i have a 76 4dr mav for parts and i was wanting to know about taking out the a/c system and putting it in my 70. should i or should i buy another system? the 70 is a non a/c car. just wanted opinions on what to do.
Well I suppose it could be done but you'll be swapping dashes and wiring harness in addition to the A/C components... The '70 signal light sw won't plug into the later harness, though it should be possible to repin the connector... Other connectors may be different as well, dunno on that...
I did it in my ’71. I did not change the dash. I just blocked off the center vent. It worked fine for 20+ years. You will need to get an AC package tray and the duct work if you do not change out the dash. No need to change out the harness. The AC system uses the existing wiring and just adds a lead to control the compressor. The only change is to use a stronger fuse. The firewall has indentions where you need to drill the mounting holes and the drain. I found it to be an easy swap and had no problems doing it. Micah
I did it in my ’71. I did not change the dash. I just blocked off the center vent. It worked fine for 20+ years. You will need to get an AC package tray and the duct work if you do not change out the dash. No need to change out the harness. The AC system uses the existing wiring and just adds a lead to control the compressor. The only change is to use a stronger fuse. The firewall has indentions where you need to drill the mounting holes and the drain. I found it to be an easy swap and had no problems doing it. was your car a non a/c before?
A new system such as Vintage Air or Classic Auto Air will cost roughly $1,000.00. That is the direction I am going to be done with it.
You could save a few $ doing the swap, but you will probably incur some headaches, plus it is twice the work to remove it and reinstall it. If you go with an aftermarket system you are almost assured of it working first time out.
Not to hijack the thread, but has anyone used a late model Ford A/C compressor on their car vs. the old style one that came on our cars? Was wondering if the new style compressor would be lighter and draw fewer HP.
If you do use the late factory A/C unit and want to install the center vent, be sure to use the late vent too. There was a size change. There also was a style change in early vents too .... three different ones total. I did a tech article on this here. The factory AC unit does take up a lot of real estate under that small dash. Taking one out feels like trying to pull a molar out of a dinosaur. You can only wiggle the whole thing an inch at a time. Take the kick panel out or you will destroy it. Size is another good reason to go aftermarket, bound to be smaller.
I am running the Sanden compressor. It is lighter than the OE unit and takes less space. I can't say if it draws less current cuz did not test amp draw, or look for any elec. specs. I do believe it used less simply cuz it's almost 40 yrs difference in technology. Long story short, I am not sorry I upgraded.
I've been quoted at $1,400.00 for Vintage Air - and that includes labor for install; what have you got???
