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Veteran
Posts: 159
 
Location: Rittman, Ohio (Near Akron) | Hi All,
I just bought a 58 Plymouth that has an AC unit madde by Frigikar mouted in the trunk. Can anybody tell me anything about this? Was it a dealer add on? Anybody even seen a trunk mounted AC unit?
Thanks! |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
 
Location: Minneapolis | Must be a dealer add-on. I've seen trunk-mounted A/C units in Imps. |
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Account Suspended (Steve Hobby Alias)
Posts: 3365
Location: North West Jorsey | The Bible says just "Air Conditioning $466" in the options list. Doug could be right. However, I know for a fact that Rear A/C was available in certain models of the 58 Chrysler line (Saratoga and NYer) When I looked at all the divisions of that year, including the Imperial, they all just said either Air Temp A/C or Air Condition. Airtemp was widely used up through the 70's. No mention of rear air. Of all the divisions, Dodge was $336.00, yours $446, Chrysler No $ mentioned and Imperial was $506. Looking at those prices, it makes you wonder. Was it an option? Or wasn't it.
What do you want to know about it mechanically? I worked on a couple of them in my old dealer days
Edited by 62chrysler 2004-08-02 10:16 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Rittman, Ohio (Near Akron) | Wow! Thanks fro all the info. I'm not sure what all I need to do with the unit yet. I'ts in the 58 I'm planning ondoing a frame off job on, so it's be a little while until I get to working on the AC. I'll make sure to post any questions I have about though.
Thanks! |
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Expert
Posts: 2308
Location: The Bat Cave, Fairborn, OH | I've never seen a rear mounted air conditioner in any car after 1956, but that doesn't mean there were none. There certainly couldn't have been many made.  |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | I was assuming it would be a dealer add-on because of the "Frigikar" name.
I checked my master parts catalogs and I have listings for rear factory A/C units available for ALL FIVE divisions from 1958-1961. I would think that Airtemp logos, or at least MoPar logos would have been used on the units. Perhaps, when A/C was first became a popular option and was offered across the board in '58, MoPar had to out-source and/or Airtemp wasn't even around yet.
I have a Chrysler Airtemp Zippo lighter that I can trace to 1959 through the markings on the bottom, so we know that the Airtemp name has been around since at least '59.
Some of this stuff drives me nuts... Really sucks being obsessive! |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | BTW-- It appears that all of the major components were interchangeable between all the divisions for 1958 and 1959, ie, evaporator unit. Same can be said of 1960 and 1961 models as some parts changed for '60. There are also some of the same parts that were used during that whole four year run of '58-61, ie, blower motor. Hope this makes sense.  |
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Rittman, Ohio (Near Akron) | Very cool..no pun intended. I am thinking that this is a fairly rare option fro a 58. Luckily, I do have the core and all of the parts for the thing. I'm sure everything will probably need rebuilt though. |
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Account Suspended (Steve Hobby Alias)
Posts: 3365
Location: North West Jorsey | Just so I have this straight, did you mean Frigidair or Frigikar? |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | Frigikar was an outfit in Dallas that did auto a/c units from the early fifties until ? , that's all the info I could find.
God forbid if there is a division of GM (READ: Frigidaire) in his trunk! |
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Account Suspended (Steve Hobby Alias)
Posts: 3365
Location: North West Jorsey | Yikes I didn't think of that. GM and Chrysler were arch enemeies in those days. I didn't know about the guy in Texas. Last one I worked on was an Airtemp in a 64 Monaco. I believe the dealer I was working for installed it. Before my time! Well as a professional mechanic anyway. . . . |
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Rittman, Ohio (Near Akron) | It's Frigikar. I'll try to post some pics tonight or tomorrow. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
Location: Charleston, SC | I know the DeSotos had trunk mounted AC systems up to about '56. Then I believe Ma Mopar switched to the under dash version for '57, at least they did in DeSoto. I would think that would go across the board, but you never know!
It would seem that trunk mounted units after '57 might be a dealer add on or after market from someone else??
Dean Mullinax
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | DeS4me,
See my above comment, it was a factory option in ALL FIVE divisions from 1958-1961... |
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Rittman, Ohio (Near Akron) | Here's a pic of the Frigikar unit
Jim H.
