Help with my '56...odd option?

[ratrocket]

I just aquired a '56 Olds Holiday 88 coupe (no post). It has the 2-barrel 324, hyrdramatic and an odd option. Rear/trunk mounted A/C unit with two clear plastic tube coming up from the rear package shelf. There is a factory (in the dash) swith that has "RIGHT" and "LEFT" control knobs. I can't find any info on this car. Some people tell me the AC unit was dash mounted in '56 with vents up front under the dash (round chrome) and an added controls switch mounted to the dash hanging down as well. Some people tell me that the rear mounted unit is very rare (usually on Caddies) and odd. See pics attached. Here's the body tag info:

Style: 56-3637

Body: BA-4250

Trim: 367

Paint: S31-30

Top ACC

Body by Fisher

Thanks for any help. I've seen a lot of aftermarket AC units and this system looks factory original...in age/wear and tear, etc. There's a compressor mounted on top of the engine. The dash switches are not aftermarket as the housing is a duplicate of the light switch and they are exactly the same material, font, knob-type, etc.

Rich in Texas

[Oldsfan]

Rich,

I sent a reply to your pm. I said that photos would help before I saw that you had photos posted.

Doesn't look like factory a/c to me. That is not a factory compressor. No outside air scoops.

Are there vents in the roof where the air comes out? Or do the tubes just blow air along the headliner? On '53 and '54 factory air cars, those tubes actually went up into the headliner and there were 4 vents in the roof to direct the air.

A shot of the a/c controls would be nice.

Paul

[ratrocket]

Here are the pics of the trunk unit, the tubes and the control switch on the dash.

Thank!

[ratrocket]

Please see pics on my reply. There are no vents on the outside of the car (like the Chryslers and Caddies). There's a vent (see pic) mounted in the center of the package shelf, a big rectangular vent.

Thanks.

[Guest imported_pete324rock]

please share all pics if you can.....

[Oldsfan]

Those "air" controls are not for air conditioning, they are for just plain ventilation air. One for the driver's side, the other for the passenger. Those controls open air valves on either side of the cowl and let outside air into the car. On my '55, the driver's side came in directly. The passenger's side came in through the heater.

'53 through '56 factory air conditioning controls were located in the center of the dash, below the glove compartment, and they were marked "air conditioning."

It looks like that piece of headliner goes down behind the tube, and that the tube would have just blown air along the sides of the roof. Factory '53 and '54 tubes went into a chrome bezel and continued, unseen, up toward the front, with two adjustable outlets on each side. One for the front seat, one for the back.

Here's a '56 with factory air:

and here's a shot of the factory compressor, as well as all of the associated copper tubing, and the evaporator case on the firewall:

Paul

[ratrocket]

Paul

Thanks a bunch - clears it up for me. Nice Olds, by the way. Appreciate the knowledge and sharing of info.

Happy New Year!

Rich

[ratrocket]

How do I do that?

[Guest imported_pete324rock]

I see them ...thanks.I was not aware that there were ever any air condition vents other than the ones mounted in the dash.Never imagined any roof vents.Still a bit sketchy in my mind how that should be.

[Oldsfan]

Here is a '55 Caddy with factory air. '53 and '54 Olds were just about the same.

Paul