57 Factory Air?

[fliptop]

Was factory air conditioning available for the '57 Ford ?? The "damper"/harmonic balancer on my Skyliner has 3 pulleys - the forward one runs the PS pump, the rear runs the generator. The middle one us currently unused. Could this middle pulley have been "reserved" for factory air? OR ??

[smurfee]

 

YES, SMURFEE

[fliptop]

  Could someone please post a picture of the dash of a '57 with original factory air? I think I remember pronounced A/C vents along the bottom of the windshield OR maybe not? If you post pics please guide me to their location. I'm new here. Thanks!

Tony Colbert in New Braunfels, TX
'57 original Skyliner blue/white driver
'56 original T-bird candy apple red driver

[Marc]

Tony, this is the best shot I've got of a factory air car, unfortunately it's not the whole dash, but the vents you remember are visible. There's also a shot of the emblem on the door announcing the factory air installation. If your car doesn't have those vents, it's possible someone just changed the pulley at some point and used whatever they had lying around. I found these pics at conceptcarz.com

[fliptop]

Thanks Marc! Great picture. That's what I "thought" I remembered in one '57 I saw years ago for sale, but the guy didn't have a title so I didn't buy it. I don't even think it was his car.

[Zapato]

so does anyone have a set of those vents lying around?

[fliptop]

Zapato, here are 3 possible sources for those A/C vents:

Joe Odehnal  2722 North Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI 49004   269-342-5509 evenings
email:  joe.odehnal@wmich.edu
and
Lyle G. Hutchens, Rt. 1, Box 2875, Salem, MO 65560   573-729-5061
and
John Tagliaferri, 165 Green Rd., Gloversville, NY  12078  518-725-8907 evenings, 518-229-6958 days

Good Luck!

Tony

[Glen Henderson]

I've got a set stashed somewhere, had them for years.

[Zapato]

Glen, are they available? sent you a private message.

[Ford Blue blood]

I may be in error about this but I believe that the air cars had three groove pullys on the crank and the water pump.  The two closest to the engine drove the water pump and the generator.  The lower outer drove the power sreeing pump and the out on the water pump drove the air compressor.  T-Birds with air used this system from 58 through mid 64.

[dave362]

Here is a picture of '57 Ford A/C vents that I found on 1957ford.com.

Dave
1957 Fairlane 500 club sedan