 (RIM00007.JPG)
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 RIM00007.JPG (88KB - 414 downloads)
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Veteran
Posts: 136
Location: Charleston, SC | forwardlookparts,
Factory option? Interesting. I have never seen it before. Are you sure these weren't a dealer installed option? What made them use that, say, over the underdash unit in '57? My car has the underdash factory unit. I thought they switched in '57 to the new underdash system, but I am obviously wrong here.
What determined which unit you got if they were both factory installed??
Dean Mullinax
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | Nice pic, Munja...
No, I am not saying that you couldn't order a front unit, I show those available as well. I am sure the majority of A/C units were located up front. I show that the '58-61 models have rear units illustrated and part numbers listed in the MoPar master parts catalogs for those years. That leads me to believe that these were factory units, otherwise they wouldn't be in the catalog. However, I am sure that both factory and non-factory units could have been, and were, added on at the dealer as well. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 689
Location: Santa Barbara, California | What a great looking old system! In my 59 New Yorker, there's a trunk mounted AirTemp unit for the rear air... long feed and return lines connect the front and rear system.... mine has the twin blowers like the one shown in the Frigikar unit.
The AirTemp unit in my New Yorker looks to be about twice the size as this Frigikar unit...
Bryan
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Veteran
Posts: 151
Location: Pennsylvania | Neat.
My personal opinion is that this was dealer-installed at best; I don't think this particular unit was an "official" MoPar option.
What do you know about the history of your car?
If originally lived in a warm place like Texas, this kind of aftermarket conversion wouldn't be terribly unusual.
Also, most cars I've seen with "factory" or "official" rear-seat air usually have some sort of air scoops back around the "C" pillar, for fresh-air intake to the unit.
How about a pic of the compressor installation under the hood ? That might offer some clues too...
De Soto Frank
(PS: I once had a '66 Impala that came with Montgomery-Ward under-dash A/C...)
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Veteran
Posts: 151
Location: Pennsylvania | A little more info...
Was reading the factory service manual for my '60 Chrysler last night, and in the A/C section, they mention the factory trunk-mounted units.
At least for Chrysler, De Soto, and Imperial in 1960, trunk-mounted Chrysler Air-Temp units were only installed in cars that already had the in-dash A/C.
The manual does not state whether the trunk units were available for dealer install...
I'd be willing to bet real money (not a lot...  ) that your Frigi-kar unit is an aftermarket install.
De Soto Frank |
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Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: NC USA | Hello
I was under the idea all rear air conditioners were factory options course i havent seen one like the one in the pic. I got a pic of mine somewhere on this computer that i can bring if anyone cares to see and tell me if its a factory option or dealer option. Cause I am trying to keep my factory original except I do want to dealer option two tone paint job for mine.
Casey |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 689
Location: Santa Barbara, California | Hey Casey,
If you have "AirTemp" on it, you're 99% sure to have a factory installed option... I've seen pics of your car... your dual AC is like the one in my 59 NYer also... it's factory!
-Bryan
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Veteran
Posts: 209
Location: Denton , Texas | Frigikar Was a large mfg. located on Harry Hind Blv. in Dallas Texas . I had several friends that worked there.Their units were sold to dealers and mechanic shops . sorry the company is no longer in business |
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Veteran
Posts: 209
Location: Denton , Texas | Frigikar Was a large mfg. located on Harry Hind Blv. in Dallas Texas . I had several friends that worked there.Their units were sold to dealers and mechanic shops . sorry the company is no longer in business |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7810
Location: Williams California | I worked at a place in the late '70's installing and repairing air con. units. The brands we installed were either ARA [automotive refrigerated air], or Frigi King. i do remember seeing Frigikar units on cars we serviced, but they were older aftermarket installations from the 1960's. The '58 Chrysler I picked up recently has a factory rear air unit which is marked Chrysler Airtemp, with the pentastar, if that helps. ---John |
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Location: Colorado, Pike's Peak | Think it through. Just because dealers installed them in earlier models does not mean that they never had one in stock and went ahead and installed it in a later model car. As a matter of fact I am sure that happened. In the South dealers carried lots of A/C options.
I have indeed seen Frigikars in models they were not "standard" in. Hey it fit and the dealer took the money and smiled.
Horrors. I have also seen Frigidairs in Mopar cars!!!!
