Air condition antique cars.

[Guest hwess]

Thinking about air for my 66 Chrysler 300. Found two companies that has retrfit for antique cars, Vintage-Air and Classic Auto Air. Has anyone had experience , good or bad, with either of these companies and their equipment?

[TexRiv_63]

I used a Vintage Air system in a Buick Riviera and can highly recommend them.

[rocketraider]

The thing to remember about 60s-earlier cars is that airconditioning was not commonly factory installed, but aftermarket companies did a booming business with it and had kits to fit about any car imaginable. Sears and JC Penney did them all the time, and ARA and FrigiKing supplied many automotive A/C shops. The carmakers offered A/C packages with a factory part number that could be dealer installed.

So, I would say an aftermarket retrofit would be easy and appropriate.

My folks had a 65 Chevy with a Sears unit that would freeze you out of it. They traded for a 69 Chevy and had the dealer transfer it from the 65 to the 69. They bought a 74 Impala with factory air and that system never performed as well as the Sears unit did- the only advantage was no big evaporator core taking up half the front floorboard.

We had cousins in upstate NY who would come home to NC for a week every summer. They had bought a new 67 Caprice sedan for the trip here, dark turquoise with black vinyl, and when they got here it was one of the hottest summers on record. (You gotta remember these folks were used to wearing sweaters or light jackets on the Fourth of July). The third day they were here that summer the Caprice went to Sears for an airconditioner.

Edited February 17, 2011 by rocketraider (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

Be aware that there are two types of systems sold by companies like Vintage Air. They got their start selling all-in-one systems that fit under that dash on street rods. The package includes heat, defrost, and A/C, replacing the factory heater box on the dash. People not interested in a factory correct restoration like to use these because they allow the engine compartment to be cleaned up. Vintage Air recently started to sell a reproduction of the old Mark IV under-dash units, like the ones Glenn is referring to. These were commonly aftermarket installed in the 1960s and would be period-correct. Of course, the original Mark IV systems used the huge York piston-style compressor. The new systems use modern Sanden compressors which are much smaller. These won't look period correct under the hood, if you care. The advantage of the under-dash unit is that it is completely separate from the car's existing heater system. Brackets for mounting the compressor are readily available for common engines. Less common engines will require the fabrication of custom compressor brackets, or the adaptation of factory -style brackets to the modern compressors.

As an aside, several vendors are now packaging the modern Sanden-style compressor inside the GM A6 compressor body. It looks stock, weighs a ton less, and performs more efficiently.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Thinking about air for my 66 Chrysler 300. Found two companies that has retrfit for antique cars, Vintage-Air and Classic Auto Air. Has anyone had experience , good or bad, with either of these companies and their equipment?

Sorry, but your '66 Chrysler is not an "antique." Factory air was a very common thing by the time '66 rolled around for cars being sold in the Southern half of the country. And it is a fact that companies like Mark IV produced tens of thousands of aftermarket systems under their name and dozens of others, including making brand specific under dash units for dealer installs between 1958 and the late 1960s. The remains of Mark IV are now a part of Four Seasons.

Vintage Air is a respected company, but you'll save yourself a bundle by installing a new under dash R-134a unit that has the appearance of those sold in the 1960s. All you need is a Condenser, dryer/accumulator (with R-134a compatible desiccant), compressor, proper compressor mounting brackets for your engine and hoses/lines. It ain't rocket science! Personally, though not as efficient as newer compressors, I prefer a period correct compressor for my '50s and '60s cars I to which I have added A/C. That also allows me to keep the engine compartment looking right for the period since it is not that hard to come up with the old brackets and basic other components necessary.

Jim

[Guest Double M]

Sorry, but your '66 Chrysler is not an "antique." Jim

According to the AACA, the club that runs this forum, a car over 25 years old is considered an Antique, including my 1985 Dodge Diplomat. From what I understand, the CCCA considers it an Antique after 50 years.

Not my opinon, but those are the facts. Let the games begin...

[PONTIAC1953]

hi, i agree with jim edwards, factory or aftermarket a/c in cars like your 66 chrysler 300 was so common to see. the 300 most likely has the chrysler 413/440 engine, i've always like the V twin compressor the chrysler used for the a/c system. you used have very little problems, trying to find a part donor for the a/c. i won't use R-134A, it doesn't cool as well, it breaks down after awhile, then it will gum up the a/c system. the mark IV system is a good one. but nothing adds value, or looks correct like factory air. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.

