Vintage A/C question? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

buckroseau

May I have another!!!
SILVER Star
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Threads
100
Messages
3,343
Location
Northern Minnesota
This may be a question for the 40 tech section, but I'll keep it here since this is where most of the good info comes from ;) And since it's going into a 45.....

I called Vintage air this morning about kit# 74080-LTU-A / 1973 - 80 / 134A landcruiser kit. $1095

I asked if they discount the kit if I didn't want the compressor, since I can't use the one that comes with it and I have the R4 GM compressor already. They did discount it, $886 and then I had to buy the hose adaptor for $18.69 to go from there hose's to the R4 compressor.

Anyway, my question: I asked the tech guy why they list there kit only for years 73-80, when I told him it should fit all 40/45 series landcruisers. He didn't know the answer.

So, is there a problem fitting there kit to pre 73 cruisers?

Figured I would throw this question out there, see if anyone knows?

Thanks, Matt
 
I've installed one of these kits.. And it should work. The difference will be that there is no cut thru the firewall for the fan like in a later truck. The vintage air only used half of the fan opening and a plate covered the other half if I remember right. You will probalby need to cut a hole in the firewall for the air intake and your good to go. Personally I'd build your own with hot rod stuff and get better hoses and duct outlets that what is offered thru Vintage air but that's me.. I've seen some really cool instals in old hotrods. The vintage air ducts and vents leave a lot to be desired.
 
tornadoalleycruiser said:
I've installed one of these kits.. And it should work. The difference will be that there is no cut thru the firewall for the fan like in a later truck. The vintage air only used half of the fan opening and a plate covered the other half if I remember right. You will probalby need to cut a hole in the firewall for the air intake and your good to go. Personally I'd build your own with hot rod stuff and get better hoses and duct outlets that what is offered thru Vintage air but that's me.. I've seen some really cool instals in old hotrods. The vintage air ducts and vents leave a lot to be desired.


I agree with you on the Vintage AC ducts leave a lot to be desired. I guess I didn't think it look to bad, but I've never seen one in person so maybe there cheesier than I think?

I guess I like the fact that it's relatively a bolt in unit and I don't have to think or work that hard.

Matt
 
This is a pic of that lv I saw at TLC a couple months ago.

I had noticed in this rig that they had done some custom air vent stuff in the dash and that pod that hangs down in the center. I noticed the glove box was bolted shut, so I imagine they had to cut some stuff out of there also.

Very, very nice stuff. I know I'm capable of doing that, I just don't know if I want to add the extra time with the mods that are required to do something like that. I guess with any project I start to look at the time required and the benifit?

With the Vintage AC kit I just have to bolt it in, and I thought it looked acceptable. :rolleyes:

Matt
air.JPG
 
I find it hard to believe that one little vent is going to cool the inside of something that big even in your part of the US. For comfort I would consider dual air with a dual squirrel fan under dash blower. You have done a lot of great work to end up with uncomfortable passengers during the summer.

Here is another source for aftermarket AC products
www.acsource.com

I recently installed one of there condensers - very nice product
They can also custom build hoses.

Thanks for sharing all your great work on the ultimate rebuild.

HTH
 
LandCruiserPhil said:
I find it hard to believe that one little vent is going to cool the inside of something that big even in your part of the US. For comfort I would consider dual air with a dual squirrel fan under dash blower. You have done a lot of great work to end up with uncomfortable passengers during the summer.

Here is another source for aftermarket AC products
www.acsource.com

I recently installed one of there condensers - very nice product
They can also custom build hoses.

Thanks for sharing all your great work on the ultimate rebuild.

HTH


I actually should be more concerned about the heating than cooling in my area. We have about 3 months of summer and 9 months of winter. So it has to do both well ;)

I have read other posts from those who have installed Vintage AC kits in 40's and are happy with the results. But they aren't the most astheticlly pleasing thing I have ever seen though.

This maybe like the 79 seats.......everyone tells me not to do it, but I go ahead and do what I want anyway :doh:

Matt
 
I thought you guys had winter and 4 weeks of crappy skiing........:D
 
I use Classic Auto Air here in Ft Worth. They are all electric with servo operated doors and heater valve. They do not make a kit for the 40s but have a super small streetrod kit that fits nicely up inside the dash. I have shortened the glovebox on my 45 project to allow the ac/heat system to be mounted completely out of sight and I will use the larger billet round vents. 2 in the middle and 1 on each side. I have this same unit in my 65 Riviera and it works REALLY well. It easily heats and cools the Riv way better than any Lancruiser unit I have seen. They also use a nice 3 knob setup that can be mounted flush in the dash or in my case I removed the switches and mounted them in the dash by themselves. Here is a shot of the Riv dash.
64_12_sb.JPG
 
Waggoner5 said:
I use Classic Auto Air here in Ft Worth. They are all electric with servo operated doors and heater valve. They do not make a kit for the 40s but have a super small streetrod kit that fits nicely up inside the dash. I have shortened the glovebox on my 45 project to allow the ac/heat system to be mounted completely out of sight and I will use the larger billet round vents. 2 in the middle and 1 on each side. I have this same unit in my 65 Riviera and it works REALLY well. It easily heats and cools the Riv way better than any Lancruiser unit I have seen. They also use a nice 3 knob setup that can be mounted flush in the dash or in my case I removed the switches and mounted them in the dash by themselves. Here is a shot of the Riv dash.

