Studebaker A/C Options

[CarCrosswordDan]

I have conflicting information relative to when factory A/C was available, and would appreciate some clarification. Onessource indicates that beginning in Jan. of '55, Presidents only could be ordered with such, although other sources suggest it was not availailable on the Speedster in '55 or other Hawks untill '59. There is no indication of where the evaporator was located is not mentioned. I suspect it was trunk mounted. or perhaps under dash like early Mustangs. Other data suggests that '59 was the 1st year A/C was available on Hawks, and it does appear it is an under dash evaporator. Other than Hawk GT's and Avantis, did other Studes have through the dash A/C vents.?
Thanks,
CarCrosswordDan

[Bullet]

Definetly Larks 59-66 They were under the dash units.

Mark

[bezhawk]

They were definately available on Hawks at LEAST as early as 57. A Golden Hawk with air made for a very crowded engine bay. If it also had power steering. the pump was built into the generator, and it was mounted on the drivers side.

[Warren Webb]

The only Stude I've seen with an "in dash" unit was the Avanti & that was the 2 ducts in the center console. All others (in the late 50's) used the "hang on" under dash units. The very early units in the 50's had an evaporator in the trunk so the ducts came out at the rear package shelf.

[mbstude]

I've seen a '57 Commander with the trunk unit, and a '58 Golden Hawk with the power steering pump tagging off of the generator to make room for the compressor. Like Brad said, crowded engine bay.

I agree with Warren. The Avanti was the only Stude to have an AC vents integrated into the instrument panel / console. All the others were knee-knockers or trunk mounted.

[unclemiltie]

For the 1961 lark the underdash unit also connected to the vents

[Welcome]

>>>not availailable on the Speedster in '55 or other Hawks untill '59. Thanks,
CarCrosswordDan

From the FWIW Dept.:

Production Orders for the '56 Golden Hawk indicate at least 1 came from the "FactoryComplete 56J A/C Kit" was part number 1541525 and supplied by a company named "Novi" out of Wixom, MI. By part list descriptions, the evap. unit was "trunk mounted

[CarCrosswordDan]

Matthew, what about the GT Hawks? Surely they made accomdations since it was new for '62.
Thanks,
Dan

[52-fan]

62 GT units were hung under the dash.

[StudeRich]

1955 Integrated Air Cond. ??

There was extreamly little demand for an A/C System in the '50's and early '60's, as no one needed one that badly to pay close to 1/4 as much as the car cost for one.

So A/C was never considered to be ordered enough to be integrated into the dash and no other non-luxury car makes were either, '65 Mustangs had almost the same unit under the dash as a '64 Stude.

The York vertical piston Compressor was used on AMC, Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Studebaker and others.

[fatboylust]

Look into the past:
http://books.google.com/books?id=A1Q...ioning&f=false

http://www.studebaker-info.org/tech/aircon/55AC/55ac.html

[53k]

'55 was the first year for factory a/c and it was a trunk mounted unit only for sedans. The trunk mounted units were continued through '57, again only for sedans though at least one '57 Golden Hawk had a factory a/c under dash unit. '58 units were all under dash including Golden Hawks. Presumably they were available on other Hawks too, but I have never seen one. All factory a/c units from then on, including Avanti, were under dash units. The Avanti a/c is just an under dash unit built in to the console. It is NOT an integrated air conditioner, just a fancy recirculator. The only Avantis with integrated air conditioners (climate control) were '87s and later

[studegary]

'55 was the first year for factory a/c and it was a trunk mounted unit only for sedans. The trunk mounted units were continued through '57, again only for sedans though at least one '57 Golden Hawk had a factory a/c under dash unit. '58 units were all under dash including Golden Hawks. Presumably they were available on other Hawks too, but I have never seen one. All factory a/c units from then on, including Avanti, were under dash units. The Avanti a/c is just an under dash unit built in to the console. It is NOT an integrated air conditioner, just a fancy recirculator. The only Avantis with integrated air conditioners (climate control) were '87s and later

Paul - The only exception, which has already been stated, is that factory 1961 Lark A/C units were integrated with the air vents and could use fresh air.

[53k]

Paul - The only exception, which has already been stated, is that factory 1961 Lark A/C units were integrated with the air vents and could use fresh air.

I guess it's a matter of what is considered to be integrated. I was thinking integrated meant completely built in to the dash as in more modern cars (or mid-60s MoPars). So, I still called the '61 a/c an under dash unit though fresh air was routed to it. The original post asked about through-the-dash vents which the '61 did not have.

[Gunslinger]

To me an integrated system is the a/c and heat use the same vents and ductwork. You cannot run the a/c and heat at the same time. You definitely can run both systems in an Avanti at the same time as they're completely independent of one another. A hang-on a/c unit under the dash is certainly not integrated.