Air conditioning

quickas01 · 2012-12-09 16:01

Seeing I have my 57 Fairlane 500 striped down I would like to install a modern air conditioning system. Any body recommend a good kit to install. Thanks

Ford Blue blood · 2012-12-09 17:17

There are many "kits" out there, none are designed to go into a 57 Ford (ie Vintage Airs Direct Fit for many Chevys and Mustangs), without having some fabrication skills. Look around, Vintage Air, Southern Rods, Classic Air...they all have various kits. A couple of guys have used Vintage Air here, some have used the under dash system that was available in the early 60s. Each one offers a set of unique challenges.

RICH MUISE · 2012-12-09 21:34

I will be using the Vintage Air Gen iv unit...their biggest. I don't have it installed, but do have the empty mock up unit from them, and it does fit, although it takes up a ton of room. I just had to make up 5 brackets with 1/8 x 3/4 stock to install the evaporator unit under the dash. You probably will lose most, if not all, of the glovebox. You will also need to fabricate duct connections to the defrost plenum....probably no diferent than any other aftermarket unit.
Rich

quickas01 · 2012-12-09 22:01

Thank you for the help

RICH MUISE · 2012-12-09 22:30

to elaborate on the Vintage air "Mock up" unit...you can get empty shells of their evaporator units for about $60. This has several advantages...you can test fit a unit to make sure it will fit, and it allows you to make the bracketry, etc. without shelling out the $ for the actual unit. This is particulary important if you want to test fit at the start of a build that may be going on for a number of years. That way the unit hasn't run it's waranty out before you even get to try it. And the best part of it..the mock up unit can be returned for a full credit towards the purchase of a unit ( I don't know if they give a straight across cash refund)

gasman826 · 2012-12-10 09:07

Find a Vintage Air dealer and they will loan (with deposit) out the different mock up dummies for the different VA models. I did the VA Gen IV large. Bolted to the firewall with included hardware. Tucks up under the dash better than the OEM heater. Had to drill two holes each for the included defrost ducts. Multiple control choices. Need to eliminate the right fresh air vent and the original heater holes in the firewall. I never completed the glove box so I can't confirm any issues. No matter who the vendor is, '57 Fords do NOT have enough insulation and are NOT sealed well enough for good AC results!! Seal and insulate the car!

RICH MUISE · 2012-12-11 09:53

quickas01...just saw a post you did looking for wiper motor. The ac and wiper motor will both require changes to the defrost ducting. You can combine the changes needed for both into the same project. I actually cut my defrost duct into 2 pieces cutting out the center section where the oem square ducting originally hooked up, then used 2 (2 1/2?*) exhaust pipe sections welded to each side. note of caution: if you put the 2" inlet on the driver's side where I did, you will have to unweld and move the under dash brace that's up near the radio speaker.(as I did)
*If I remember correctly, Vintage Air uses 2" ducting for the defrost, and 2 1/2 for the dash vents

Frankenstein57 · 2012-12-11 19:30

Good lookin work as usual Rich

RICH MUISE · 2012-12-11 21:38

Thanks Mark. Here is a very skewed pic of it installed, showing the access door for the wipers, the brace I had to move due to poor planning,and the reason my AC unit is so far to the right and frontwards. The wiper access door just nicks the ac when opening. The beige lip on my console in the lower right of the pic is the horizontal reference. The pic looks like the evaporator is tipped, but it isn't.
I don't know where access to the '58 wiper motor would be....probably not where mine is as shown. My Mustang wiper motor is actually mounted to the rain trough (modified with a pie pan affair welded in) inside the cowl.
Looking at the pic reminded me of another thing. Not necessary, but I decided since I was adding air, to eliminate the air vents altogether. I cut off the flanges and welded them shut., eliminating one more posible source of water leakage.

Re$urrected57 · 2012-12-11 21:58

Nice looking work Rich. You have some serious skills. It is always nice to see pics of your work.

BWhitmore · 2012-12-12 22:39

I installed the Vintage Air underdash "Mark IV" unit in my ranchero, using the sanden compressor and Vintage Air condensor. I did use a Vintage Air aluminum dash bulk head to run the two air conditioner lines inside the car to the evaporator. I installed the bulk head to the left of the heater unit. Electrical hook-up is quite easy. I did need to enlarge the opening at the top of the radiator core support (passenger side) in order to run the a/c hoses to the condensor in a sanitary manner. Quality parts and excellent installation instructions.

gasman826 · 2012-12-13 13:08

Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum dated 2008 (in case they changed it)
Modifications to the firewall--closed the right fresh air vent and the square hole for the factory installed heater. Several other little holes were filled.

VA box installed. Easy, using VA supplied brackets. Just four 5/16 holes and one 3/4 for the drain (don't get too close to the header). Could have mounted about an inch higher. Still has plenty of passenger foot clearance (as good as the factory heater box). The white bracket at the top was custom fabbed.

VA controls

gasman826 · 2012-12-13 13:22

My wiper solution. Speciality Power Window's wiper kit. The drive stuff is in the cowl and the motor is inside. Easy to maintain and/or adjust. Required a little access hole to install the cowl transmission.

I made a bracket and linkage to modify the Thunderbird wiper lever from cable to a '68 Galaxie wiper switch.

News:

Air conditioning