AC or No AC

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lemondana

lemondana

BlackDart
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Quite often, I see members on here and other forums wanting to take the AC stuff off of their cars. To most of them, Why?. I understand if you have a strip car or a radical street car, but I am referring to the average nice drivers that people actually drive places. I always look to see where the members are from, a lot of these people live in cooler places than I'm from.
And I understand that some people can't afford to replace all of the missing stuff. I live in Nebraska, we have not that terrible hot but humid hot. So AC is a big plus. Then anybody that drives their cars on the Interstate with the windows down at 75-80 will be shot in a couple hours from the hot wind. If you have AC, you WILL drive your car more when it's hot out. If you have a woman in your life, she will go along more often with AC.
This goes way back, when I had my first Mopar-68 Dart GTS 340-4 speed, no AC. We drank a lot of beer back then to stay cool. One Sunday afternoon in late July, we all met in my small hometown. A friend pulled up in his new car-a 70 Chevy Malibu, 350, auto and AC he cracked the window about 2 inches, said it sure is cool in here. I always remember that. I guess everyone has their own reason or opinion on this.
 
Well, years ago, as teens, we always removed AC, and any other device that we thought would "rob Horsepower" from our engines. The AC belts would squeel anyway when we jumped on it.
As I am older now, I kinda feel that a real classic hot rod wouldn't have the A/C option, but if the classic car originally had A/C, keep it.
I agree with being comfortable.
Me personally, would not change the look of my engine compartment with an aftermarket AC.
Id rather sweat.
Joe
 
OK, I’ll admit it - I’m spoiled! I’m an old man and Have got accustomed to having a nice cool interior in the summer in our modern cars. That said, when I got my non-AC Dart wagon I was determined I’d have AC when it came time to restore it. Not just an add-on unit but looked like it was factory installed.

AC Firewall - check. Rebuilt AC system - check. Looks factory original - check. Keeping cool on the way to the Nationals in August - priceless!
 
This 68 barracuda that I am building right now is a factory A/C car and I really did not want A/C. I was thinking about changing everything about it so it looked like a non factory A/C car, I even have a new non A/C rally dash bezel for it but I decided to keep it A/C. Everything under the hood was missing and it took me awhile to find everything but it's all there now. My racing days are over and I am sure the wife will like the coolness, as far as me I could still do with out it, I very seldom use the A/C in my RAM only when the wife is with me.
 
There are several factors here , IMO . One is weight , my A/C box, pump, brackets, dryer and evaporator weighted 48lbs . Two : cost , R12 is 230$ a pound and it takes 2 lbs . Three : appearance ; Mopar A/C units are flat out ugly . Four : use ; I live in New England . On the average we get 15 days of hot/humid weather a year . Five : most of the driving that I do is in the evening so as long as the car is moving I use the 75/80 A/C system . Six : they do take 25-30 h.p. to operate . BTW, the aftermarket A/C systems are much more efficient than OEM
 
When I built my 74 Scamp it to was a factory A/C car, and when I put everything together I changed all the O Rings to the green R134 friendly O Rings emptied the compressor of all the oil and filled with fresh oil. When it came time for the charge everything went well and it cooled just fine, still works fine to this day and that was 4 years ago. I plan on doing the same with this 68.
 
I have one car with AC and one without. I sure enjoy the cool air when it's 90° out.

20150716_192752.jpg
 
I am too old and cranky to go without ac. I bought a factory unit salvaged from a Dart and put it in my 69 Cuda. I won’t have a car, even a convertible, without ac.
 
It's almost a necessity during Florida's potential 100+ temp and 99%+ humidity summers unless you enjoy basting in your own perspiration.
 
I’ve also got a 47 Dodge which will also get AC - an OEM Chrysler-branded knee knocker
 
Both cudas I have were factory without A/C. I plan on putting in the classic auto air solution. 4 rectangle vents mount under the dash, the unit is a straight bolt in to a non A/C firewall and uses the original non A/C slider controls. Adds a micro switch to the cool side of the one slider to kick the compressor on. Modern sanden compressor
 
Being in PA, A/C would be nice on a hard top. I know in the charger that interior gets hot (purple car with a white interior, with additional insulation) in the hot humid summers, even when doing 50-60. It really does ruin the driving experience. Given that I want to road trip in an older vehicle, A/C is a must. Traveling alone is one thing, but having a passenger being it the girlfriend or friends it really does make it nice to travel long distances with the windows up, a/c on and be able to hold a conversation due to not having to talk over the wind noise.
 
Answering your first question "Why?". Yep, I remove the A/C. I like under the hoods of my classic vehicles to be open, plain, and a happy place to be. I like access to everything. I also like manual steering and manual brakes. As little wiring and vacuum hoses as possible. Again, I love being under the hoods of classics and it has to be a happy place to me. 1 fan belt, 2 heater hoses, and about 6 wires in a loom to run the engine. And, less weight, less to go wrong, less leaks.
 
Even with AC, in the summer your back will likely stick to vinyl seats.
 
For those with factory AC, how are your V-type compressors holding up?
I remember they used to shake quite a bit.
How about rebuilding them? Any big issues?
 
You definitely know when they kick on.

Remember that's where the term "ice cold AC" came from.
 
$230.00 a lb? You are not looking in the right places. Every year, at the swap meets I go to, R12 is usually present. Most want 40.00 a can, they still have it at the end of the day. I can usually get them down to 25.00 a can. I remember the one Fantonworks where they were restoring the 1953 Cadillac, he charged the poor sucker 1000.00 a pound for R12. Dan is a dick!
 
lemondana said:
$230.00 a lb? You are not looking in the right places. Every year, at the swap meets I go to, R12 is usually present. Most want 40.00 a can, they still have it at the end of the day. I can usually get them down to 25.00 a can. I remember the one Fantonworks where they were restoring the 1953 Cadillac, he charged the poor sucker 1000.00 a pound for R12. Dan is a dick!
Click to expand...
I had the last 3 cans given to me. The market for it is so narrow now days that if it costs $200 to fill a system you might as well convert it to 134. The guy had a few cans and didn't want to throw them away. Throw them my way! LOL
 
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