cutting holes for factory AC vents

[WIDESIDE72]

I used a milwaukee 1/2" drill with a handle that screws into the side co five better control. It didnt walk around because the drill bit keeps it centered. Drill the pilot hole first without the saw on the mandrel to avoid it grabbing when you drill through. I considered using my greenlee knockout set but the mandrel wasnt deep enough. I have a lot of cool tools that serve double duty being an electrician!
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[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by Toxic Orange

Fantastic! When I cut mine (painted already mind you) I almost had a heart attack when I thought I cut them too big. It's a wirerd shaped hole that will fool you visually. Great job!
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LOL!!! Thanks....
I would have been scared too using a sawzall. The HF tool for $18 did the job...
I took my time and did the final fir with a die grinder and hand files.

Originally Posted by da-burb

by the way, is the RH side a mirror image of the LH? If it is I will leave my pdf alone. If you had to adjust it some I will do a tracing of the RH side and scan it to pdf so it will be correct.

Yes, it worked fine....BTW....that Lemans looks cool...
I love it! Down the road I'd like to find a 64 Lemans vert and drop an LSx with 6 speed. Clean up the body with all trim shaved off. Lower it and ride on ride tech suspension.
Lastly, what's that funny white stuff all over the ground? Do you drive your vert around in that?

Originally Posted by mrein3

I'm kinda late to this party. FWIW, I used a hole saw to cut those side vents. You need to figure out where the center is, make a pilot hole, then cut with the hole saw plunging it straight at the dash. I could tell you the size of the hole saw I used but I'm in Paris and the saw is in my shop in Minnesota.
I used a 1/2" drill and took my time as there is a lot of torque cutting that hole with the contour of the metal.
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I'm sure it was like a 3 1/2" saw. That had to be tough. Have fun in Paris. I'll be there in September visiting the Louvre. Watching a video series by The Great Courses to familiarize myself. So much to see....impossible to do in one trip...

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by rcrahn

...snip...


I'm sure it was like a 3 1/2" saw. That had to be tough. Have fun in Paris. I'll be there in September visiting the Louvre. Watching a video series by The Great Courses to familiarize myself. So much to see....impossible to do in one trip...

I'm pretty sure it is a 3-1/2 incher. I'm headed home tomorrow. If I'm not comatose when I get home I'll check the size.

I did the Louvre and Orsay today. No way could you see it all in a week. Look in to a Paris Museum Pass. I got a two day job for around 40 Euros. Also look into getting a navigo pass for the metro and RER. You don't want to drive here and the rails are pretty reliable.

Its looking like I'll be back in September too. I'm not a big city guy and this is a big city.

One or two more of us here in September and we'll have to plan a truck meet.

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by mrein3

I did the Louvre and Orsay today. No way could you see it all in a week. Look in to a Paris Museum Pass. I got a two day job for around 40 Euros. Also look into getting a navigo pass for the metro and RER. You don't want to drive here and the rails are pretty reliable.

Its looking like I'll be back in September too. I'm not a big city guy and this is a big city.

One or two more of us here in September and we'll have to plan a truck meet.

OMG...Louvre and Orsay in 1 day...Did you sprint through? LOL...
Yeah, we are gonna ride there from London on the Chunnel and spend 1-2 days just at the Louvre...My wife paints watercolors and chinese brush paintings, so she'll be in heaven...

Can you imagine our trucks in Paris? That would be a gas...

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by da-burb

The Vintage Air diagram is for their smaller vents, not original AC vents. If you send me your email address I will trace it, scan it, and email you a copy.

If you still have it saved would you wanna email a copy to me? I need to do the same thing here shortly.

[TazmanB]

Originally Posted by da-burb

by the way, is the RH side a mirror image of the LH? If it is I will leave my pdf alone. If you had to adjust it some I will do a tracing of the RH side and scan it to pdf so it will be correct.

If you still have the pdf template I would like to have it also since I will be adding air to my cab in about a month.

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by BigRed76

If you still have it saved would you wanna email a copy to me? I need to do the same thing here shortly.

Originally Posted by TazmanB

If you still have the pdf template I would like to have it also since I will be adding air to my cab in about a month.

Guys, PM me your email address and I'll send it....

[da-burb]

You can email me as well. daburb(at)gmail.com

[BigRed76]

Originally Posted by rcrahn

Guys, PM me your email address and I'll send it....

PM sent

[elf w/capital T]

yall friggen rock DA-BURB, thanks for the photos with measurements!!

[lawest]

Mark the cut out using the template with the Old Aire kit, drill around the perimeter with a 1/2" drill bit.



Use nibbling tool to remove remaining metal right up to the mark and finish smoothing with a file.

[72c105speed]

What holds the top screw on the vent?

[da-burb]

it is a sheetmetal J-clip very similar to the ones under your dash cluster.

[718jwh]

I bought a A/C dash from someone here on the forum just the two ends, then I put clear tape over the holes and around dash to ends and cluster cutout and layered fiberglass over the holes, after it cured I marked the center of the hole, put the fiberglass template on my non A/C dash marked the center hole and area hole saw would not cut got a hole saw think 3-1/2" cut the hole then just used my Dremel to cut the small amount left to look like the factory, went pretty fast.

[snipescastle2]

I have the two outer pieces of sheet metal that have the holes for the ducts I cut out of an a/c dash, if anyone wants them, I wont be needing them anymore. free, just pay the postage....
Let me know.
Ben

[69Tom]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

I have the two outer pieces of sheet metal that have the holes for the ducts I cut out of an a/c dash, if anyone wants them, I wont be needing them anymore. free, just pay the postage....
Let me know.
Ben

Ben, I'm interested. Sending PM....

[Cyborg]

Does anyone have a template they could send me? Looking to use factory vents with the vintage air kit I am installing.

[tinkerdad]

I should, I'll check when I get home.

[Cyborg]

That would be great! Hoping to wrap up my install by the end of the week and know I would regret cutting holes for the vintage air vents.

[tinkerdad]

I have some that I cut out of an A/C truck, not so sure when I can get them in the mail

[Cyborg]

Pm'd you, I can hang the vent hoses under the dash until you have time.

[Willie Makeit]

Anyone have a copy of the template that was floating around in this thread? Thanks!

[Jason Banks]

I recently did this and used a template like in post 38 above. It wasn't that one exactly but very similar, where it had the shape and some reference dimensions, so I could adjust the size it printed.

I cut out the opening and taped it to the dash. Then I traced the opening with a pencil on the dash.

I used a cutting wheel and cut out a chunk of metal and then used a nibbler to cut out much of the rest and then fine tuned the shape of the hole with an air file(the belt sander kind). The air file was amazing to get the final shape. It would be hard to tell the holes were not factory cut.

[randy500]

I have dash cutouts left right and center, free to borrow.
I also have cab light cutouts for the light and switch.
$75 deposit, you pay shipping both ways, fits in small flat rate box.
Send me a private message for my phone number, then text me your name and forum name, keep me updated, i don't want to loose them.

[tmino1983]

Does anyone still have the template they could send me for the stock openings? Just ordered the vintage air kit but going with stock vents.