Why do people remove A/C from cars? I have found two 442s for sale I would have been interested in, both were original A/C, but the A/C was removed. Not interested now, too old to get heat stroke.
I don't think either were used as race cars, one was a convertible.
So why would anyone remove an expensive, desireable option Any good reasons?
Higgins

 

Different people have different reasons. It robs horsepower and milage. The compressor broke and it's cheaper to remove it than replace it. The newly installed engine does not have the extras for A/C so remove it. I am sure there are more but right now they elude me.

 

I purchased a '73 Custom Cruiser last year, and it had had the A/C removed for the reason that Infojunkie gives. The compressor had failed, and it would either have to be rebuilt or a new one put on. It may have been an "expensive, desirable option" 38 years ago, but it's nothing now.

I had a '75 Delta 88 convertible back in the '90s, and it had A/C also. The A/C worked when I bought the car in '94, but a few years later it quit. I elected not to get it fixed (but I left it in the car) because I hardly ever used it when it did work, which is probably why it ultimately failed. I always drove the car with the top down, so I never used the A/C.

 

If the ac fails take the belt off and leave it alone!!

 

i feel there are two big reasons. biggest is it is to expensive to fix so as soon as they have to take the valve cover off they just don't put it back on so next time it is out of the way. then when they work on the radio they figure that the compressor is gone so they just leave the duct work off also and make it easier to get the the radio next time.
then there are the ones that don't understand the system so when it brakes they just don't try and get rid of it.
i wouldn't let that stop you from getting a car. if the car was set up for it just find a junker that has all the stuff or just get a used setup and install it. yes, it would be much easier if it was there and working but you can use that to talk them down. find out what a complete used setup would run and tell them they have to come down at least that much for you to buy it.

 

for me its a matter of being a old school Hot Rodder. Plus it makes working on the engine much easier (header Gaskets etc!). I'm in Florida so it gets hot down here but meh so what.I'm not driving the car everyday. When I took everything A/C off my Car it weighed almost 300 pounds with brackets etc. Happy to see it gone.

 

When I got my car it didn't work so I removed the compressor and brackets but kept everything just in case , the evaporator box bothers me also would like to get rid of it also and just leave the heater , I live in Chicago we have a few Hot days but most of the year is cooler ...
If I wanted to get my A/C working I think I will go with a modern all in one setup like this vintage air setup http://www.vintageair.com/cat2007/42.pdf but then again my car is a driver not a show car

 

The 2 reasons I find most often is they either too cheap to fix it or too lazy to work around it.

 

I just remove the A/C belt as needed for any extra HP I can scrounge. If it is cooler out, or know I won't use the A/C, or going to the dragstrip, etc. I will remove the belt.

 

That is my feeling too. Just never understood the take it off and throw it away part, if you ever plan to sell it you lose some potential buyers.
I had lots of cars without A/C back when only big expensive cars had it. Many MGs, Triumphs & Chevys in my past without A/C. Three Olds & they all have had it. I don't want to suffer without it now.
Higgins

 

Its all personal, for me I've never had one that worked or was complete. My latest 72 Cutlass had everything but the compressor, previous owner said someone stole it when it was in the shop yard. I still have everything else if someone is looking for the parts, not looking to charge alot either. I have removed it from 3 of mine and I personally like the look and ease of working on the car when its removed. Believe me I know hot I live in Az, but don't drive in the middle of the day! May go with Vintage Air in the future but if I move back to Northern California then theres no need!

 

If it doesn't work anymore, why lug it around? As said previously, it ways a ton.
Also, R12 has been outlawed, so converting it is more of a pain than a pleasure.

 

I removed mine however, All the original parts were gone. I welded up the firewall and smoothed it ready for aftermarket AC. Almost 2 years later, I am still waiting for the lottery or something to order the stuff.

 

Yup I hear ya unfortunately money is always the limiter on my car I just invest a little every year until one day it will be the way I want it , and by then technology will have changed so much I will start all over again .....for the love of our cars .........

 

Why?? Neither of my classics have A/C

1. R12 = ridiculous $$$
2. Some prefer weekend warrior cars.
3. Costs to replace components.
4. Pain in the *** to work around it for those who don't have functioning systems.
5. Most people can live without it. Actually my 78 z28 didn't even come with it.

I'm probably going to yank all the 41 year old A/C components in my 442 tribute as well.
If I do eventually put A/C in the car, I'll be updating it to a Classic Air or Vintage Air system.

 

The cars with factory air seem to be more desirable, and you'd be nuts to go without it in AZ.

 

I'm going to fast to need A/C. And as far as Cars not being sold because the A/C has been reomved..uhh not Hardly. I get asked about 5 times a day when I take my car out do I want to sell it.

 

No, nuts would be driving in the middle of the day when its 118 outside. You got to know when to bring your toys out. No one even shows up to local carshows when its too hot! Buying a car without a/c has never stopped me one bit just made me think of when i was going to get rid of the dead weight.

 

I just don't understand why anyone who has ever sat in traffic on a 95° day in 95% humidity, with the sun beating down on them, and the heat rising from the asphalt and the engines of thousands of idling cars would EVER remove perfectly good or repairable A/C equipment from a car that they intended to drive (as opposed to race or sit next to on a lawn chair at shows).
Heck, thirty years ago, I spent a week putting A/C INTO my Chevelle (not understanding the horrible crime I was committing by destroying its "originality" ).

I think this is all crazy-talk.

- Eric

 

You get that weather all the time up in Maine huh ?? LOL

Really in Chicago we get all 4 seasons. Summers usually only have 1 bad month and that's August.
If it's too hot , I won't drive my classics that don't have A/C. Hell to be honest the majority of
classic owners don't drive their classics in 95* heat because they don't have updated engine cooling
let alone the comforts of A/C.

 

I'm from NYC, and spend a lot of time there as well.
My pickup truck is from Maine and has no A/C, and I've spent plenty of hours in it in NYC traffic in recent years, sweating my butt off, and not very happy about it.
It's true that in Maine, A/C is far less necessary, but I find that I use it all the time when I have it, just to dry the air and keep the widows from fogging on damp days.

I've never had a "classic" car that I didn't use as a daily driver. If I've got a car, I intend to be able to use it in whatever weather we have (except rock salt ). I've had two old cars that couldn't keep themselves cool on a 100° day with the A/C on, where I couldn't fix them by doing all the "right" things ('68 Galaxie 390 and '68 88 455), and I sold 'em both.

- Eric

 

That's what I was thinking too, but if you live on the Southern border you can still go down to Mexico and get it charged.

 

I guess everyone doesn't have a sealed barbecue tank full of brand-name Freon sitting in the shed like I do, as well as a recovery unit and filters...

Mexican Freon? We don' need no stinkin' Mexican Freon!
(...and how would you know the Mexican Freon was real, and not, let's say, propane or R-22?)

- Eric