Edited February 17, 2011 by pontiac1953 (see edit history)

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

According to the AACA, the club that runs this forum, a car over 25 years old is considered an Antique, including my 1985 Dodge Diplomat. From what I understand, the CCCA considers it an Antique after 50 years.

Not my opinon, but those are the facts. Let the games begin...

Games? I guess organizations can stick a time label on anything, but that doesn't make it so. I'm old enough to predate 1966 by some 25 years and I may be an Antique, but a '66 model vehicle of any make is not an antique, though most DOTs would say so. Vintage yes. Hell I'm old, but not old enough to be a real antique, just old enough to be an opinionated, objectionable, grouchy, old coot!

Jim

Edited February 17, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history)

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

hi, i agree with jim edwards, factory or aftermarket a/c in cars like your 66 chrysler 300 was so common to see. the 300 most likely has the chrysler 413/440 engine, i've always like the V twin compressor the chrysler used for the a/c system. you used have very little problems, trying to find a part donor for the a/c. i won't use R-134A, it doesn't cool as well, it breaks down after awhile, then it will gum up the a/c system. the mark IV system is a good one. but nothing adds value, or looks correct like factory air. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.

Charles you are certainly right about what can happen to an older system converted to R-134a with having cooling issues, particularly with in town driving. On the road at 60 or better mph works barely okay.

I've converted a couple of mine and not found it to be 100% satisfactory. Did my first conversion before all the conversion problems had been worked out and it was a disaster starting with mistakenly over charging and blowing the heck out of the high pressure line between the compressor and condenser. Had the compressor been an old York or Tecumseh, it would have probably blown the head right off, but was a good old reliable A6. These days on any vehicle with an old R-12 system I just stick something like Freeze-12 or one of the other similar R-12 substitutes in and avoid all the issues after replacing all leaking seals (usually several).

Jim

Edited February 17, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history)

[buick5563]

I have an original 60's style underdash ARA unit that was rebuilt by Vintage air if anybody wants it. Then you can hook it up like the non-antique coot above ( ) suggests. I'll sell it to anybody on this forum for what I paid to have it rebuilt. (around $450)

[ted sweet]

if want an orginal look you need to find used factory parts.

[buick5563]

if want an orginal look you need to find used factory parts.

Correct....

Which I did, and which is why I now have an under dash AC unit collecting dust in my garage

[Guest my3buicks]

Many manufacturers offered under dash units right from the dealers - that would keep your car correct and proper if you are after originality along with being cool. I bought an NOS underdash Buick unit for my 67 Buick years ago, thus no deductions. You could check if Chrysler offered anything similar.

[ply33]

Thinking about air for my 66 Chrysler 300. Found two companies that has retrfit for antique cars, Vintage-Air and Classic Auto Air. Has anyone had experience , good or bad, with either of these companies and their equipment?

Almost did not click the link figuring that you wanted to put AC into a 1920s or 30s car.

The 1963 Plymouth that I learned to drive on had factory air with vents up by the windshield that would flip up to direct air to the back of the car or flip down to be used as defoggers. Other than the extra buttons for AC on the dash, symmetrically opposite the push button location if you had the automatic transmission, one would not know the car had AC from inside the car. That is to say there was not obvious dealer installed add-on below the dash (like we had in the 61 Valiant which was after market).

That is to say that by 1966, factory air was available in a nice clean package. If you can find the parts, I would suggest that you try for a factory style installation.

We lived in Arizona and by the mid-1960s AC was becoming a pretty common factory option for the cars sold there. I believe that would also be true of more populated areas like Texas and Southern California. I would guess that if you can find a Chrysler of that era that was sold to the Southwest there would be a very good chance that it would have had factory air. Maybe that would be the area to look for parts...

[John_Maine]

The first time I ever rode in a factory equipped AC car was in 1966 in a 1966 Chrysler Newport. My uncle had some friends visiting from New Jersey and we went out in their car. I remember just about freezing in the thing. I think I used the AC in my car 3-4 times all last year. I'm more apt to use it for heat in the fall and winter.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Many manufacturers offered under dash units right from the dealers - that would keep your car correct and proper if you are after originality along with being cool. I bought an NOS underdash Buick unit for my 67 Buick years ago, thus no deductions. You could check if Chrysler offered anything similar.

Dealer installed units would not keep your car correct and proper, at least not for AACA judging standards. It has to be factory installed. The dealer will put the rear fenders on the front if that's what it takes to make a sale.