Slim
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New User
Posts: 1
| Hey munja. I made this account just so we could compare notes. I own a 1959 Cadillac Sedan, and I have a nearly identical ac unit in my trunk. I will tell you everything I know about my system, and you can tell me what is similar, and what is different.
There are 2 obvious physical differences between yours, and mine. I have a much larger stainless steel shell over mine. It completely covers all of the components. The second difference is I have one single large knob on the right side of the plate, whereas you have two smaller ones on the left and right side.
Here is a little history I managed to dig up. I found the manual in my glove box, and I recognize the logo from some old ads I have seen from 1961/1962 newspapers. Inside the manual, it shows different blowers that you could choose from. If you send me a picture of the blowers/ control panel I will be able to I.D. the unit.
As for the controls, I have a small, brown control board placed below the dash, near the center. It has 4 grey buttons on the left, and a large black dial on the right. One click of the knob begins the refrigeration cycle. Click #2 will allow maximum air flow. Click #3 decreases flow.
Now for the bad/ obvious news... the manual states that the compressor will suffer damage after long periods of inactivity. My Caddy was sitting exposed in Death Valley for 8 years, so I think it's safe to say I'm boned. I haven't touched anything A/C related yet, so I don't know how bad it is, but I bet a reseal, fresh oil/freon, and new hoses should take care of it. (Obviously R12 originally).
So here's the skinny. I KNOW it was aftermarket, because of the 61/62-ish logos, the manual offered a specific package for the Corvair, (1960-69) and the odd placement of the control panel, which would have been somewhere else in my dash if it was factory. I would imagine that yours was an earlier model since you seem to have a more complicated set up in the trunk.
By the way, I have no idea where the cool air would be emitted from. There are a few outlets on the bottom right/ left sides of the dash, but they are not connected in any way. Do you know how your system works?
*phew*. So that's all I know about my system. Hope it helped. Feel free to send me some pics of your system, and I will let you know what I can.
Thanks!
-bigfins (brian)
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New User
Posts: 1
| i have a under the dash mount unit not sure the year for seems there is not pictures of the unit on the net i can provide ne one with the pictures if they can help me figure this out for if possible would like it restore for my 1963 dodge dart or i may go with an airtemp unit that i have access to out of a 1966 dodge coronet 440 any info would be helpful |
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Expert
Posts: 3780
Location: NorCal |
Welcome to the board.
There are very few parts from a '66 big block B-body that will fit your '63 A-body. |
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Member
Posts: 43
Location: Småland Sweden | My 300F also had a Frigikar Deluxe unit installed in the trunk with one big square inlet in the middle with two smaller round outlets in the corners of the rear window shelf (or what it is called). My F was sold new at Chrysler Manhattan NY but was in CA when someone bought and took it to Sweden. So was probably installed sometime when the car came to CA. |
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New User
Posts: 1
| Regarding your trunk mounted evaporator, I have a Frigikar unit in my 1954 Packard, 300 Senior series. I also had trunk mounted a/c in my 1955 Cadillac years ago, but that was factory installed. Frigikar, from what I have found was an after market dealer in Dallas, TX and that company installed trunk mounted units for owners of cars with out a/c. Thus, called after market. The remaining units for my Packard a/c is the coil-condenser mounted behind the grill, a Tecumseh compressor mounted on the lower left side of the engine, and a shutoff valve for freon distribution when a/c was not needed. The Tecumseh compressor ran constantly, year round, and that shut off valve opened and closed the flow of freon. Just today 05-18-14 I was working on the blowers in the truck and found that one blower was not working so it was removed for repair. When both blowers are working again, I will have the dryer (underneath the right side of car) rebuilt, and then attempt to evacuate the system to see if the vacuum will hold. It vacuum holds it is ready for freon. I was told by a/c professionals that the Tecumseh compressor can use freon 12 or freon 134-A. Will let the forum know about my success. Please describe the type of compressor that is in your Plymouth. Better still post photo. Would love to see.
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blowerfanout.JPG (185KB - 234 downloads)
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New User
Posts: 1
| Just Picked up a 1956 Lincoln Premiere with a trunk mounted Frigikar system in it.. Big Compressor,radiator,big supply return hoses running from the back all the way up to the front. I'm removing it and probably selling it to pay for the rest of the work needed on it |
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Frigikar Trunk Mounted Unit
