Air conditioning
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Air conditioning
My 74 originally had air conditioner. Most of the parts had been removed prior to my purchase. The condenser and the hoses are about all they left on the car. Everything else is gone.
Am I better off getting the Vintage Air package or buying all of the various parts?
Also how do factory controls work? Mine seem hard to move when mounted in place, yet if I take them out of the console, they turn freely. Do the factory controls require any kind of vacuum hoses to operate?
I converted to electric headlight motors and removed all of the vacuum hoses from inside, so if they are needed then I guess I should go vintage air route.
Am I better off getting the Vintage Air package or buying all of the various parts?
Also how do factory controls work? Mine seem hard to move when mounted in place, yet if I take them out of the console, they turn freely. Do the factory controls require any kind of vacuum hoses to operate?
I converted to electric headlight motors and removed all of the vacuum hoses from inside, so if they are needed then I guess I should go vintage air route.
#2
Le Mans Master
including evaporator? maybe a pic would help decide.. if you have all the basics there and missing compressor? much cheaper to rehab old system and use modern tweaks.. like sanden compressor and maybe orifice change?
#4
Le Mans Master
#5
It's already modified. It's a 1974. Just go Vintage Air.
My 74 originally had air conditioner. Most of the parts had been removed prior to my purchase. The condenser and the hoses are about all they left on the car. Everything else is gone.
Am I better off getting the Vintage Air package or buying all of the various parts?
Also how do factory controls work? Mine seem hard to move when mounted in place, yet if I take them out of the console, they turn freely. Do the factory controls require any kind of vacuum hoses to operate?
I converted to electric headlight motors and removed all of the vacuum hoses from inside, so if they are needed then I guess I should go vintage air route.
Am I better off getting the Vintage Air package or buying all of the various parts?
Also how do factory controls work? Mine seem hard to move when mounted in place, yet if I take them out of the console, they turn freely. Do the factory controls require any kind of vacuum hoses to operate?
I converted to electric headlight motors and removed all of the vacuum hoses from inside, so if they are needed then I guess I should go vintage air route.
#6
Race Director
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 10,722
Received 516 Likes
on
314 Posts
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
Oldtimer
The job will be imensly easyier if thwe evaporater is still useable, most all or the rest is optainable, you might have to visit some oldtime yearking years. I'm a kind of orginalalty nut, ( NCRS ) and that was once of the things I had to work on in getting a second flight award for my 79. but once back in and oberating it never had a issue. Good luck !
The following users liked this post:
interpon (02-26-2024)
#8
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Nov 2006
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Posts: 8,497
Received 4,495 Likes
on
2,716 Posts
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Likely everything is still in your dash. If so and the evaporater is still usable and your controls and actuators function. It would be far cheaper to just do a VIR Eliminator set-up.
I ran a how to thread on here titled 73-E77 Air-Con upgrade. If you google search it by thread title it should come right up. Would be far less expensive than vintage air. And a lot less work.
And yes you need vacuum to operate the heater air-con system in your car.
I ran a how to thread on here titled 73-E77 Air-Con upgrade. If you google search it by thread title it should come right up. Would be far less expensive than vintage air. And a lot less work.
And yes you need vacuum to operate the heater air-con system in your car.
#9
This? https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-upgrade.html
I was curious so I went and looked for it.
I was curious so I went and looked for it.
Likely everything is still in your dash. If so and the evaporater is still usable and your controls and actuators function. It would be far cheaper to just do a VIR Eliminator set-up.
I ran a how to thread on here titled 73-E77 Air-Con upgrade. If you google search it by thread title it should come right up. Would be far less expensive than vintage air. And a lot less work.
And yes you need vacuum to operate the heater air-con system in your car.
I ran a how to thread on here titled 73-E77 Air-Con upgrade. If you google search it by thread title it should come right up. Would be far less expensive than vintage air. And a lot less work.
And yes you need vacuum to operate the heater air-con system in your car.
#10
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Nov 2006
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Posts: 8,497
Received 4,495 Likes
on
2,716 Posts
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Yes, that. Someone knows how to post a link.
I've managed once or twice, but it's a real journey for me.
A car I can fix. A cylinder I can hone, but this computer stuff.....
Hopefully it will help. Thanks for posting the link.
I have extremely good air-con. Still working great.
And at least half the cost and effort of the vintage air system.
I've managed once or twice, but it's a real journey for me.
A car I can fix. A cylinder I can hone, but this computer stuff.....
Hopefully it will help. Thanks for posting the link.
I have extremely good air-con. Still working great.
And at least half the cost and effort of the vintage air system.
#11
Burning Brakes
I agree with 4-vettes on trying to get the factory system working. Once you get it going it works great. Six or seven years on mine so far since I resealed the compressor, new expansion valve and dryer.
If you look at vintage you might want to check about being able to use your factory radio. My friend had vintage put in his 69 427 and could not use the oem radio, had to get an aftermarket one.
VS
If you look at vintage you might want to check about being able to use your factory radio. My friend had vintage put in his 69 427 and could not use the oem radio, had to get an aftermarket one.
VS
The following users liked this post:
interpon (02-27-2024)
#12
Before you do anything, get a fiber optic camera or similar and get a look inside the evap enclosure. C3’s had limited protection from debris ingestion into the HVAC system and over the years, many cars get severely gummed up with leaves, dirt, nuts, cottonwood, you name it. It ends up blocking airflow thru the system and no amount of upgrading will fix it. Only thing to do is pull the enclosure apart, take out the evap and heater cores and clean everything out. At that point, you are more than halfway to a Vintage Air kit install, which is a pretty good improvement over the OEM system.
#13
The following users liked this post:
Richard Daugird (02-29-2024)
#14
Melting Slicks
One more vote for Vintage, even though I have the stock setup in my '79 and it works fine. Several problems though. Here in Canada we can no longer get R-12. If you are going to R-134 you should replace the whole system for best efficiency. Also I have had trouble getting parts for my system the last couple of times I worked on it. IIRC the last problem I had was with getting a fan clutch. I Couldn't buy one and ended up cobbling one together from parts from a couple of old compressors. Next time I have to open the system I think I'm going to upgrade the system. Probably Vintage, but we'll see when the time comes.
The following 2 users liked this post by drwet:
carriljc (03-02-2024),
Richard Daugird (02-29-2024)
#15
That's what I would do with a 73-77E C3 that had factory air conditioning. Eliminating the VIR is key on those cars. Everything else was fine with those A/C systems.