[AZgoatguy]

I'd really appreciate your input - 'yay' or 'nay' or 'in-between' - on adding factory A/C to my '69 non-Judge RA III GTO. I fully disassembled this non-running, but very complete car soon after I purchased it in the late 80's, to restore it. It had been sitting since 1975. At the time, I thought to add factory A/C. Back then, it was just another GTO. And, having got all the necessary pieces from a donor '69 Lemans, including the firewall, I cut, trimmed, welded, and ground all metal needed in transforming the GTO firewall for AC - did a super clean job of it. But, after that, events took place that had me pile all the parts into the car and push it to the back of the garage, and it is still sitting there today. However, now being retired, and having been acquiring parts (NOS taillight lenses, etc), restoration could be on track soon. I bring this question to the Forum because I'm thinking to send the dash and console to Just Dashes... and this leads me to the question of still going with AC, or not. I can, with a little effort, put the firewall back to non-AC, and keep the car the way it was out of the factory. After modifying the firewall I found the 'build sheet', and years later got the PHS - neither, of course, show AC on this car. My plan is to fully restore to factory new, but not to the degree of making the car a garage or show queen. It will be driven locally to cruises or pleasure. Maybe even up to Phoenix and hang with the Goat guys there. What do you think...?
About the car: RA III, 4spd, HD3.90, Hideaways, PS, PDB, spec paint Goldenrod, blk interior and vinyl roof, more. Engine/trans, alt, carb, dist, etc., everything is numbers-matching, and all RA components are there.
Tks. Gary in Tucson

[indymanjoe]

Arizona? yea i would install it. Could go with an aftermarket air system but if ya did a good job on the firewall then keep the factory look.

[marxjunk]

if 100% numbers car...do it like the PHS, is my opinion, because correct cars are very rare..especially ram air with a stick..they seem to be blown up early and loose their block..again..very rare to find a numbers car of your caliber of car..

but really, it sounds like youve almost passed the point of going back since you cut the cowl etc..so..id do it the way ya want..if youre going to do it..just try to do it correct, and document all the work ..take pics etc, so people wont question the linage of the car...as in a re-body...lots of documentation, if you make such a big change is what id do...

either way..its worth more as the PHS says it is, if value means anything.. A/C and 3.90s wow..that would be a monster to cool...

im a firm believer in doing my car my way and you should do it the way you want it..i believe that....but such a hard car to get as yours..id be on the fence too....i think id do it back as original if i could and go find a lesser car if i wanted a/c..just my opinion..

[Formulajones]

Tough call since you've already installed the firewall.

Me personally I'm not necessarily attached to AC, and I live in Arizona too. Matter of fact I did the opposite and removed it from one of my classics, lol.

I assume if you're planning to cruise the car to Phoenix from Tucson you're thinking about changing the 3.90's?? Or TKO???

What color is the car and interior? That plays a roll for me/us. I find I don't really want or need AC in a car with light color interior and top. My wife daily drives her 69Z (AC not available on these) with white guts and it's much more pleasurable in the summer than another one of mine with black guts.
It's the same reason my father bought his 69 GTO brand new with a white top - white interior and no AC.

A lot of factors play into the decision for me so I tend to sway one way or the other. Oddly I just removed Vintage Air A/C for a customer in Phoenix from a 55 T-bird that he didn't want anymore, and the car was triple black....eeeek!

For me, a real RA goat, considering the nature of the term muscle car and what this car represents, I'd rather see it without AC. But I completely understand adding it if you plan a lot of cruising, especially if the car is black.

[R68GTO]

Original would be my opinion on this one. Special paint (and a killer combo IMO) ram air, 4 speed, 3.90's, & matching numbers.....just has too much going for it.

[OCMDGTO]

Your car & $$$$, do what you want. I'm another guy that took all the original AC stuff off but I don't live in Az.

[GOAT WHORE]

My opinion is No ac, can't stand the look of it under the hood. Killer combo by the way! Golden rod with black top and RAIII, wow!

