Hi Guys
Im looking at buying a 65 Starfire which is in decent condition.
Couple of questions though....
It has the original aircon compressor and the system doesnt work.
Is there a kit to retrofit it for the new gas and still use the original in dash system?
Does anyone supply after market for these cars or is it nos?
The tires are perished and it has original rims hubcaps.
Id love to keep the car dead stock but finding decent 14inch tires in my location
is a challenge.
Hope Ive got this in the right forum.

Any feedback appreciated.

 

Check with Diamond Back tires in Conway, S.C. for the 14" tires. Call them about the whitewall style that you want. They make a lot of tires to order.

White Wall Tires & Custom Vintage Tires - Diamond Back Classic Tires :

 

On the A/C.
1. Reseal the compressor. A6 compressors are very easy to service. They even make modern lip seals for them these days.
2. Replace all o-rings
3. Flush the system and replace dryer. Add new oil (which oil depends on what gas you pick)
4. Pull a vacuum, charge and enjoy!

You have many choices for gas, other than R134A. There are hydrocarbon gasses that are very similar to R12 in performance. Some people use a mixture of butane/propane with great success. Other people use keyboard duster (R152A), which is an actual refrigerant gas that works very well in old R12 systems.

For whatever gas you pick, you need to verify the POA valve is set to the proper pressure. This can be easily done with compressed air.

Good luck!

 

I have a '66 Starfire. If you can still get Freon in your location, I'd try reviving the factory system first, then, if not, fallback to an R134 (or whatever the latest stuff is). As I understand it going to the newer, safer chemicals requires quite a few changes to seals and many other components. And then may not work as well as Freon did all those years ago. Still, the modern stuff is known to work, so maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

The in dash system is vacuum based with electrical connections to turn on the compressor clutch and operate the fan. The ducting parts are all vacuum operated. That shouldn't be too hard to adapt to a modern system if you switch over. Many such conversions have been done with similar GM systems, it's got to be a well-trodden path.

Your 65 will accommodate 15x8 5"x5" wheels very nicely. And I can second the comment about Diamondback tires. They're in the business of vulcanizing white/red/blue/gold stripes on various kinds of tires for a vintage look on modern tires. I've had 3 sets on my cars with thanks to this website. I think I have BF Goodrich Radial T/As on my '66 Starfire and they work great. 14x6 was standard but those tire sizes are a little exotic these days and they don't perform as well as 15x8.

But ---
If you go to 15x8, you'll need to find 15" hubcaps you like. I faked up some wire wheels using Chevy Monte Carlo (1049B - '70?) with Olds 3 Ear Spinner centers. Your 65 would need the Two Ear spinners, though the 3 ear ones would work. Be aware that these hubcaps can creak and squeak. If you go with the fake wire wheels, you'll need extended length valve stems for convenience. Or go with 15x8 aftermarket wheels of your choice - much simpler. Just to call it out, you can go wider on tires if you like, I just choose 5 wheel interchangeability.

Also be aware that both all brake drums and disk brake rotors are either rare or getting there for 65-70 big cars. The '64 generation was different and GM changed the suspension in 71, so when you look for suspension parts, search 65-70 88/Starfire/98. Cutlass stuff generally won't fit, nor will Toro, as far as I know. 65-70 big Oldsmobiles are fairly exotic in the classic car world. You get some uniqueness, but the pain of that uniqueness is finding parts.

Now the good stuff:
15x8 wheels allows you to upgrade your 65 to disc brakes if you want to. I did this on both of my big cars. Good fix. They have a larger tire contact patch and help road feel & handling a bit.

Whether or not you upgrade to disks, I recommend a dual master cylinder for your brakes so if you blow a hose you always have 1/2 your brakes. The 65-66 system had a single master which meant that a blown hose = no brakes. Well, except the E-Brake (which may not be adjusted correctly...)

 

Thanks guys

Terrific information and definitely a lot to think about.
Im going to make an offer on the starfire shortly will see how it pans out.
The car is complete with some spares and it has a duel circuit brake master ready to install.
Guess I should have mentioned Im in Australia so the parts issue can be quite an expensive problem.
But the car is in very good condition just suffering from sitting in a shed for a few years with no love.
I have a couple of American classic cars so aware of most issues but Oldsmobiles are not common
down this way.

Again thanks.