Another Little Fix...

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

Some of you may know that my GT Hawk did come with factory A/C, quite a desirable item to have in SoFlo and about as rare as hen's teeth in the early 60s. However, it did not work as there is no way to feasibly acquire R-12 anymore thanks to the EPA. I spoke with my mechanic about it and he quoted a price of around $600 to have a replacement compressor and lines fitted in order to accept R134. I was feeling rather despondent about this, but then I resolved myself to find a better solution. After all, isn't a big part of owning a Studebaker creatively fixing whatever problems that come one's way? I did some research and, after poking about in the engine bay, discovered that the factory compressor had already been modified to accept R134 at some point in the past. I then took the ol' girl down to a small, trusted shop known as Munson's Auto Service where they agreed with my findings. $40 later for a full R134 fill-up and the A/C unit is now blowing air as cold as an mother-in-law's stare. Can't hope for more than that!

[57pack]

Ok, I’ll say it...cool!

[52 Ragtop]

Had an 89 mini van that I swapped out to 134-R, I did what everybody said I couldn't. I had the system sucked down (what was left) bought screw on "adapters" which cross threaded on the R-12 fittings, and charged it up. 3 years later, when I sold it, she was still holding a charge. I don't remember what the total cost was, but well under $100.

Jim

[Blue 15G]

Congratulations on your successful troubleshooting and getting your a/c fixed. Definitely a nice option to have!

I'd like to have a/c on my Champion, but if the car had it, it wouldn't even be able to pull away from a stop sign.

[sweetolbob]

Good job and well done. Nice car BTW, Bob

[56GH]

Someone before me did the same with my '62 GT, Jake. Blows colder than my 2013 Honda Civic!

[Buzzard]

Cool stuff Jake!! Nice you are very resourceful.
I got a little creative a couple of years ago with my '83 Avanti and found an A/C industrial service guy who resides nearby. He came over and fully serviced the system and refreshed the R-12 (still available for industrial use) which understandably was a little low after 30+ years. Low and behold, he got the temperature coming out of the vents to 28 Degrees! These old systems are so robust they just need half a chance to perform as intended.
Congrats.
Bill

[JLB]

R12 is not that hard to find. I see it at every sizeable swap meet.I attended the Charlotte Auto Fest in early April and saw many cans of R12. Check E bay.

[fpstude]

Jake, good going! What did you find that indicated it had been switched to R 134?

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

Jake, good going! What did you find that indicated it had been switched to R 134?

I found that someone before me had done a little bit of tinkering with the factory A/C compressor. He (or she) had installed an adapter plate into the side of the unit with two bleeder valves that were of a different dimension than factory. That, and the fact that there was also a reconditioned accumulator present confirmed this.