[android 211]

If you live in Arizona you have to have a/c or you'll be relegating the car to nighttime and wintertime use only. I'd imagine you have a M21 with those 3.90 rear gears. Since you already cut the firewall and cowl you might as well go ahead. its your car so do what you want with it. But you should get a M20 and some 3.23 rear gears. 3.90 is too short to go tooling up the interstate with the a/c running. Any idea if its an early car with the 744 cam or the commoner 068?

[Sidponcho]

Very tough decision. Your car is unique.
I'd put the firewall back to non-AC.
Then I'd look for an add-on AC system that uses a modern compressor (ie vintage air).

[marxjunk]

is this the car with the pink build sheet???

[PurelyGTO68]

If you want A/C then finish the car the way you want it. If I am not mistaken, isn't the RAIII the only RA engine that was available with A/C anyway? Drive it and enjoy it. No one is going to not want to check it out at the car shows because the PHS doesn't show the A/C.

Just my $0.02...

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by android 211

If you live in Arizona you have to have a/c or you'll be relegating the car to nighttime and wintertime use only.

I was the opposite. Lived in Ohio, with humidity, and wanted AC then. Moved to Arizona and just love the dry heat and find I don't really use AC that much, so I ended up removing it from one of my muscle cars.

With you living in Florida I can see the attraction to AC. Humidity there is even worse than Ohio, been there many times. Thought I was going to die without AC in Florida, lol.

[1oldgoat]

I firmly believe that it's your car, do whatever you want with it. Air conditioning in AZ seems like a good idea. However, if resale is any part of the equation, go back as the build sheet says. If it were mine, I would not add air but it's not mine. It will be beautiful when you are done with it either way. Good luck! Love to see pictures as you restore it.

[Verdoro 68]

Personal opinion: I always view A/C as a negative. It's heavy and gets in the way under the hood. I wish my car didn't have it. I wouldn't add it - especially to a RA, 4 speed, 3.90 car. That's a cool combo!

[marxjunk]

this is the pink build sheet car...150% needs to be built as the build sheet says...i recognized the description and searched..you posted pics of your build sheet and it is the pink build sheet GR car..

its a brass hat or celebrity car
its 100% numbers matching
its a ram air GTO without the judge option
its a high performance built/ordered car
its a special order paint car (special or extra cost option??)
when they say one of one..this car legitimately has a shot at that title

man...i believe everyone should do their own thing..but wow..a very special car that could be classified as even more special..consider doing it correct..

[goatless]

It's your car- do what you want… but I think it'd be a mistake. A rare desirable combo will always be worth more done correct.

Even if didn't affect the value, I'd still leave it off- I hate working around the A/C! I've removed it from several of my cars.

[AZgoatguy]

"Thank you," to each of you for taking the time to give me your view on this 'dilemma' of mine - 'to AC, or not to AC... that is the question' (ha). But seriously, please know that I read thoroughly each post and considered carefully what you had to say on this. With a majority favoring 'NO' AC, and making good points supporting that view, I see clearly now that the answer is "not this car." And, truth is, this has confirmed what has been in my gut for some time now. But beyond the car itself, I too like the clean, uncomplicated look of an engine compartment without AC. As Verdoro 68 said, "It's heavy and gets in the way...". For sure! However, it would be nice to have in the Arizona summers... but with limited cruising, it will be okay. I drove my non-AC '64 Goat full-time for near 20 years here, and survived. As for returning the firewall to non-AC, I've got a donor non-AC firewall to carve out the patch pieces from. This is how it did it years back to go AC - kept the original firewall and used patch pieces, weld, grind, hammer/dolly, and it came out near perfect, wouldn't know unless you removed the paint. I bet I still have the skills, so will do it one last time.
Mark.., yep, as you researched back in the Forum, this is the 'pink' build sheet car. Planning to get started on this car in the later fall, hopefully.
And android 211..., not sure about the cam being 068 or 744. The Invoice shows the car being shipped 03/27/69 (Arlington), so I'm thinking it could be the 744. With 35K on the odometer, the cam looks perfect.
I will maybe have another question for this car, and that is what to do with drivability and compression ratio - additives or dished pistons. Would really like to keep the CR as was the RA III. But I'll search the Forum first to find if this topic has been discussed already.
Thanks guys!
Gary in Tucson

[gtospieg]

I'm glad that's settled...no AC on this one!