67-76 cars: Do they all use the same firewall?

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Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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Regarding A/C versus non A/C, did Ma Mopar use the same basic stamping?
I have a '67 Dart, a '71 Duster, a '72 Duster and a '73 Dart and the firewalls look similar. The '72 Duster is the only car that had factory A/C. The heater hose and blower motors look to be in the same location. The '72 has the extra fittings through the firewall for the 2 A/C lines and another hole for the vacuum feed.
 
The Heater hoses are in the same place but that is it.....

The blower motors are a different diameter. I'm currently welding closed the a/c holes and converting to non a/c on my 72 demon.

I used card board to measure and make a steel piece to weld in. Almost finished with the project in a few days.

You can see the location of the non a/c blower motor in relation to the a/ c version..

Other than the heater hoses being in the same spot, nothing is the same, even the insulation and insulation retainer holes are different, I have to weld some shut and drill out other locations

20200429_160520.jpg
 
In the case of 68-70 B body cars, the firewall stamping is noticeably different.
The A body looks to have a similar stamping but with the holes being moved slightly, right?
A friend wants to do what YOU are doing, convert an A/C car to heater/defroster only.
 
Kern Dog said:
In the case of 68-70 B body cars, the firewall stamping is noticeably different.
The A body looks to have a similar stamping but with the holes being moved slightly, right?
A friend wants to do what YOU are doing, convert an A/C car to heater/defroster only.
Click to expand...
Is your "friend" named Kern Dog ?? :lol:
 
Kern Dog said:
In the case of 68-70 B body cars, the firewall stamping is noticeably different.
The A body looks to have a similar stamping but with the holes being moved slightly, right?
A friend wants to do what YOU are doing, convert an A/C car to heater/defroster only.
Click to expand...
I have to do this same operation on a 70 b body.
I'm lucky in that all my B bodies were factory non a/c cars except one.

Yes, I'm in to B bodies as well but A bodies are my favorites by miles which is why I rarely talk about B bodies and I'm always doing something with the As. I have Cs and Es too. The c bodies are really a different animal, Completely different species.
 
No, there is a FABO member that is looking to do this swap. I figured that he would have already posted this question but I didn't see it listed.
 
You are not kidding that 67 to 70 b body IS DIFFERENT.

That's going to take a lot of welding and patience.

Doing the demon firewall has been really tedious and is taking a long time to get it right.

I'll post when it's finished

370-1466.jpg


370-1466-AC.jpg
 
Get a few more years on you and YOU may actually want air conditioning!
 
Princess Valiant said:
Is your "friend" named Kern Dog ?? :lol:
Click to expand...

If I had my druthers, I'd be Kern Dog instead of myself. I'd be younger, better looking, and smarter. Alas, none of that is likely to happen. However, I'm the one contemplating this move. KD is just faster on the post - I got tied up taking undercoating off the Dart and never came up for air.

My 69 Dart is an A/C car, but there is nothing there. No compressor, brackets, cooler, lines, or anything else except the vents under the dash and those will be coming out. It doesn't get ugly hot here but about ten days a year so I have no intention going the A/C route. My problem is the heater box is badly broken, with the passenger fresh air door and big hunks of surrounding material broken out. It is not repairable so I was sniffing about for another one. We were looking at what he has and what I need, but it's apparent there are a lot of difference between A/C and non-A/C boxes and mounting. My core does not leak so I think I could get by with just a new box if I could find one. A local guy to me has a non-A/C box but it's clear it won't fit and I have no appetite for going down your road adjusting the firewall. Besides, I can't weld for crap.

My plan at this point is find an A/C box in good condition and put it in but block off the A/C items so they are non-op. The only other question is if I can graft on non-A/C controls which I would prefer. A/C has lots of vacuum lines and whatnot, non-A/C is manually cable controlled which I would prefer.

By the time I get done with this car, documentation for where all the cobbled-together parts came from will look like a desk dictionary. :eek:
 
barbee6043 said:
I just pull out the heater box, or ac box, and plug the holes!! (to keep out the wasps!) Who needs it anyway!!??
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Ha! You sound like my kind of a clever guy. I'm full of "good" ideas for others. That might work in Texas, not so much up here. I intend to drive the wheels off this thing, and we can get really nice days up here where temps are in the 40's to 50's early and late, but in the 70's in the day. Besides, my fabulous GF is always freezing.
 
