So Im looking at installing a factory AC setup into my 66 cutlass convertible. I have every part from the donor car even the dashboard. What I dont have is a template for cutting the firewall. Does anyone have a bare fire wall that they could trace a template for me???? It seems that will be the hardest part of the conversion since my dash was already out for rust repair.


So can someone make me a paper tracing of the firewall?? Any suggestions for making this successful? Any problems that anyone else has faced?? Am I looking at way to much work ?? Should I even bother putting a factory AC system in or go aftermarket??? I would be okay putting in an aftermarket system if I could sell this one complete... Please your input is appreciated.

 

Is it too late to just do this from the donor car?

 

Yeah the donor car is long gone.. I just need to know the measurements and a little info..

 

I was checking out the 1966 assembly manual at Wild About Cars http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/index.html, and they had templates for all the air conditioning firewall cutouts, shows the part numbers in the first section, they used the same firewall as heater only cars I guess. The show a heater delete plate to cover the hole too, pretty cool... in the winter. Later models had completely different firewalls for A/C and converting to factory A/C can be major duty work.
I'd put in the factory A/C set-up if it's only a matter of cutting a couple of holes on a '66.
I don't imagine anybody has a set of those templates around but who knows? All you would need is some masking paper and an A/C car with nothing bolted to the firewall to make a template. I did Vista Cruiser woodgrain templates for my car and got a fine Spies-Hecker shirt as thanks/payment for a set a fellow Vista owning member needed. A lot bigger deal than a couple of holes too, they are reversible though.
If nobody wants to do templates out of the goodness of their heart offer some cash, or a fine Spies-Hecker shirt. Just possible nobody has a bare firewalled '66 around, offer enough and somebody will strip theirs .
The firewall dimple locations for drilling for A/C components and the holes are in the assemby manual first section, may help some.
If it's to scale you could do a smaller grid than the one on there and figure out the hole shape yourself.

 

Cool thanks Ill check it out. I was just hoping someone had there 66-67 Ac car apart and I could get a rough idea. I thought about putting something on the gasket of the condensor box and put it against the firewall to get the size for the hole I just dont know how far from the outside of the body I need to position it. Plus my AC system is all together it hasnt had the freon out of it ever so I kept it complete until after the install and the change to R134.

 

As it turns out, my '67 is down to the bare firewall right now...I'm actually removing the factory A/C.



I'll try to get some good pics tomorrow with measurements for you, and you can tell me if that'll work or if you'd prefer a tracing.

 

Andy, if you decide to come up this way to pick up the bucket seats we could cut out the firewall of this car for you. It had sheet metal pop rivited over the holes to allow the previous owner to bolt on a non-AC heater box, so those would need to be cleaned up. Let me know what you think.
John

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