About Us

Tpower66 · 10-27-2005, 12:41 PM

If anyone has used "The Perfit Fit" Classic Auto Air system, please let me know what you think about it.

mwritter · 10-27-2005, 02:16 PM

I'm debating between Classic Auto Air and Vintage Air as well...neither one looks "stock" enough to me inside, don't really care about under the hood as much.

Tripower455 · 10-27-2005, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwritter

I'm debating between Classic Auto Air and Vintage Air as well...neither one looks "stock" enough to me inside, don't really care about under the hood as much.

I have a Vintage Air Supercooler II in my '66, and if I had an AC dash bezel (so I could get the center vent up in the dash), it would look pretty close to stock (well, other than the gauges!)

HenryGriffith · 10-27-2005, 10:20 PM

Well, I successfully sent my first batch of photos as an attachment to another post. Hope I can go 2 for 2. One photo shows reproductions of the 65 side dash bezels and balls I installed in my non-AC 65 GTO. Another is where I bought a used 65 AC dash control panel with the additional air vent and modified it for the Vintage air control unit. The standard non-AC dash already has the larger AC control panel outline scribed on the dash The red switch to the side is a 4-way flasher switch I riged up and installed in the general area of the factory fan switch. So with a little work, you can keep the factory look, especially with the side dash vents and center dash air outlet. I have a bunch of progress photos if you have any specific needs.

Tripower455 · 10-28-2005, 01:58 PM

Nice install! FWIW, I used the same control panel on mine, just hid it behind the veneer.

mwritter · 10-28-2005, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tripower455

Nice install! FWIW, I used the same control panel on mine, just hid it behind the veneer.

Great inspiration! I already have the factory side vents, ready to cut the dash to accomodate. If I hadn't just spend major $ to have my non-AC dash restored, I'd go that route too. I think I may just use the side vents and a hidden vent in the center blowing down towards the console.

Tripower455, which Vintage Air control panel did you order? I'd like to get the same one. Also, where did you get/make the veneer piece to cover it?

Did you order directly from Vintage Air, or from a distributor?

Tripower455 · 10-28-2005, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwritter

Great inspiration! I already have the factory side vents, ready to cut the dash to accomodate. If I hadn't just spend major $ to have my non-AC dash restored, I'd go that route too. I think I may just use the side vents and a hidden vent in the center blowing down towards the console.

Tripower455, which Vintage Air control panel did you order? I'd like to get the same one. Also, where did you get/make the veneer piece to cover it?

Did you order directly from Vintage Air, or from a distributor?

I ordered the panel direct from VA. It is the 49110-SHQ. I had to take a few thousandths off the top and bottom to fit in the stock opening, but it was no big deal with dremel and file.

I did my entire dash veneer with self stick walnut from a place called Van Dykes Restorers. A piece large enough to do more than 2 whole dashes was about $40 shipped, IIRC. I just made an aluminum backing plate to fit my Autometer gauges, stuck the veneer on, cut the holes, and then sealed it with matte polyurethane. I did the AC controls the same way. Very easy to work with, and I think it looks pretty good!

Robert Imhof · 10-28-2005, 10:52 PM

HenryGriffith, what are the dimensions on that Vintage Air control panel? I am wondering if it would fit into the dash area of a 72 LeMans.

Robert Imhof · 10-28-2005, 11:27 PM

Speaking of control panels, is it possible to get this system and use the factory control panel and make it go through the factory vents on a non A/C car?

Do I need to buy a new dash harness if I install a Vintage Air A/C system?

robscar · 10-29-2005, 09:57 AM

i spoke to a gentleman at classic auto air yesterday about a system for my 67 gto. they have a bolt in kit for non original a/c cars that uses the factory control panel. since mine was an original a/c car he is sending me the 25 page instruction manual that he says uses actual pictures and not drawings to see how i may be able to adapt it to my a/c control panel. he is also sending me the info for the underhood part to replace the a/c suitcase to see if it will work on a gto/lemans. their part is listed for a chevelle but may work on pontiacs. once i get the info i'll let you know what my one working brain cell thinks.
i will say the gentleman i spoke with took his time with me and answered any and all stupid questions that i had.

HenryGriffith · 10-29-2005, 03:24 PM

Robert,
I'll attempt to attach a scan of the Vintage Air template sheet included in the instructions. The outside dimensions of the control panel are 4-9/32" wide by 2-1/8" high. the edges are rounded a bit. I had to trim about 1/16" off the top and bottom edges to fit the 2" available for the 65 factory AC panel. It was easy usiing a plain old file.
I tried to adapt the 65 AC controls to the Vintage system and gave up. The 65 system uses a bunch of vacuum lines where the VA system uses electric switches. Making the vents go through the factory non-ac outlets will give you only Defrost and Floor outlets. Using the repro side bezels I was able to adapt the 2 1/2" diameter VintageAir vent tubing to the repro side bezels using modified 3" no-hub plumbing pipe connectors. I have photos if you are interested. Adapting the center factory AC center dash outlet to the 2 1/2" diameter vents (two) I made a sheet metal plenum to attach to the back of the factory outlet. I have photos of it as well.
Hope this helps.

