or 4 years down the road (maybe longer depending on climate and indoor/outdoor storage, etc), is that where I drilled the holes and put the tek screws in, ends up rusting out, and I've got this huge mess that is a real PITA to repair.

Lastly, if someone looks through the cowl they will see the shanks of the screws sticking up. Now I'm the guy that is washing and waxing this car. Not sure I'd make it through the first wash without cussing myself out. [:@]

IMO: Tek screws belong in HVAC sheet metal fabrication, not on a car! It's like using Stake-on connectors or the blue Scotch-locks. Just goes against my grain. I've done all of that and more in the past as a "professional", because that is what the job dictated, and it's hard to get a customer to pay $100.00 an hour to solder on connectors and weld in studs. Always has made me grit my teeth though.

I'll end up making some stud plates and using JB Weld to "glue" them in place, unless I can talk my neighbor into letting me borrow his brand new wire feed welder. And I'll go to the local electronics store and pick up some quality solder terminals to replace the cheesy stake-ons they used on the harness.
Then I'll be happy with myself. And on a project like this, that's all the matters to me.

 

I changed to the 34 stuff a few years back, and it is not quite as good as the R-12, but still chills the inside of my 65 while on the highway. I don't use the AC around town though. Just not worth it when I am getting in and out of the car.

 

Progress so far:
Kit is inventoried and missing/broken stuff on it's way.
All the old stuff is out. Everything but the glove box made it out in excellent shape.
I've had a chance to dry fit some of the stuff. If I was working for an install shop, this would be good enough.
Seeing as I'm not, here is the first change:

In a convertible getting A/C on the floor is mandatory. None of the stock kits provide this. Best you can get is a partial blend.
With that in mind I am adding a switch so that I can get A/C in any mode. The good part of the Classic Auto Air kit is that the blend box is exceptionally well designed. I can get even flow from every vent in the vehicle at the same time, if I want. This is not true of other kits I looked at.

Here are some pics of the modification. This is pretty rough as I'm not going to take the time to fabricate the final bracket until I get some time on the system and know I want it to work this way.
The way it is set up now is that you push in on the fan switch to turn the A/C on or off (it still comes on automatically with defrost). I've added a red LED into the face of the control so that you can tell when the A/C is on. For as rough as the bracket is, it works very smooth. To be honest I'll be happy if the final product works this smoothly.
This will create some different wiring, as these switches need to run through a relay due to the amount of current drawn by the clutch. The other positive side to this is that no switch carries more than a 400mA load.

One other side note. Someone has been into this dash before and unfortunately scratched the heck out of it. There is a very easy way to keep this from happening. Simply loosen the fasteners, then carefully pull back the item to be removed (like the heater control). Use blue masking tape all around the opening in the dash, then remove the fasteners and remove the component. You have to be real "ham fisted" to tear through the masking tape. Installation is the same process only in reverse. Double check the tape before install just to make sure there are no nicks that need an extra piece.

Tomorrow night: a new and much improved cowl vent and stud brackets.

 

I replaced my paper glove box a few years back with another paper box. That thing isn't as easy to take out and put back in as it seems. You dang near have to be an origami paper folder expert.

 

Well, finally got a chance to work on the install again.
Here are a few things I've done different then the kit instructions:

The small pictures are the instructions. Didn't like the idea of Tek screws making holes in the bottom of the cowl, or the way they have the firewall plate mounted, and the way they ran the heater valve cable. Adding grommets and the correct fastners looks much cleaner. Most everything came from the local Ace Hardware store. They've got a great selection of all kinds of Doo-Dads.
The Fresh air vent block is two pieces of 1/2 inch foam laminated together with a bead of GE XTC cocking top and bottom. Now I don't have to worry about anything getting inside the hole. If I was to do that over, I would use blue foam. Much easier to work with.
With luck I'll get more done tomorrow. There are a few more things that need to be changed from the kit instructions.

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