Looking to purchase a serviceable 1957 Selectaire compressor. The one I have is not repairable, unfortunately. Any assistance is GREATLY appreciated.
Dan
Just a thought...
Send it to Vintage Air in San Antonio, and ask th em to use the casing to create a modern air conditioner. I have heard that is a possibility...especially good for restoration cars that want that old time look with modern capabilities.
Vintage Air
188965 Goll St.
San Antonio, TX 78266
1-210-654-3113
Tech e-mail tech@vintageair.com
I have several, all will need a carbon seal. Also, do you need the clutch assy?
Hello Ray,
Thank you, I would love to have a compressor but where do I get the seal? I have a clutch on my compressor. I am not sure if it works or not. I want to have a working unit when I am done. Sorry, this should have beep posted in the wanted, not the for sale section.
The vintage air people have some but are very proud of them. You might try Mark II enterprises in LA. I'm sure there are other vendors that would have one.
Let me know about the compressor and I will figure out a way to get you one. Also, is the seal on your current unit good?? if so, you could transfer it to another.
I will post a photo of the compressor I have. This unit came off a parts car I bought. I took the compressor to a shop in the area and he said the compressor is not rebuildable and that he could not find any parts for it. It is off a 1957 Ford Country Sedan. When I bought the car, the water pump forward had been removed. No radiator or condenser. The engine had the heads on with no valve covers and a 2 bbbl manifold just sitting there not attached. We pulled the block and tore the engine down. It had spun a bearing, but it was not horrible. I am thinking I going to have a short block built just to keep in stock. Oddly, it had one G head on it and one from the earlier Y blocks, with the core plugs at each end of the head. The rockers were also the 1954-56 style with the nut on the adjusting stud instead of the interference adjusters used from 1957 forward. I am going to move this to the Tech discussion, since it is not in the right discussion section.
There is a compressor on ebay right now but they $1200 for it.
Mike
Thanks Mike, I saw that listing. He is very proud of his things. He must sell to someone, but I find his stuff to be over prided by a factor of 2-4 times what it would bring. He has NOS seat belts for $1200 etc. Maybe Jay Leno can afford his stuff, but he is well over my pay grade. I did get a compressor from Jerry's Classic Cars. He is reasonable and has a lot of parts for sale. They are no longer doing full restorations, which is a shame, because he did a great job.
Quote from: cokefirst on 2026-02-11 10:17Thanks Mike, I saw that listing. He is very proud of his things. He must sell to someone, but I find his stuff to be over prided by a factor of 2-4 times what it would bring. He has NOS seat belts for $1200 etc. Maybe Jay Leno can afford his stuff, but he is well over my pay grade. I did get a compressor from Jerry's Classic Cars. He is reasonable and has a lot of parts for sale. They are no longer doing full restorations, which is a shame, because he did a great job.
Getting hard to make the case for full restorations these days, because the cost is way over the value of the car. In my mind I look at a few things when buying a collector car; title (I live in a title state), rust, is it all there - and I mean not all there in boxes, does it drive at all even around the yard. .... I have reached a point in my experience, and the price of parts, and a little bit of labor that I understand buying a better car to start with is very financially beneficial.
You are right about the cost of the restoration exceeding the value of the vehicle. I do the restorations for my own vehicles. I like stock, but also think that you should make any changes to your car that you like. I am more of a LITFA kind of a guy. I did a 4 year frame off restoration on a 56 Ford F100 and spent more than I could have purchased one for, but I enjoy doing the work and enjoy the outcome. I know all the mistakes and compromises I had to make and I know that I will never get my money back, but there is some satisfaction in the accomplishment. The wagon will probably set me back about double what I could ever sell it for, but I never expect to make money on a hobby.
Quote from: cokefirst on 2026-03-08 19:07You are right about the cost of the restoration exceeding the value of the vehicle. I do the restorations for my own vehicles. I like stock, but also think that you should make any changes to your car that you like. I am more of a LITFA kind of a guy. I did a 4 year frame off restoration on a 56 Ford F100 and spent more than I could have purchased one for, but I enjoy doing the work and enjoy the outcome. I know all the mistakes and compromises I had to make and I know that I will never get my money back, but there is some satisfaction in the accomplishment. The wagon will probably set me back about double what I could ever sell it for, but I never expect to make money on a hobby.
If your in it to many $$ your in the wrong place. Working on them is a love of the work, the finished product, and the pride of saying I did that not my bank account.