Robert Imhof · 10-29-2005, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenryGriffith

Robert,
I'll attempt to attach a scan of the Vintage Air template sheet included in the instructions. The outside dimensions of the control panel are 4-9/32" wide by 2-1/8" high. the edges are rounded a bit. I had to trim about 1/16" off the top and bottom edges to fit the 2" available for the 65 factory AC panel. It was easy usiing a plain old file.
I tried to adapt the 65 AC controls to the Vintage system and gave up. The 65 system uses a bunch of vacuum lines where the VA system uses electric switches. Making the vents go through the factory non-ac outlets will give you only Defrost and Floor outlets. Using the repro side bezels I was able to adapt the 2 1/2" diameter VintageAir vent tubing to the repro side bezels using modified 3" no-hub plumbing pipe connectors. I have photos if you are interested. Adapting the center factory AC center dash outlet to the 2 1/2" diameter vents (two) I made a sheet metal plenum to attach to the back of the factory outlet. I have photos of it as well.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response, I just checked my 72 and the opening would fit the indash controls from the Vintage Air system. It is almost exactly the right height and it is short enough length wise to fit. An aluminum or stainless plate would need to be fabricated but it looks like no big deal.

Tripower455 · 10-29-2005, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Imhof

Thanks for the response, I just checked my 72 and the opening would fit the indash controls from the Vintage Air system. It is almost exactly the right height and it is short enough length wise to fit. An aluminum or stainless plate would need to be fabricated but it looks like no big deal.

FWIW, VA makes the same panel with vertical lever for the later cars too. IIRC, the dimensions are the same, but the letters are oriented correctly for the vertical mounting.

Robert Imhof · 10-29-2005, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tripower455

FWIW, VA makes the same panel with vertical lever for the later cars too. IIRC, the dimensions are the same, but the letters are oriented correctly for the vertical mounting.

The levers for the 69-72 mount horizontally. The opening is 2.60 x 7.25

HenryGriffith · 10-30-2005, 01:05 PM

Well, I'm glad my template attachment didn't work. I was wrong on the Vintage Air control panel dimensions. The template showed the Inside dimensions to cut for the dash. The Outside dimensions of the control panel are 4 5/8" wide by 2 1/4" high. I had to cut the 2 1/4" dimension down to fit the factory 65 AC panel. Vintage Air also has this panel in a vertical model, if needed, with the same dimensions.

HenryGriffith · 10-30-2005, 01:27 PM

Robert,
I forgot to answer your question regarding need for a dash wiring harness. You don't. All of the Vintage Air wiring is included with the unit. You get a long red wire with an integrated circuit breaker that you need to connect to the main 12+ wiring block. There also is a smaller wire that needs to be connected to an Accessories fuse at the fuse box. They also include a long blue wire to go from their control panel to the AC compressor/safety switch. I din't use this one, I connected the old heater fan wire at the dash to the VA control panel where their blue wire would connect and extended the factory black wire in the engine compartment that went to the fan and used it for the compressor on/off wiring.

mwritter · 11-02-2005, 08:49 PM

Here's a quick question: how does the Vintage AC tie into the current non-AC fanbelt setup? Do I need to go find two-groove pullies, or does Vintage Air provide some other solution?

Tripower455 · 11-03-2005, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwritter

Here's a quick question: how does the Vintage AC tie into the current non-AC fanbelt setup? Do I need to go find two-groove pullies, or does Vintage Air provide some other solution?

I am still struggling with this issue! I tried every stock type pulley that I could find, and could not make the AC pulley (which is a seperate pulley from the non AC 2 groove) fit on an aftermarket SFI balancer. I tried 2 different balancers and a bunch of different pulleys, and no go. I ended up with a March 3 groove, which fits the crank fine, but is 6 1/8" (instead of 7.5-8"), so my water pump and fan are spinning too slow at idle, causing my temps to creep up into the unacceptable range. It's ironic that the only pulley I could get to work for my AC doesn't allow me to USE the AC at idle!

I am back at square one, pulley wise, as the temp issue with the March is unacceptable.

Nice pulleys though!

mwritter · 11-03-2005, 11:16 AM

Tripower455, do you think I'd be okay with a factory AC pulley and factory balancer? I mean, it sounds like the balancer is your issue, and not the pullies, correct?

Tripower455 · 11-03-2005, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwritter

Tripower455, do you think I'd be okay with a factory AC pulley and factory balancer? I mean, it sounds like the balancer is your issue, and not the pullies, correct?

Yeah, a factory balancer would be fine. I wanted to use an SFI balancer, which are supposed to work with stock pulleys, but I have several complete sets of AC pulleys, of various vintage and application, and NONE of the AC pulleys would fit my Pioneer or the other balancer I put on.

Menu

About Us