[gennaro]

Hello everybody , just picked up a 81 TA fully loaded WS6 T roof car. Originally a 301 turbo car but now a 350 chevy . It is an ac car but basically everything from the evaporator to the condenser was removed all the lines and compressor. I would like to get the ac going but im not sure which route to take . Get the chevy compressor and lines ,brackets etc or Pontiac. This car has headers which im sure will cause me headaches. any advice would be appreciated . thx in advance

[Skip Fix]

The box for the heater/evap core for the Pontiac should work for the SBC. Dryer on the exap core use the Pontiac also. Not sure which side your SBC alternator is on mine was on the passenger side so I assume the AC on the drivers side. Need SBC brackets for whatever compressor you use big A6 , rotary GM or aftermarket Sanden. So you'd need different lines.

My 81 had the rotary compressor and turbo cars had the dryer up adjacent to the radiator vs on the box on the firewall.

[Tim68bird]

Since there's a SBC in it now, keeping it all original is obviously not going to be a problem. For the unit at the firewall, all 1977-81 will evaporator units will fit your car, though there are some slight differences between 77-79 and 80-81. What I'd recommend is getting a good used unit and then calling the guys at Original Air for a kit that'll give you the rest of the parts under the hood. You'd have to ask them about the headers though, if that's a problem. I guess it would depend upon which type you have.

[76TA462]

Not sure if this will help, and assuming non-original is okay, and depending on the budget, you could consider Vintage Air. Instead of a full kit they also sell “a la carte” as they put it. I have a 76 TA with modified original 455, and had removed the complete AC system decades ago. Partly because the AC didn’t work, and partly to clean up the crowded engine compartment. I am using the AC Delete unit for a flat firewall and saved a huge amount of space. Speaking with Vintage Air the other day, their system does not need the older vacuum lines and instead uses Fly-By-Wire fully electronic servo motor controls, is under dash, keeps the firewall flat and compartment clean. Because I am running March pulleys and serpentine, I cannot use the complete VA Firebird kit, but can easily piecemeal it to get the March pulley kit and use the same compressor etc. of the VA kit. I imagine you might be able to use Vintage Air Chevy brackets and misc. and marry to the rest of the Firebird Vintage Air system. For me all the parts are not cheap and would cost just shy of 2 grand (ouch), but that includes the March serpentine bracket kit, chrome compressor and polished compressor cap that are several hundred alone. There wold be savings for you there. The install, that is a different topic. It looks like a ton of tedious work (don’t know, just an impression). Just a thought. PS I run headers and they are not an issue. The Vintage Air folks seem very knowledgeable and are very helpful.