Is there Factory looking a/c kit for my 65 Cuda?

[65goldcuda]

I have been looking on this forum to see if anyone makes a factory looking A/C kit that I could install or have installed for my 65 Cuda. I could not find anything in the old threads. so sorry if this has been covered a bunch already. But...it gets hot down here in Houston in the summer, and I would like to enjoy it in the summer months. I am sure someone will laugh at me and just tell me to roll my windows down (I have tried that and it just doesn't quite feel the same

Anyway, just wondering if there is an aftermarket company that makes a kit that might work that still has a retro -authentic factory mopar look.

Also, if there is a kit, any idea how much this conversion might cost?

Thanks so much for helping a junior member. I promise to pay attention, grow wiser and learn as I go.

Thanks..

 

[pishta]

There was a whole aftermarket under the dash setup at the last fling, I think he wanted $100 for it. everything but the compressor and radiatiors. I think the factory was a dealer install under the dash unit.

 

[BillGrissom]

Depends on your engine, how late you consider factory (76 Dart, 80 Aspen/Volare OK?), and whether you are talking under-hood, cabin, or both.

In 1965, factory AC was a different firewall, so hard to meet that standard. Factory might also be considered a dealer-installed unit, designed by Chrysler. My 65 Dart had a Tecumseh compressor, which might have been dealer-installed. I am not putting that monster beast back. I think many used a York instead (my 65 Newport has one). AC was still new in 1965 and quickly becoming desired, so there were many quickie solutions.

 

[Walt Jackson]

There were two types of Mopar units offered in ‘65.

The dealer installed unit consisted of a self-contained evaporator/blower unit (“knee-knocker”) not unlike what every other company offered, except that it was quite long and intruded into the passenger foot space a great deal. It was designed for the big cars because a/c was expensive and not likely to be installed in the less expensive small cars. It was called Mopar Cool Aire and can be seen in the original owners manual or shop manual.

The factory unit integrated with the heater and kept the “summer door” on the passenger side. The air was expressed through a slim chrome register centered to and bolted to the underside of the dash. Like the dealer installed units, your body tended to freeze toward the interior of the car and cook toward the exterior of the car, at least in hot climates. There was no register available at either end of the dash to correct this problem.

The underhood components were identical for both dealer installed and factory units. A Mopar compressor only was used, and no other brand. The Mopar compressor tended to bog down the slant six and noisy belt “flop” was a problem fixed by adding tensioners in the 70's.

The ‘63 and the first half year ‘64 factory a/c units were identical to the dealer installed a/c units. The firewall was changed in January ‘64 to accommodate the new small block V8's distributor. The firewall was also changed to accommodate the new factory a/c.

You can easily retrofit the ‘64/12 factory a/c unit to a 64 1/2 to '66 non-a/c car. It requires drilling a few holes in the firewall for the unit attachment studs and the a/c lines. The control unit in the dash is changed from the lever system to the vacuum controlled push buttons. I’ve done this myself without difficulty.

I purchased a Classic Air “perfect fit” system designed for the ‘67 to ‘72 firewall and installed it in my ‘63 Dart GT convertible. I would not do this again, but would instead look at one of the new compact evaporator units on the market. While the firewalls are close, they were just different enough to make installation very difficult. It’s not Classic Air’s fault. They did warn me.

I personally don’t know whether the ‘64/12 to ‘66 firewall is identical enough to the ‘67 to ‘72 firewall for a/c purposes. If it is, then installation should not be a problem.

Another approach would be to install a “knee-knocker” that doesn’t intrude into the passenger compartment as much. The advantage of this approach is that it keeps the original heater and passenger side 'summer door".

Hope this helps.

If you do a search under my name, you'll see that I've posted before on this topic. My installation travails can be found here: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=2772


–Walt Jackson

 

[2 Darts]

Nostalgic Air Conditioning makes an under dash evaporator that is very much like the ThermoKing that was under the 273 2v 66 Dart 270 I used to have. If the dealer was too pricey, I consider the aftermarket unit a day 1 modification.

While ThermoKing is still in business, it has been out of the auto a/c end of the business for a long time. The unit I had used a York compressor which ran rough. Eventually, it broke the compressor mount. This prompted my searching for a new one. Good luck with that. I bought a RV2 compressor, idler and crankshaft pulley and installed it in the Dart. New hoses were made, system evac'd, new drier, and back in business. The AirTemp RV2 compressor runs smoother than either the York or Tecumseh, IMHO. The biggest drawback to the RV2 is that it requires nearly twice as much engine HP as a newer Sanyo/Sanden.

Since your car does not have A/C now, an installation will require 3 or 4 holes in the body. If you install an aftermarket unit, there will need to be two holes in the firewall for refrigerant tubes and one or two in the floor for condensation drains for the evaporator. Factory A/C will require holes for the refrigerant lines, a drain line, and a vacuum line all in the firewall. While the aftermarket uses all hoses, the factory set up uses tubing for the most part. Therefore drilling the refrigerant holes in the firewall for the factory system must be fairly precise.

What you end up paying depends on what you plan to do, the mix of used to new parts, and how much you'll have to trust to a professional to do. SWAG $600.00 for going the used parts route. The closest place I can refer you for used parts is Johnny Dee's Auto Supply in Yoakam, TX. The Houston Mopar Club may be able to help you out, too.

 

[65 Dartman]

Don't forgot that on the factory integrated heater/AC system (not the knee knocker style), the blower motor was quite a bit larger than just the heater-only motor and takes a larger opening in the firewall. I grafted the firewall portion of the AC blower motor onto my 65 Dart and added the appropriate mounting holes for the unit, hose line openings, etc. The underdash units fir perfectly. Bummer - now that I'm parting the car out but hope to use the firewall in my Dart wagon.