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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362
Location: North Carolina | Okay guys, I am going to add a/c to my 59 Sport Fury and wanted to know what is the best under dash a/c unit. I want one that, of course works great. but also looks vintage, not like a 70's add on. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6518
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Brand new, not ugly.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Air-Mark-IV-Steel-Chrome-Under-Dash...
Old chrome one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Car-Truck-Under-Dash-AC-Air-Conditi...
Nice unit, needs TLC:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-car-truck-under-dash-Mark-IV-air-co...
Edited by mstrug 2015-12-26 7:56 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | I would buy the new repo mark IV unit. I bought a similar looking unit for mine but it was not made of metal, the outside was plastic and the plastic was very brittle and cracked within days of mounting. I sent it back for replacement made metal plates to put over the plastic to reinforce it so it would not crack again. So the repro mark IV made of metal sounds pretty good to me. I can't see buying a used one that's corroded and pitted and has no warranty at all when for so little more you can get a nice shiney new one with warranty. Conceivably there could also be some loss of efficiency with an old one using an R12 expansion valve, or the old expansion valve could be bad. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8445
Location: Perth Australia | Its hard not to have an under dash a/c not look 70s really, they never changed the general design of them, so they all
look 70s, thats when they became much more common
There are a few variants as to wether they were slim lined (like the markIV) and were meant to hang from
the dash or were monsters that sat on the tunnel
Putting a new TX valve in an old unit is not that hard (unless something has seized), but I would (did) go with a
new unit, as said, restoring an old one will cost a lot more and you may not be able to get blower motors or parts for them any more
That said, they have a nickname of knee freezers for a reason
Because the evaporator (the cold bit) is right behind the vents, the air that gets blown out is really cold, where the
integrated a/c has to cool all the ducting and dash ect before the air comes out
Have fun
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Attachments ---------------- wu2752.jpg (25KB - 370 downloads) wu2752a.jpg (41KB - 422 downloads) wu2752b.jpg (29KB - 363 downloads) plymouth dash.jpg (87KB - 375 downloads)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362
Location: North Carolina | Thanks for the info guys. |
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Veteran
Posts: 161
Location: newton north carolina | Here's a photo of a new reproduction metal Mark IV installed in my 59 Fury. |
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Veteran
Posts: 161
Location: newton north carolina | Here's a photo of a new reproduction metal Mark IV installed in my 59 Fury.
(underdash ac 2.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- underdash ac 2.jpg (227KB - 370 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2637
Location: Minor Hill, TN | My current '61 has added on AC I am not sure if it works but I plan to have it tested if it works I will have it recharged |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362
Location: North Carolina | It looks really good, Dennis. Classic Auto Air emailed info on the Street Rod Cooler III system that uses the original controls on my car. Has anyone installed that system?
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Expert
Posts: 3897
Location: Northen Virginia | I will go with this unit, seems like is going to freeze any car. Just paint of dash color and done..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-A-C-Bus-and-Van-Under-Dash-Evapor...
Edited by hemidenis 2016-01-02 9:03 AM
(s-l1600 (6).jpg)
Attachments ---------------- s-l1600 (6).jpg (122KB - 375 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6518
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Cool! They have basic black too:
Edited by mstrug 2016-01-02 11:45 AM
(basic black ac.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- basic black ac.jpg (210KB - 360 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | I considered a unit very similar to that but before you go with it you should mock it up and really look at how it's going to take over the underside of your dash. You may conclude differently then I did but I thought it was going to be way too big and intrusive. It would hit my knee if I made it more or less centered under the dash and if I shifted it to the right so it had enough room for my gas pedal leg it took over almost the whole passenger side. I thought it was going to look very out of place and awkward. Up to you of course. Here's some other info to consider... The usual sanden compressors will only be putting out about 8000 btu of cooling at idle/low speed. At max output when you are going fast they will hit no more than 22,000 btu output. The typical sized underdash units are capable of "using" no more then 18,000 btu's, some a bit more, some a bit less. Trunk units will be able to use closer to 24,000 btu's. However, unless you live in a fairly hot climate like phx, or Miami, or LA you don't need more then the capability of the typical 18,000 btu unit. Even in Phx my 18,000 unit is OK when the car has been in the garage before driving. WHen it's been cooking in the sun in a parking lot 18,000 is pretty marginal to cool it back down, that's where a big unit like this would be nice as long as your engine/compressor rpms were high. Plus I don't have solar glass so that hurts too with all the heat that lets in. So if you live in a more temperate climate you really don't need that big a unit and as mentioned, when you are driving in town your compressor can't produce enough BTUs to take advantage of it's capabilities anyway. Also keep in mind that you can only get that unit to pump out at capacity when two things are happening, the compressor is going fast AND you have a large enough condensor in front of the radiator and there is enough airflow thru it. The sizing chart for condensers that would fit my car suggested that I could not fit a large enough condenser for this sized unit and have things work in really hot weather.
Those are what the "numbers" tell me. SOmetimes numbers lie. If you do go with that unit please let us know how it worked out, esp how well it performs in really hot weather and some photos of how it looks installed. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8445
Location: Perth Australia | Denis
I have that evaporator here, its very long and I tried it under the dash of my plymouth and it will be to long
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8445
Location: Perth Australia | This is what I have in my dodge, but its a bit tricky
What you see in the front is not whats really there, this is a heater a/c combination and its actually about 1/2 as wide as it looks
The reason behind this was licensing here says you must have front windscreen demisters fitted to the car and the original heater sprung a leak just before I was taking the car in for inspection, so to fix it (I couldnt get it repaired or another core and a/c was going to happen anyway) I put the big front on it (had one left over from another job) and the 2 vents from the drivers side, I made duct ports behind them to allow the duct hoses to connect back up to the demisters, so, I will soon be making it smaller again (one of those "I will get around to it" jobs)
And yes, it makes access to anything under the dash a pain, but being cool while driving is much more pleasant and longer lived than the occasional time that I will be either removing the a/c to gain access to something or fighting my way around it
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Attachments ---------------- dodge now 007.jpg (95KB - 374 downloads)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362
Location: North Carolina | Thanks for all the info guys. I'll let you know what I went with in a few months.
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6518
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Which did you pick?
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Expert
Posts: 3897
Location: Northen Virginia | wow this one is an old thread!
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Expert
Posts: 2637
Location: Minor Hill, TN | I noticed that also I have an under dash AC for my car I would like it to be put back in the car I hope it still works |
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Expert
Posts: 2637
Location: Minor Hill, TN | I have an under dash AC unit for my '61 waiting to be installed but I had to get my radiator rodded out |
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Veteran
Posts: 102
Location: Palm Beach County Florida | I went with the Vintage Air Heritage system in my 56 Custom Royal Lancer. The round outlets match my dash gauges and the engine-turned face plate almost matches the trim on the door panels. I had it installed by a specialist in Jacksonville, FL. It fits well under the dash after removing the vent control handle and guide plate. It is not too noisey and it cools well here in south Florida.
However now I have vapor lock. Just another challenge.
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Attachments ---------------- AC Compressor_small.jpg (84KB - 101 downloads) Dash_small.jpg (85KB - 96 downloads)
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