Hey, seeing as I don't own an Olds (yet) this is purely hypothetical, but is it possible to get air conditioning in a car which is didn't have it from factory, and in that case what kind of cost/labor are we talking about? Too much to even bother?

 

aftermarket AC was available from outside vendors back then and still today. Some are underdash units and some are in dash units.

 

Take a look at Vintage Air and Old Air Products. They both make AC units that fit under the dash and look almost factory. I believe they are combination AC and heat. I think the units are probably over $1,000 and there is installation. They are pretty state of the art. They also make under dash units that used to be referred to as hank down units that are just AC.

 

Vintage Air has model year specfic kits for the 68-72 Cutlass and generic kits for anything else with a little modification. Think the price is ~$1300 plus installation.

 

Compared to starting with replacing the firewall or at least the part that contains the HVAC plenum.... and finding all the factory parts, and refurbishing them.... the Vintage Air sounds affordable and easy.

 

The generic kits will require that you either swap your non-A/C dash and controls for an A/C version or that you install non-factory vents under the dash. If you don't care about the look, the latter is much easier.

Also be aware that the aftermarket A/C vendors sell under-dash A/C-only units (like the old Mark IV from the 1960s) which are much easier to install if you don't mind that huge box under the dash.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Would be looking for an in-dash unit. I'm sure installation costs are quite a bit, but $1000-1300 plus that doesn't sound too bad. Even worth considering to replace the old AC in an AC car for a daily driver, then.

 

If you are swapping from a parts car with A/C to a non-A/C car, it's a few days of work and some minor firewall fabrication.

The aftermarket options are available, but they look... aftermarket.

- Eric

 

Z - You say you are not an owner yet, so what cars are on your shopping list? Olds was a premium GM brand, so by the mid-sixties a fairly high percentage of the cars were optioned with AC. Repairing or retro-fitting a car that came with AC will be easier for sure, plus may already have other needed items like a bigger radiator and alternator.

 

'69 or '70 (prefer the '69) 442 is what I'm drooling over, lots of the classifieds I've looked at had AC, but not all, so got curious.

 

You'll probably be well ahead of the game to start with an A/C car. There are a lot of them out there, especially in the South/Southwest. Why add $2K to your budget, when it won't cost you that much to just start off with what you actually want?

 

+1.

- Eric

 

Alright, so I have seen a few cars that say they are A/C from the factory but the components are no longer there. I was told that you can get components now that are better than what they were back then, but being overseas old US cars remain fairly exotic, and therefore general knowledge around them is just as scarce. Would it be difficult for a DYI newbie to get such a car to blow cold air fairly easily?

I assume vintage air would be the way to go for the actual parts, but I can't really rely on making any repairs or modifications to a car in the states when my car is in Europe.

Also, thanks a bunch for all the replies, guys.

 

I put a complete system in from Old Air Products in my 64 F-85 Pro-Touring build. I wore a guy named Clint out there with the phone calls and e-mail. They were great with helping me. They also will modify your stock heat, temp and defrost cables and blower switch to work with the modern system. It was a challenge, never installed one, but I also never built a complete "nut and bolt" Pro-Touring car either.

 

Interesting, it looks pretty do-able. How satisfied are you with the performance of the A/C?

 

I have not started the engine yet. Later this summer....

 

Oh, well, let me know!

 

I think all the aftermarket units will perform similarly. If you want a stock system, starting with an A/C car is the best bet as others have stated. If you want aftermarket, I would visit some of the vendor sites and try to see what install you can tackle on your own. I'm going to be doing a Vintage Air install on my car this summer. I know you can find their instructions online.

 

Just installed a month ago in my 66 442. It was more than I could handle
alone so I got some help. They were extremely helpful and the system works great. Its a hot one today here in NJ and we were cool as cucumbers inside

ps... I called all the manufacturers and Old Air by far was the most helpful

 

Duly noted!