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I'm looking at a '70 442 for sale (pictures only, thus far, and trying to set up an inspection) that has added Vintage A/C, but whoever did it put the a/c compressor over on the left side of the engine (right side as you look at engine bay), and the alternator is over on the right side (left side as you look at engine bay) which seems to be the stock location for the alternator if the car has no factory a/c, right? From other pictures I have looked at, it should be the other way around so that your a/c lines head straight back to the firewall. This thing has a/c hoses running across the front of the engine and then they head back to the firewall on the right side of the engine where factory a/c would go. I think it looks really stupid and cluttered up front. Question: Would it be any big deal to switch sides? I'm assuming that the brackets holding the a/c compressor and the alternator would have to be replaced with the correct ones for the new locations, hoses would need to be shortened, maybe new belts, etc. I can't take how this looks, so I would want to change it. I need the a/c as it gets way too hot here in the summer, otherwise I would just remove the a/c stuff altogether. I would provide pictures, but I'm such a computer dummy that I can't figure out how to attach them. Thanks for any insights that anyone may have, and if this should be in a different forum, I apologize.
When I installed the Vintage Air on my car you had the option to locate the compressor on either side. It should be a fairly simple matter of getting the correct compressor brackets, and the correct water pump and alternator brackets.
The hardest part of the change will likely be correcting the hoses. Will you be doing the work, or will a shop be moving the compressor? While it is certainly odd in a cutlass, keep in mind that 69-72 chevelle (along with a bunch of other chevys) did use a driver side compressor/ passenger side Alt set-up from the factory.
Last edited by Loaded68W34; Nov 7, 2022 at 05:23 PM.
I've seen a lot of aftermarket A/C systems that leave the alternator on the passenger side and just bolt the new bracket on the driver side. As shown, that's how Chevies came from the factory (and I've never understood why you wanted the longer hose runs). For the aftermarket, it avoided needing to source the factory driver side alternator brackets, lengthening the harness, etc. All the A/C hardware was new anyway for the kit, so this was probably the lowest-impact way to do it.
The 442 I'm trying to see (possibly tomorrow) looks pretty similar to the Chevy pictured above except that there are two a/c hoses crossing over the front of the engine instead of just one. It looks like one of the Chevy hoses is dropping down and crossing over somewhere down below or behind the engine? Pretty much the same set up, though. I don't know why you would want the longer hose runs, either. I like tidy, and that looks more cluttered. Hopefully, I can see the car tomorrow, take lots of pictures, and try to get some posted. As far as making any changes, I would try to do it myself unless I run into something that goes beyond my limited scope of knowledge. I'm pretty handy with tools, like to work on things that I think I can do, have a fair amount of common sense, but I do have limitations in work space and specialized tools. I'm, definitely, not an expert at working on older cars. Thanks for the input thus far.
Yep, that's about what the 442 I'm looking at looks like. Two a/c hoses crossing over. I wish I could forego a/c, but I'd have to be ok with not driving in the summer, or being hot as he** while driving. I know that a lot of classic Olds owners prefer the uncluttered engine bay in their non-a/c cars, and frankly, I think they do look better that way, but it's not an option for me with the summer heat.
Move things around and make new hoses. Problem solved. Personally I'd get a newer style compressor that looked more original or even paint that style black with a Frigidaire sticker on it.
Chevy moved the a/c compressor to driver's side to balance the weight that was causing sagging on low mileage cars. The chevy shop manager back in the day told me about it when I made a comment on the relocation. He showed me the cars he had in the shop that day were sagging to the passenger side.