[Guest my3buicks]

David, If it is a factory approved Buick accessory, it will pass muster - I have been down that road(at AACA meets including Hershey) and have had proper documentation and have not had any issue. I have scanned a page right out the the 1967 Buick Sales Manual and the 1967 Approved Accessory Brochure.

Edited February 18, 2011 by my3buicks (see edit history)

[Guest my3buicks]

Page from 1967 Buick Approved Accessory Guide. You can also take the parts # 981246 and go into the Buick Parts Book and find the unit,

Edited February 18, 2011 by my3buicks (see edit history)

[Guest dkgtrains]

Thinking about air for my 66 Chrysler 300. Found two companies that has retrfit for antique cars, Vintage-Air and Classic Auto Air. Has anyone had experience , good or bad, with either of these companies and their equipment?

I have Classic auto air in my 66 Mustang and I'm kept quite cool in hot days.

[Jim Rohn]

you will have to remember that the hang on style air conditioners only cool the inside air, they are basically working to recirculate inside air (stale). The OEM in dash ones will work off of FRESH air, OR, if switched to MAX or RECIR, will use only inside air, you have a choice.

A lot of people do not know how to use them properly and usually only run them in MAX or recirc mode, NOT ideal for comfort.

Yeah, maybe too much info but my father was a HVAC engineer for Ford and co-invented (patented) the Automatic Temperature control feature for automobiles

[Guest]

you will have to remember that the hang on style air conditioners only cool the inside air, they are basically working to recirculate inside air (stale). The OEM in dash ones will work off of FRESH air, OR, if switched to MAX or RECIR, will use only inside air, you have a choice.

A lot of people do not know how to use them properly and usually only run them in MAX or recirc mode, NOT ideal for comfort.

Yeah, maybe too much info but my father was a HVAC engineer for Ford and co-invented (patented) the Automatic Temperature control feature for automobiles

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Good point Jim. We even had to train corporate personnel on how to use A/C. Most people would come out on a blistering hot day and turn on the A/C and expect it to get the heat out of the car pronto. We had to tell them to start the car, roll down all the windows, set A/C to max cold on fresh air setting and let the system get the heat down to outside temp. Then after that happens they can roll up windows and a few minutes later if they wanted really cold to put it in recirculate or inside setting. We had to explain on a 110 degree day why the system was more efficient when it only had to cool inside cool air only instead of trying to cool outside hot air. We also had to tell them (because they never read the owners manual) that they need to run the A/C for a few minutes each week even in winter to keep the system lubricated and the seals from drying out on non auto temp A/C cars.

Still, the real question remains will your car pass muster with a Vintage air at a AACA points judged or MOPAR event. In my mind if it didn't come that way it's a modified car.

Don

[Guest my3buicks]

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Still, the real question remains will your car pass muster with a Vintage air at a AACA points judged or MOPAR event. In my mind if it didn't come that way it's a modified car.

Don

If the underdash or add on air unit was not a factory approved accessory, but was an add on aftermarket, then no, it shold not pass muster. That goes for any accessory or add on.

[60FlatTop]

I am so lucky to live in western New York. I didn't drive the day we needed air conditioning. It passes like the 24 hour flu.

Bernie

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

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Good point Jim. We even had to train corporate personnel on how to use A/C. Most people would come out on a blistering hot day and turn on the A/C and expect it to get the heat out of the car pronto. We had to tell them to start the car, roll down all the windows, set A/C to max cold on fresh air setting and let the system get the heat down to outside temp. Then after that happens they can roll up windows and a few minutes later if they wanted really cold to put it in recirculate or inside setting. We had to explain on a 110 degree day why the system was more efficient when it only had to cool inside cool air only instead of trying to cool outside hot air. We also had to tell them (because they never read the owners manual) that they need to run the A/C for a few minutes each week even in winter to keep the system lubricated and the seals from drying out on non auto temp A/C cars.

Still, the real question remains will your car pass muster with a Vintage air at a AACA points judged or MOPAR event. In my mind if it didn't come that way it's a modified car.

Don

How unrealistic it is of you to think car buyers should actually ever read the owner's manual that came with their car or that they should exercise common sense that says if you open the windows for a couple of minutes to allow often 140+ degree heat out you'll be getting cooler faster. When every thing inside a car is heated up to some unbelievable temperature there is no such thing as immediately cool. Under the best of circumstances on a day of 85 or higher ambient temperature it is going to take quite a while for any A/C system to draw all the heat out of seats, carpet, dash, and even headliner. The bigger the passenger compartment the longer it is going to take!

