cajos

Could you figure out what seller and the approx. shipping?

Jud Chapin

Very nice job!

avner

The seller was myclassicshop.
I didn't understand the end of your question???
The shipping in US was free and to ship it to Israel cost me about $300.

rcread

I need to do this project. We drive from Kenmore WA to Napa CA every year for a week in our '71 Roadster, and the drive through Redding at 105° kills us. Last year we took, and this year we are taking, her Boxster S, just because it has AC. Hopefully it would be powerful enough to cool occupants when the car's top is down.

MakoShark72

Its been a couple of months but since the Vette is in the body shop, I found time to work on some of the myriad of other projects. I finally got around to converting the non-A/C controller for the Vintage Air system. The conversion basically involved removing all the vacuum components, installing a new plastic bezel for the A/C, DEF, and Heat...and installing the circuit boards that control it all. The system uses the original little "arms" that connect to the thumbwheels, to slide the potentiometers along the circuit boards, which in turn sends electrical signals to motors and valves to direct air and control temps. NO MORE vacuum lines!! As far as difficulty, the controller conversion required drilling of 2 small holes. Thats it. Everything else was unscrew the old, screw on the new. VERY EASY to do. I "restored" my entire controller in the process which involved taking it apart, stripping off all the old paint, respraying with Krylon satin black, then exposing the chrome with a cloth moistened with acetone.











I also have been restoring my entire console the same way. Installed the new shifter bezel for the 2004R Overdrive transmission. Hers what it looks like all put together...I'll see if I can get some better photos with better lighting...but for now...



And my tach and speedo bezels...

Durango_Boy

Wow those look great. I'm amazed that kit is designed to work so well with the C3 controls.

Gale Banks 80'

If your interested the Vintage Air Front Runner Serpentine Belt System Bolts right into a C3. I took a Chance and purchesed a wile back and was surprised to not have to modifiy anything. The Bottom Pulley sits very Close to the Frame and I have herd of People who have had to mod the Frame but I didn't. The Type II PS Pump will probably need a seperate Tank. If you are also useing a Rack and Pinion Steering setup you will need a 1.5 Gal Type II pump rather than the Stock Type II.

Bob Turner

Any further progress on the a/c install (I do realize it's winter!)?

I am now sold on the VintageAir unit after seeing those pictures of you modifying the controls with those circuit boards that eliminate those vacuum hoses!!!!

Just to clarify, the kit comes with the appropriate mounting brackets (small block or big block), correct?

Can you direct me to your source for the 3 groove pulley that you installed (on the crank)?

I appreciate your time in updating us on the install!!!!! It's priceless!

Bob

MakoShark72

Hey Bob...

I have been pretty slack on the Vette for the last couple of months, with the holidays, and a couple of home "honey-do" projects taking front burner position. Actually I am about to finally paint the car, probably in the next 3-4 weeks. After finishing the A/C controller, I have shelved the interior projects until after the paint is done. Once the paint is done, I'll start to do the interior install. I have EVERYTHING to do it, just waiting for the paint to get done. Then I'll hook up the Vintage Air controller and get the system charged up, then try it out. I really dont expect that to happen until March/April. But I will post the results, etc when its all done. FWIW, I got an issue of Vette Fever for Christmas and they are doing a Vintage Air install in a C2 (I think its a 3 part article, I dont usually read that magazine, but the article looked pretty informative)

The kits comes with the appropriate brackets for your application...

I purchased an "add-a-pulley" for the crank, converting the 2-groover to a 3-groover... Got it from the local Chevy dealer. I'm out of town right now but can look up the part number when I get home. Its a bolt on deal.

Hope all this helps for now..


Rob

houstonvett

Nice work and great pictures MakoShark72. This question is for all of the Forum members who have installed an aftermarket A/C system in their Vette. The Vintage unit looks like the evap. core hangs down into the passenger compartment. Does the evap. core make it a tight fit for passenger leg room? Does the Hot Rod Air evap. coil sit as low as the Vintage Air unit? The Vintage Air system looks like it will work well with the stock thumbwheels for temp and the A/C / heater control. Any Forum member's comments are greatly appreciated, houstonvett

kaiserbud

Hey Rob.... when you get a chance - can you post or email pics of teh wiring ?

btw.........NICE JOB !

kaiserbud

Hey Rob... I have a few questions/thoughts I would throw at you....

I got some good pics - will post afte rI get some more headway on this project - I gotta get it done...

Air Ducts
What did you do to resolve the tight fit behind the center console?

Wiring
1. I felt the 30 amp fuse should be near the battery (in the rear compartments) and not under the E-brake console. I felt VA should have made the 30 Amp Fuse about 6-12" farther away from the ECU and it would have made it easy to locate the fuse in the rear compartments. As it is - I BARELY made it fit.

2. I also felt the blue and green wires (main harness) should go forward from the Relay area, rather than having them parallel the Red (+) and white (-) wires going towards the battery. So - I unwrapped my main harness and detoured the long blue (binary switch) and green wire (heater valve) towards the front of the car and wrapped those wires separately.

2. How did you route the long blue wire (main harness) through the firewall that goes to the Binary Switch/Compressor Safety Switch at the Dryer?

3. How did you route the 24” blue wire (has one spade connector and one black bullet connector) that goes from the binary switch to the one wire w/a bullet connector on the Sanden compressor...? I ask because the short wire on the Sanden compressor is routed intricately behind the pulley and comes out underneath the compressor. It sure seems like they could route that wire in a better location.

4. Just curious where you mounted the chassis ground for the other side of the Heater Control Valve that has the female spade connector and a ring connector?

5. I am also trying to leave my 2 relays 'loose' near the right side of the console for easy access - possibly mounting them behind the passenger dash pad. Again - if Vintage allowed just 6-12" of wire here - this would be easy (provided there is indeed room behind the passenger dash pad).

kaiserbud

And as I see - your clear plastic indicator has imprinted letters that are printed too far to the left like mine. Vintage should really fix that as it looks bad.

Pacha

Since you have to remove the vaccum lines how do you opperate the heater valve shut-off? or is it no longer neccessary?

Pacha

So they have now a 76 specific product? I have a 76 and want to buy a VA kit

MakoShark72

All electric now

MakoShark72

And I thought it was just my sloppy work....

MakoShark72

Harry..

Air ducts... Push really hard!
1. Yup
2a. Did the same thing I think
2b. ran it through the "4-hole" firewall grommet, then along the hard metal vacuum line across the firewall, under the wiper door vac can, under fender with the vac lines to the wiper relay, then along the VA hoses/lines to the dryer...I think!!!
3. IIRC, the "harness" you describe runs from the compressor to the dryer, black bullet plugs into compressor pigtail, blue wire goes to one side of the dryer...?
4. Ran it up along side the firewall and mounted to the stud that holds the vacuum tubing clip, just aft of the dipstick, just below the wiper door limit switch contraption...how's that for clarity!
5. I hear ya...mine fit nicely where I mounted them...in the picture I sent ya.

Make ANY sense at all???

livelotus

Have the same problem with my 76 install. They sent me a second plastic window, it was a little better but still the writting is way off. Hope they fix this little issue, to an otherwise great kit.

H

ccs96

I bought an after market control unit and did not use VA's window.



I would think they do have a drop in for your 76 now. Mine pretty much was once they worked out the kinks.