Vintage Air Questions

[reb162]

In the process of cab repair/welding and I"m shaving the cowl add want to prep for the A/C properly. Pretty sure I want to go with Vintage Air but have the following questions I"m hoping folks can help me with.

Truck is 1972 non A/C cab but I"m replacing the dash with an A/C dash (vent holes already cut) since the radio hole was cut. I"m also using a crate Vortec engine and have an early 90"s truck serpentine system.

1. Which vintage air kit..originally A/C or originally non A/C? Unclear to me if I buy the originally non A/C kit if the supplied vents will fit in the factory dash holes (i.e. are the holes they would have you drill different than factory holes)? If I buy the A/C kit, I do not have any of the vents since the truck was originally non/AC.

2. Looks like their Gen 5 system has gone all digital and their supplied A/C control head in dash has obnoxious "vintage air" printed on it..is there a way of taking that off? The Gen IV units I think let you use the OEM controls but were harder because you had to calibrate them whereas their gen V units are all digital.

3. Since I'm shaving the cowl, I"d like to drill the holes for the hoses now while doing the cab work. Is there template online on how to locate these holes or is the only way to purchase the kit first and use their blanking plate as the template?

4. Lastly, since I have the early 90's GM Truck serpentine setup which uses the long water pump, will vintage air compressor work? Is there an adapter for serpentine? Alternatively, can I just use the early 90s pancake compressor meant for the serpentine rather than vintage air"s?

Thanks for the help!
-Bob

[IIGW]

Originally Posted by reb162

In the process of cab repair/welding and I"m shaving the cowl add want to prep for the A/C properly. Pretty sure I want to go with Vintage Air but have the following questions I"m hoping folks can help me with.

Bob, the guys at VA will answer everyone of your questions with ease.
Great people, contact them.

Contact Us
Vintage Air, Inc.
18865 Goll St
San Antonio, TX 78266
Toll Free: 1-800-862-6658
Telephone: 1-210-654-7171
FAX: 1-210-654-3113
Sales inquiries: sales@vintageair.com

Technical support: tech@vintageair.com

[Jason Banks]

1. I don't think you get factory style vents with the non AC kit.

2. Even if you do the conversion like on the Gen IV it says Vintage Air on the replacement plexiglass you get with it. If you want to get real fancy get the Dakota Digital DCC 4000

3. Here's my drawing of the holes, but it doesn't help you get it positioned right on the firewall. Maybe I can add to it, I still have the vintage air firewall plate...



4. I believe you can, seems like calling might be your best bet.

Check out this thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboardsh...d.php?t=674058

I find it interesting how many of the vendors sell the kit and you can choose all the options. I guess they are making it easy. But, there is much more customization that can be done.

I just ordered another kit and I ordered 1. The condenser kit 2. the evap kit 3. Compressor 4. Separate engine brackets. 5. Separate line kit since the pre-done vintage air look like spaghetti.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by reb162

Looks like their Gen 5 system has gone all digital and their supplied A/C control head in dash has obnoxious "vintage air" printed on it..is there a way of taking that off? The Gen IV units I think let you use the OEM controls but were harder because you had to calibrate them whereas their gen V units are all digital.

Unless something has changed in the past year, you can a use a factory A/C control panel along with a variable resistor (rheostat) attached to each lever behind the panel. Personally, I'd go with their V/A-labeled panel for simplicity. You can find instructions for the kit on their web site.

[cj847]

I agree with others, you should call VA. But, my answers would be:

1 & 4) Don't buy a full kit. Buy the evaporator kit for a 72. Buy a condenser as well. Use your pancake compressor. Get your local A/C shop to make your hoses. Confirm with VA what you are doing. They may even be able to put together a kit for you.

2) I like the electronic controls.

3) I would not drill holes in the firewall til I had their template. It's hard enough to get the four pipes to line up with 4 holes and look centered.

[Lee H]

Agree with everyone else. Call VA. I did VA about 12 years ago, used 90s truck serpentine system with pancake compressor and the original controller conversion. Ordered the kit without the compressor and got a new one from the dealer. I like everything expect the controller, has never worked well even after recalibration several times.

[MikeB]

You might want to ask Old Air the same questions. One of their guys spent 20 minutes on the phone with me answering questions and offering money-saving advice on upgrading my truck's 25-year old V/A system. For example, he suggested I use my existing compressor and brackets as well as my existing dash vents. That's a few hundred dollars less than a complete kit.

Also, a friend of mine recently bought "mix and match" components from them for his 73 Plymouth Cuda. While they didn't have a specific kit for his non-A/C car, he got everything he needed from them, including custom made hoses.

But I also have to say Vintage Air has been very responsive helping me solve a couple problems over the years.

[reb162]

Thanks all for the advice...looks like I have some calls to make this week. Sorry for slow reply..I've been up to my eyeballs in cab repair with cutting and welding.