Jim

Edited February 18, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history)

[Guest]

How unrealistic it is of you to think most car buyers actually ever read the owner's manual that came with their car or that they should exercise common sense that says if you open the windows for a couple of minutes to allow often 140+ degree heat out you'll be getting cooler faster. When every thing inside a car is heated up to some unbelievable temperature there is no such thing as immediately cool. Under the best of circumstances on a day of 85 or higher ambient temperature it is going to take quite a while for any A/C system to draw all the heat out of seats, carpet, dash, and even headliner. The bigger the passenger compartment the longer it is going to take!

Jim

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Yes, you would think after buying the second biggest expense that most people make in a lifetime they would read how to operate and maintain it.

Don

[Guest William J Toensing]

Misc comments re Air Conditioning: As I recall, Packard was the first manufacturer to offer factory air as an option. It was either in 1940 or 1941. To my knowledge, no manufacturer offered factory air as an option until 1951 when Chrysler offered it as an option along with power steering. GM then offered it as an option in the 1952 Cadillac. Don't recall if it was an option in 1952 for the other GM lines. However, by 1955 most other makes including Chevrolet & Ford offered a factory air option. I know it was an option in the 1954 Hudson Hornet but don't recall if it was in the Wasp, Pacemaker, or Jet.

Back in 1965, I bought a new Citroen ID-19 station wagon & regretfully, did not get factory air. As a result, my daughter, then age 7 came down with heat exaustion & spent 3 days in the small hospital in the Grand Canyon. I was living in Minneapolis at the time & no one was willing to install an aftermarket A/C at that time so I had to do it myself & did so successfully myself. It came with that misserable York compressor. In 1972, after having moved from Minn. to LA, I bought a new Citroen D-21 station wagon with factory air. Eventually I replaced it's York with a Japanese Sankyo compressor around 1977 I think. As later, I did the same with a Citroen SM myself. To evacuate the A/C to recharge it, I salvaged an electric motor & compressor from a refrigerator. Worked fine on the SM. You just have to let it run at least an half hour.

[Guest]

Misc comments re Air Conditioning: As I recall, Packard was the first manufacturer to offer factory air as an option. It was either in 1940 or 1941. To my knowledge, no manufacturer offered factory air as an option until 1951 when Chrysler offered it as an option along with power steering. GM then offered it as an option in the 1952 Cadillac.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually Cadillac offered A/C for the first time in 1941. Packard also in 1941.

Pontiac offered a all in the engine compartment A/C components in 1954.

Don

Sorry after going through only one of my auto history books I apparently was wrong. I now see that after going through several other books, four to one say Packard was first with factory air in 1939.

Non factory A/C was offered as early as 1933 by some company in New York City (no name given) to owners of limousines.

Don

Edited February 19, 2011 by helfen (see edit history)

[PONTIAC1953]

hi, packard had factory rear a/c first in 1940, a couple of months later, cadillac had it for the 1941 model year, first year for chrysler and desoto was 1942, three 1942 a/c equipped desotos are still around. after WWII, no factory a/c untill 1953 cadillacs. buicks, oldsmobiles, and chryslers. then in 1954, pontiac with harrison designed up front- in dash factory air conditioning, set the new standard for others to follow. after hudson merge with nash to form american motors in may of 1954, later that year, and not before, did nash's and hudson's have a/c as an option. dodge got rear a/c in 1954. nash was second with in dash a/c, with cheap dash outlets, olds followed pontiac and nash with it's in dash a/c in 1955, chevy got up it's first a/c (up front, in dash) in 1955. buick switch to up front a/c in 1956, cadillac also in 1957, cadillac's dash outlets were so close to the windshield- a very poor design. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. p.s. some of you may know that i'm installing 1954 pontiac factory air in my 1953 pontiac chieftain custom catalina, as well as installing 1955 buick factory rear air in my car too. using the 1955 pontiac factory A5 compressor that came with the pontiac 287 strato-streak V8 engine that's in my car.

[junkyardjeff]

Years ago I found a sears under dash a/c in a 61 olds that was in a junkyard and bought it and had it installed in my 53 the next day,it would get nice and cold and was great running around the summer with it on. The generator did not out out enough power with it on at night so I had to upgrade to a alternator and I could use another underdash a/c for my 65 custom 500.

