Vintage Air in 69 GTO
 

Have been driving this crusty old gold 69 GTO for the last year as my regular driver. My father's regular driver is a 40 Hudson street rod with a chopped top. Which he has driven for the last 9 years, 103,500 miles. Literally drives it year round winter, summer. Anyway he's been encouraging me to install one for several years. Well for the most part I like my 69 GTO's as made, original. However I finally gave in to the heat...

Purchased and installed a Chevelle, Gen IV kit from Vintage Air. The kit was for a 68 Chevelle w/o air, w/astro ventilation. Due to the placement of the compressor on the passenger side, the 68 kit seemed like the best choice. It arrived on Friday via UPS. Was installed and ready for evacuation and charging with 134 on Sunday night. However it was a long weekend.

Had to fabricate L brackets to mount the Chevelle specific in dash controls. The fitment of the controls in the dash is not bad. One draw back is the White Vintage Air logo on the left side of the control panel - it shows slightly when levers are centered in the dash opening. However have plans to use black Sharpie marker and lessen the logo tonight.

Photos attached of the basic install. All seemed to fit well. Did have to modify the wiring harness provided slightly due to battery location, as compared to a Chevelle. The glove box still fits, just not installing until the system is evacuated and charged on Wednesday.

Does produce a powerful flow of air. Now that it's installed, pretty excited to see how much cooling the air conditioning will produce. Car has all new weather stripping, dynamat, carpet. So it should be sealed up tightly.

I am also in the process of installing a GenIV system (in addition to a total resto-mod)in a 69 vert(originally AC car)Used the std bracket provided in the kit,but my glove box might have to be modified.How did you mount your Vintage unit,with the provided bracket?Also,on my controls,I moved them slightly left to obscure the vintage air logo.I am curious as to how you modified your defrost vents?(I had to cut mine to modify them)thanks,and please let me know how well it cools(vert,with special sound/heat resisting coating,then dual side foil insulation,then the std sound deadener package sold by the aftermarket providers)

Mounted the Gen IV on the supplied heater delete plate. Then installed the 2 studs provided - one having a 1 inch spacer to level the unit. Note this is from a 68 Chevelle kit. Sunday I checked several times, the glove box still seated in the dash, however with little clearance between it and the Gen IV.

Thought about moving the controls to the side to obscure the logo however I can't see it from the driver side. Hoping the marker will fix the logo...

Cut the bottom of the defrost vent off. At a hardware/plumbing store purchased two 2" sink drain connections. Drilled and ported them to flow through. $4 each. Then bolted it into the two channels, that lead to defrost. Works well and good air flow.

Charging on Wednesday. Car has new carpet, deadner and foam pad as well. We'll see how cool. It was sealed pretty tightly before this conversion.

Works very well! After evacuation and charge, was blowing 37 degree air at 11:00 am on the road. Drove the car to look at RAIII GTO parts last night over 160 miles at 5:00 to 8:00 in the evening. Very cool inside. Impressed with the Vintage Air unit.

Vintage needs to make kits for GTOs, as they do for Chevelles. Would make the install cleaner.

Hi, Look great...very impressed.

Mind me asking where you bought the surround box for your modern stereo unit mounted under the dash?

Thanks, Dan

Autosounds of Lincoln Ask for Shane, the owner.
4720 O Street
Lincoln, NE 68510
402 466-4400

Excellent Tech!! Thanks for sharing your experience. I know a local guy who will be wanting to do the same thing in his '69.

Thank you, does make the car more useable. Overall it's a pretty crusty gold 69, gets a lot of looks on hot days with the windows up. If I had to do it again, would consider installing an air dash for the factory vents. Had a set up I thought about putting in this car. Still might at some point, as the only issue I have with the Vintage Air set up is the under dash vents they supply. They're nice pieces, just don't like the shape and look.

Hello
I printed off the vintage air instructions, They say that you need to remove the radiator to install the condenser, is that necessary ? I will have the endura bumper off the car after I get it back from the paint shop ? Would rather not have the mess of removing the radiator.

Also does the compressor bracket in the 68 chevelle kit bolt up to my head OK ?

One more question, to cover the firewall plate that comes with the kit, and also give the stock look, could I re-install the stock blower housing back on the firewall, and run the hoses through the kit blower cap, and screw that to the housing?

Believe the radiator had to removed for condenser install.

Speak with Vintage Air when ordering, they sell a fantastic Pontiac engine mount bracket to hold the compressor. Has to be ordered separately.

Yes, in fact I have intentions to do that some day. Will make the engine compartment appear as a stock non air car, with the stock blower motor cover in place.