Is, "Classic Auto air" a manufacture of these units or dealer? Do you have a website link? Also a part# and/or pic of this, "super small street rod kit".

I am extremely interested in this, if it's relatively easy. :) Sounds like it is!

Thanks for the info, Matt
 
Is this the company? If yes, Street rod cooler II electric operated kit on this link?

http://www.classicautoair.com/street-universal.asp


Looks nice, 7 1/8" wide and 9 1/2" high. Going to have to do some measuring to see if I can wedge that up underneath the dash?

I'm assuming this is what TLC is using? Louvers look the same?

Matt
 
Gary, Keep the ideas comin!
 
purchased my vacuum pump for ac work from them and some other flush stuff.. Quick shipping yadda..
I think you could build a generic kit much better than the vintage ac bolt in stuff myself.
I'd be willing to give up my glove box for A/c! And you could easily make a mount to fit it where the stock heater in an FJ40 goes right?
The other option I'm looking at but maybe not cause parts are gonna be expensive is an A/C unit out of a minitruck. they have blower etc all in one small unit that's about the size of the stock FJ40 heater. i'm guessing you'd get better performance out of the hot rod stuff tho.. Ever seen a cold mintruck driver in the summer? Me neither!
 
Matt,
I've got vintage air in my LV. Installed on the passenger side just above where your feet sit. Not the most aesthestically pleasing, but it works, and doesn't really interfere with passenger comfort (if there is such a thing). Glove box still works but had to make a smaller internal box. I've got the cheap plastic vents mounted on the bottom edge of the dash but would like to convert over to those round chrome ones and install on the dash. I also want to add a small dash light like TLC did on their icon cruiser. At night I can't see the controls well. Not to mention the controls were placed in existing dash holes for now. Heater on mine works great. It was about 20 F on Saturday and it was a little too warm inside and I have zero insulation right now. In the summer I drove from Idaho to Missouri in temps from mid 90's to 100 F and I wouldn't say it was cold, but it was better than driving with the windows down. Did I mention its a ragtop, so you know its gonna be tough to keep warm or cold.
 
buckroseau said:
I guess with any project I start to look at the time required and the benifit?

:rolleyes:

Matt

Really?
 
cruiserbrett said:
Get your other parts from www.acsource.com, their condensors are MUCH better than the vintage Air ones and cheaper to boot.

www.parrautomotive.com has the cheapest prices on Sanden 508 compressors I have found, I think depending on the pulley, they are around $189-199

I think I'm 97% positive that vintage air is out, just for the fact you guys are talking me into something that is more astheticlly pleasing. :)

I actually don't need the compressor, I've got the R4 compressor already, it came with all the acc. and brackets off the 94 suburban when we took those off that. When I called classic auto air last week to order a catalog I did speak with one of ther tech guys for about 20 minutes. They knock off about $200 bucks off that cooler II electric unit if I don't want the compressor. I do have to order an adaptor manifold for $32 to go from there hoses to the R4 compressor, but he said that is very common. I was going to have to do that also with the vintage air unit.

I looked at acsoures's website........they do have some cheaper stuff, but I like that classic air complete unit. The classic air unit isn't as easy to install as the vintage, but it is a complete unit and I don't have to think to hard when I install it.

I'm not saying that acsource's stuff isn't the way to go, but by no means am I an expert at this stuff and I just don't want to get in over my head. I don't mind spending a couple extra hundred bucks for a dummy like me ;p

Matt
 
For the R4 compressor, there are lots of options for fittings. Keep in mind that GM A/C systems are different than the typical setups with unusual locations for the reciever dryer, and for some reason all the ones that didnt use o-ring fittingson the back of the compressor(ie- the oneswith swaged ends at the compressor only) had the suction and discharge ports pointing opposite of where they would normally go.
 
If any of you guys get a chance......I would like to see.

Pics of your Vintage AC unit installed.

Pics of other AC units installed, mainly classicautoair's street rod cooler II. The one that has been discussed ealier.

Of course it doesn't matter if the pics are from FJ40's or 45's

Thanks, Matt
 
As I was explaining to Matt earlier. I am using Classic for several reasons, but basically, 1 they are built in my home town, so tech help is local, 2 all electronic, no vacuum, no wire cables for blend functions and 3 the size. They are small, but use seperate cores for heater and evaporators. I was going to put the unit in behind the glovebox and there is no real reason why I didn't but my putting the 45 body on the 80 chassis gave me huge amount of room in the engine bay. Because of this, I decided to cut out the firewall relief for engine clearance, and make a piece of sheet metal that was flat giving me a large amount of under dash space. This allowed me to mount the evaporator in the center of the dash for ease of plumbing and giving me space to mount the 80 ECU over by the glovebox.

The small unit like mine will fit behind the glovebox but the glovebox itself has to be pretty much sacrificed. In order to get it up out of the way, everything about the install will be a PITA. The hose routing for heat and AC as well as the plumbing for heat and AC. It can be done but it is not a simple install. If you wanted to lower the unit 3-4 inches, at which point about 6" will be seen from under the dash, the install would be much easier with more normal hose routing. Personally, I don't want to see anything but 2-3" is unavoidable. Here are some pics of the unit in the middle and off to the side as well as some cool vents available and the all electronic controls that come with the unit.
Picture 055.jpg
Picture 056.jpg
Picture 057.jpg
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom