Installing aftermarket air conditioning

[twoprimo]

I am looking forward to A/C someday (heat not needed here in Hawaii except for defrost on our COLD 60 degree mornings - haha) so I called Vintage Air in hopes of getting info on a set up ready proven for my 53 coupe (remember "A Cool 200" Bonneville car?) and they told me they don't have a ready made package for us coupe owners and can't rememebr which components they used. Has anyone got info on a system already installed in a coupe like mine? I would prefer to not reinvent the wheel!

[StudeRich]

Everyone that has posted here about installing one of their "Kits" has Custom Built it and the car to make it fit, certainly nothing I want to do to any of my Studebakers.

I much prefer an aftermarket, Studebaker, Ford or AMC 1960's under dash unit like it was supposed to be, using a late model rotary Compressor.

[PackardV8]

FWIW, Vintage Air still makes an exact reproduction of the old Mark IV underdash unit like from back in the day, as well as brackets and pulleys to mount a compressor on the Stude V8.

jack vines

[Paul Keller]

Agree w/ S.Rich - I Purchased on of V A's adaption units a few years ago, very well made. Only prb'm was that the crank pulley was a very massive. solid steel unit that would not fit w/ an Avanti style balancer. V A took it back and refunded its cost (great service all around).
Also, one of the TW vendors (in Texas, Helm?? possibly) offers a complete system.
Have fun and post your findings.
Paul K

[rockne10]

I used instructions from Ray-Lin's Technical pages on fitting A/C to my '53 coupe.
His link here:

http://www.raylinrestoration.com/

Converted to 12-volt and adapted the generator bracket to hold a Sanden 508 per his instructions. Fit an alternator (Worldwide # 14824) to fabricated bracket. Other than the evaporator my A/C parts are from Vintage Air.



And found an Artic Kar evaporator that looks correct for the period; the Mark IV would probably be a better choice for serviceability.


Have yet to give it the sun belt test.

[Don Jeffers]

Nice bracketry on the engine for the compressor and the alternator.

What is the DIN adapter for the radio on the dash from?

[rockne10]

Thanks, Don. Credit for the bracketry goes to Russ Roan.

I had a spare speaker grill that was rusted out in the center so I just cut out a rectangle, inserted a standard DIN mount and Dura-glassed it. It still mounts to the dash with the original tabs. I can easily remove the radio from the mount or the mount from the dash with no damage or alteration

[StudeRich]

/Cut/inserted a standard DIN mount/Cut/

You guys and your High Tech. (make that dum*a**) abbreviations!!

Do It Now?
Disc. In Norway?
Dash Installed Nodule?

[rockne10]

ISO 7736 defines a standard size for car audio head units. The standard was originally established by the German standards body as DIN 75490, and is therefore commonly referred to as the "DIN car radio size". It was adopted as an international standard in 1984.

[Dan White]

I did the VA under hood kit w/ a Stude underdash evaporator. Mine has PS so the kit is a little different than the one without. I believe Bob Helm uses the VA bracket setup but I am not sure.

[rockne10]

The issue with the '53 is underhood clearance. Has anyone solved it with VA brackets?

[53k]

I am looking forward to A/C someday (heat not needed here in Hawaii except for defrost on our COLD 60 degree mornings - haha) so I called Vintage Air in hopes of getting info on a set up ready proven for my 53 coupe (remember "A Cool 200" Bonneville car?) and they told me they don't have a ready made package for us coupe owners and can't rememebr which components they used. Has anyone got info on a system already installed in a coupe like mine? I would prefer to not reinvent the wheel!

Forum member "Railway" (Ebon Jones in Harlingen, TX) is in the auto a/c business. He put together a complete (down to the last nut, bolt and clip) a/c setup for my '64 Daytona convertible. I suggest contacting him. He and Phil are very helpful and knowledgeable.

[mrobertweiss]

you can put a gen IV vintage air system in and put it in the dash as they did, if you do not mind havinf the evap unit exposed to some extent in front of the right passenger footwell. The VA bracketry solves the underhood clearance of the compressor.

[johnod]

you can put a gen IV vintage air system in and put it in the dash as they did, if you do not mind havinf the evap unit exposed to some extent in front of the right passenger footwell. The VA bracketry solves the underhood clearance of the compressor.

Have you got a pic of how much is left hanging below dash?

[mrobertweiss]