^^ I hate AC stuff in my way under the hood, not even crazy about couple of heater hoses either!!! lol But then again, I am the kind of guy to take off the antenna plug the hole, and use a radio delete plate!!! lol
 
barbee6043 said:
I hate AC stuff in my way under the hood
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I don't like the way it looks, either. If I lived in a really hot climate I might change my mind but I'm not going anywhere so heater only will work for me. :D
 
halfafish said:
If I had my druthers, I'd be Kern Dog instead of myself. I'd be younger, better looking, and smarter. Alas, none of that is likely to happen. However, I'm the one contemplating this move. KD is just faster on the post - I got tied up taking undercoating off the Dart and never came up for air.

My 69 Dart is an A/C car, but there is nothing there. No compressor, brackets, cooler, lines, or anything else except the vents under the dash and those will be coming out. It doesn't get ugly hot here but about ten days a year so I have no intention going the A/C route. My problem is the heater box is badly broken, with the passenger fresh air door and big hunks of surrounding material broken out. It is not repairable so I was sniffing about for another one. We were looking at what he has and what I need, but it's apparent there are a lot of difference between A/C and non-A/C boxes and mounting. My core does not leak so I think I could get by with just a new box if I could find one. A local guy to me has a non-A/C box but it's clear it won't fit and I have no appetite for going down your road adjusting the firewall. Besides, I can't weld for crap.

My plan at this point is find an A/C box in good condition and put it in but block off the A/C items so they are non-op. The only other question is if I can graft on non-A/C controls which I would prefer. A/C has lots of vacuum lines and whatnot, non-A/C is manually cable controlled which I would prefer.

By the time I get done with this car, documentation for where all the cobbled-together parts came from will look like a desk dictionary. :eek:
Click to expand...

Too bad you're not closer, I'd weld it and fix or up for you :D
 
Princess Valiant said:
Too bad you're not closer, I'd weld it and fix or up for you :D
Click to expand...

Why couldn't our paths have crossed in all those years I lived in Denver? I'd be happy to get schooled on metal fab work. I'm learning how, but the curve is steep and my natural ability is thin.
 
halfafish said:
Hmmm. Is that something you would part with?
Click to expand...
I'm on a mission to convert my cars to non a/c

Only my 75 dart but it's going to run a vintage Sears a/c setup

I would absolutely part with the one from the duster, in the past, I couldn't give an a/c box away.
 
halfafish said:
Why couldn't our paths have crossed in all those years I lived in Denver? I'd be happy to get schooled on metal fab work. I'm learning how, but the curve is steep and my natural ability is thin.
Click to expand...
If I can do it , anyone can because I'm the last person on the planet who would be likely to be welder/ metal fabber LOL
 
Douglas Acebal said:
So if you weld up the firewall on an A/C car you still have to use an A/C box?
Click to expand...

The two boxes (A/C and non-A/C) don't match up well at all. As @Princess Valiant documented, it can be done but it's a major PITA. Just about everything is slightly to a fair bit off on the two. It can certainly be done, but unless you are a Gifted Princess, it no project for the faint of heart. I'm putting a new A/C box in but not doing anything A/C for now. It will be heater only for now. Having seen the setup @j par has on his Duster, I may go that route with time but I have LOTS of other fish to fry first.
 
Yeah, if I delete I’m not sure what to do with the stock A/c box and controls. I wouldn’t want the factory controls with no a/c. I like the idea of a/c but don’t like the bulk/size/weight of the factory systems.

halfafish said:
The two boxes (A/C and non-A/C) don't match up well at all. As @Princess Valiant documented, it can be done but it's a major PITA. Just about everything is slightly to a fair bit off on the two. It can certainly be done, but unless you are a Gifted Princess, it no project for the faint of heart. I'm putting a new A/C box in but not doing anything A/C for now. It will be heater only for now. Having seen the setup @j par has on his Duster, I may go that route with time but I have LOTS of other fish to fry first.
Click to expand...
 
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