Air Con

[1977stag]

Has anyone retro fitted air con to their car and if so any suggestions as to the best way to go?

[Phil S]

car builder solutions do kits

[1977stag]

Thanks Phil. They look to have a good selection of units. I am looking for a discreet installation to look as close to original inside the car -not concerned about originality under the bonnet.

[Ritchie6]

Has anyone retro fitted air con to their car and if so any suggestions as to the best way to go?

I always thought air conditioning worked best with all the windows closed. I know this is the case on my Ford Fiesta so I'm not sure how efficient it would be on a soft top and of course it would affect your fuel economy.


Richard

[trunt]

Over here (USA) it can get so hot that open top motoring is, let’s say uncomfortable. Although a/c is best in an enclosed car a nice blast of cool air can make the difference between going out in the midday sun or not. Alternatively raising the roof for the worst heat of the day with a/c is nicer in that enclosed hot space.

But it does it get that hot where you are?

Most (all?) of the retrofit kits involve a unit mounted under the dash but if you wanted to hide it I would guess the next step would be an original A/C heater from an a/c stag. The problem is that they use vacuum controls and that adds complexity. However I think in theory one could be converted to mechanical controls. Aside from that I would use modern components for the rest of the system, those old York compressors are huge and not suited to modern R34 gas.

Once my car is finished I have a mind to do mine this way, (it is an a/c car so I have the heater) but it’s a lot of work... we will see

terry

[richardthestag]

But it does it get that hot where you are?

If we are lucky we get 2 weeks a years where the temp might reach 25c / 77f. this year was exceptional the temp hit 30c /86f for a couple of weeks. In fact all records were broken since records began just 120 years ago

There are all manner of cleaner options (than AC) available. Maybe something could be wedged under dash. Else it is factory kit

[Jeff]

I have had this discussion before when I was told a/c doesn't work in a convertible. Well it does work in as much as you get cold air, what doesn't work is climate control which some people get confused with. Almost all the time I drive my Volvo convertible in Spain, the a/c is on, but it is always on, but with the hood in place it then operates climate control and therefore switches off at certain temp as it should.

It's also meant to be better on fuel economy than the windows open or the roof down.

Hope this helps.

[JOHNS]

car builder solutions do kits

That is an amazing site. I saw their stand at Birmingham NEC in March but didn't realise they stocked so much. See below a picture of their Norvin cafe racer motorcycle. Stunning

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