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Questions about adding Vintage air to my 71 Cutlass
I am looking at adding a vintage Air AC system to my non AC 71 Cutlass Supreme. Can anyone tell me what items I may need that is not included with the kit. I am wondering what pulleys, belts, gaskets, larger alternator, fan changes or fan shrouds that I might need that is not included in the kit. Also any tips or advise would be appreciated.
You can download copies of the Vintage Air instructions. The instructions include the recommended pulleys and belts. You also have a choice of drivers or passenger side compressor mounts. When I installed the vintage air on my 69 I moved the alternator to the drivers side, witch also required getting the correct water pump and other pulleys. The install is pretty easy and straightforward, just very time consuming. I would recommend removing the front seat to make the undetdash work easier.
Thanks for the info Matt. I had glanced at the instructions on line and had noticed that the plans called for the compressor to be on the drivers side with the hoses running across the front motor which I did not like the looks of. Does the kit come with the brackets to mount on either side or did you have to choose which side when your ordered?
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
You should have a look at this thread: 1972 base to 442 clone / Resto (lots of pics)
Post # 100 is the start of some good information you need to see; Brian did a good job documenting the installation. Plus you can PM the thread starter for first hand information.
I would contact VA directly or one of their distributors to inquire further on under-hood compressor placement. I put a complete Gen IV kit in my factory a/c '72 Cutlass, which retained the left side alternator placement (compressor installed on right side in place of factory unit). But on factory a/c cars, you eliminate the evap core (or in the non a/c car the fan/heater core box cover), so it wouldn't make sense to me that you couldn't mount the compressor on the right if you had the correct install parts to relocate the alternator.
The VA is a complete essentially self-contained system for a/c and heat and frees up the right side firewall from any obstructions that would prevent the system hoses from running along the right side of the motor (in the manner of the factory a/c cars).
FWIW, Chevelles mounted the compressor on the driver's side. Makes for an awful hose routing and a bigger mess under the hood having the A/C hoses running all over the place. They also put the battery on the passenger side, so having the alternator over there was more convenient. Whereas Olds did it The Right Way and engineered a good approach for an A/C car, Chevy just said "eh, throw some more brackets on there"
We are currently installing a Vintage Air system in a 69 Olds and for the most part it is straight forward. I have used Vintage Air several times for various cars and have not been disappointed in the quality of their stuff. Some things however do require a little tweeking along the way. First, on the front of the car we always add a few holes in their supplied condenser bracket to allow a bit more airflow to the radiator. I know it's not necessary, but it can't hurt.
Next, we order a longer hose kit so we can run the ac lines under the fender. I think this makes for a cleaner installation. Summit Racings part number for this kit is VTA-521071. You'd never find it on their web site because there are no pictures, and a lousy description for this hose kit. Anyway, make sure to have the ends of the ac lines oriented properly before crimping, because ac lines have no twist to them.
Under the dash, we like to run the left vent tubing behind the steering column braces. It makes reinstalling the dash much easier. It also allows the speedometer cable to fit comfortably. It's a tight fit but it will go.
Another thing I have to do on every Vintage Air system is tweak the fitting angle of the pressure line coming out of the evaporator box. It is never pointed in the right direction. Getting the hoses from the evaporator box through the kick panel and up through the old air blower hole in the firewall is the hardest part about this project (It helps if you're triple or even quadruple jointed). Once that's done, it's all down hill. Of course, if you're not routing hoses this way, life will be a lot simpler.
Lastly, I would rather take a beating than install an ac system like this with the dash in, it just makes everything more strenuous when you're trying to work in an area that's already crammed with other stuff. Do yourself a favor and remove the dash. Although, you might have better luck with a 71 model car.
I have slept since I installed my Vintage air system, I ran my A/C lines the same way. I don’t remember ordering longer hoses, maybe I did. Is that compressor and mounting system part of the serpentine belt drove?
After reading your comments, I’m guessing it triggered some unpleasant memories. I do remember fighting with the upper center air vents, and finally giving up and removing the dash. This was after removing the seats and console. Another tip, be sure to put down some heavy blankets on the floor. The studs for the seats will shred your back!! My wife jokingly (I hope!!) accuses me of some “extracurricular activities” with either a crazed wildlife, or long nailed sleazy lady. The blankets help.
[QUOTE] I have slept since I installed my Vintage air system, I ran my A/C lines the same way. I don’t remember ordering longer hoses, maybe I did.
I called the folks at Vintage Air before I ordered for this car, and they told me the hose kit that comes in the "master kit" would only be long enough to go straight through the firewall. And yes, the compressor is a different model than the one you get in the kit. It's a 7176 Sanden, instead of the 04808 that would mount to the stock type bracketry. In case you were wondering, I used most of the March Performance mid mount pulley and bracket kit (16045-08). I say most because I used a big aftermarket damper and that threw any hope of bolting up the March system as is. I ended up machining a couple of brackets from scratch and all spacers to make stuff fit.
Hmm, I’m pretty sure I didn’t request special hoses. Once it was all assembled I noticed the hose ends supplied with the compressor caused interference with the OAI air cleaner and hoses I had already installed. Not much interference, but enough that the hoses would wear a hole. The following winter I bought a replacement end cap for the compressor and fittings to move the hoses to the back of compressor. Turns out that compressor is a common part, it’s used on lots of John Deere farm equipment, heavy equipment, earth moving equipment, etc. there are lots of options. I think I bought the stuff from Cold Air Supply?
Thanks everyone for all of the great advise and photos. It seems to be a very doable project but time consuming, I wish I would have started the project a few month ago before it started getting nice out. I am not looking forward to taking the dash out but some times doing a little more work in the beginning can save a lot of time in the long run.
March 23rd, 2019, 07:35 PM
