66 dart factory a/c
- Thread starter furyfrank
- Start date
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I can't say as to how rare it is other than years ago I parted out a 66 GT with a slant 6 and factory air. I still have all the under dash components.
Like the 65 Dart (and 65 Valiant/Barracuda), that 66 Dart heater/AC bezel is a 1 year only part for Darts. For someone adding factory AC to a 66 Dart, it'll be an expensive and hard-to-find item. It took me nearly 3 years of searching to find the one for a 65 Dart.
The dash panel ( firewall) is different between ac & non-ac cars, so there's more to it than swapping the parts.
What was it with the people in the '60's? Hardly any of them ordered the factory air!
KitCarlson
Well-Known Member
That was before global warming. 
A-body was the less expensive model offered. Majority of buyers didn't plan to spend much time in them either. Folks could walk to work faster than waiting for the windows to thaw so ice scrapers were very common. The car wasn't going to run long enough to get cool inside so...
All this varried from one part of the country to another so a/c was available for those that needed it. Same applies to rear defrost.
I think you'll find the a/c dash bezel is the most sought sfter piece of it.
All this varried from one part of the country to another so a/c was available for those that needed it. Same applies to rear defrost.
I think you'll find the a/c dash bezel is the most sought sfter piece of it.
Clicking A/C on the option sheet added almost 20% to the price of a base model A-body in the 60's. Adding $330 for A/C on top of a $200 A/T option was a lot money back then.
Whoever ordered your 66 Dart decided to spend $330 for A/C and leave the $100 273 engine at the factory. My guess is people living in AZ, NM, TX or S Cal back then voted cool to be more fun than speed.
Factory A/C is rare on early A-bodies....I have a factory A/C, 4speed Formula S Barracuda that is without exception, my most favorite car ever...and I suspect is rare but how rare is anybody's guess since no records are available for that particular option.
Whoever ordered your 66 Dart decided to spend $330 for A/C and leave the $100 273 engine at the factory. My guess is people living in AZ, NM, TX or S Cal back then voted cool to be more fun than speed.
Factory A/C is rare on early A-bodies....I have a factory A/C, 4speed Formula S Barracuda that is without exception, my most favorite car ever...and I suspect is rare but how rare is anybody's guess since no records are available for that particular option.
FlatheadGeo
Well-Known Member
pbiggs has hit the nail squarely on the head!!!
cudamark
Well-Known Member
Fairly rare for a slant to have it that year. It's a HP sucking option and the S6 didn't have that much to begin with. If I owned it, I'd hop up the 6 a bit to compensate for it or merging onto a freeway might be a nailbiter with the A/C on!
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