[Guest William J Toensing]

Thank you for the responses. I was unaware that any other manufacturer offered A/C prior to WW2 but it doesn't surprise me that Cadillac offered it in 1941 & Chrysler + DeSoto in 1942. I thought Chrysler came out with A/C along with power steering & the Hemi V-8 in 1951 but don't doubt the other posters, especially Pontiac 1953 are correct & am glad I was corrected. Now that I think of it, I am not sure the '54 Hudson had factory air, will have to research this.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

I'm betting no one can find documentation that says factory air conditioning was available for 1953 Fords. But I can say without equivocation that 1953 my Dad ordered and received from the Peques-Hurst Ford dealership in Longview, Texas a new 1953 Ford with factory installed air conditioning. It was the typical A/C set up for the era with the evaporator and fans in the trunk with tubes coming up through the package tray behind the back seat.

Lots of folks looked at us as if we were crazy when it was 90 something degrees and we were driving around with all the windows rolled up.

Jim

[rocketraider]

Keith, the Buick hang-on unit looks very much like the Chevrolet Cool-Pack. Noticed it says for the A-body car only where as Chevy offered it across the board, even for trucks. I remember all the GM Divisions also offered dealer installed Four Seasons integrated systems.

RE: hang-on units being full-time recirculating systems, that was their efficiency. They did not have to cool incoming hot air as an integrated system did, they simply cooled what was already cooled.

My green Starfire has an ARA-Penney's unit that has a City-Country knob that I'm not really sure what it does. I discharged the system intending to remove it as the console tach had to be removed to install it and I'd rather have the tach. But- one bolt attaching the compressor bracketry to the timing cover is seized and I'm not ready to risk a bolt breaking off in the water jacket just yet, though the engine really does need to come out of the car for seals.

The blue Starfire has a factory Custom Air Conditioner that worked until the leaks got too bad to hold refrigerant, but defrost always seemed to be very ineffective. That may have been a vacuum motor problem.

I have two Automatic Temperature Control cars- later Tempmatic versions where driver has control of the compressor and outlets. I have passed on a couple of otherwise nice cars because they had the infamous Comfortron.

Admittedly the factory air 1974 Chevy was triple black and it had a valves-in-receiver system which was not one of GM's better designs, but Mama always complained that the airconditioning was not up to par. She never really liked that car anyway and they did not keep it long.

Joe P- tell us more about Sanden compressor internals in a GM A6 body. That is quite intriguing to me...

[Guest my3buicks]

Keith, the Buick hang-on unit looks very much like the Chevrolet Cool-Pack. Noticed it says for the A-body car only where as Chevy offered it across the board, even for trucks. I remember all the GM Divisions also offered dealer installed Four Seasons integrated systems.

.

Glen, I looked up the Chevy Cool-Packs online and I found a 66-67 one and the units are very similar - the front design is the main difference, the Chevy one had 2 round outlets and a center oblong one and a brushed type aluminum or chrome front and the bowtie and the Buick unit has 4 round vents, a chrome front and the Buick emblem. I would think internals would be the same or very similar.

[Paul Dobbin]

Ply33 said: "Almost did not click the link figuring that you wanted to put AC into a 1920s or 30s car. "

Where we live, (Florida) A/C is nice in anything. I know a guy here with A/C in his 29 Model A Ford. With hoses in the frame rail the compressor looks like another generator mounted down low. Air handler evaporator under the seat, condenser under the car. Car looks stock, but is not judged. It has done several Glidden Tours and here's the bonus; His wife enjoys our hobby with him, even in the summer. He's the second Model A in our club to opt for A/C.

I also know of a 41 Ford with A/C that is a Glidden Tour regular. His wife goes too.

See, there are more important things than a bowling trophy with an old car

on top. As all our summers get warmer, I expect to see A/C in antiques in more and more cars from other states, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I have a 35 Resto Mod for that reason and enjoy the hobby in it when

many people say it's too hot for antique cars.

[Guest]

[quote name=Paul Dobbin;.

See' date=' there are more important things than a bowling trophy with an old car

on top. As all our summers get warmer, I expect to see A/C in antiques in more and more cars from other states, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I have a 35 Resto Mod for that reason and enjoy the hobby in it when

many people say it's too hot for antique cars.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting view on antique cars.

When it does get hot here ( last year one of the coolest summers on record) some people tell me that they don't use their A/C because it overheats their engine. What do you say to a kid when he or she ask " I didn't know those old cars had A/C "???

Sounds like those folks who lived back then were just tougher people, and just got on with it. Part of owning these old cars is the experience of what it was like in those days and not converting them to these days.

Don

[junkyardjeff]

I have found the older vehicles are easier to drive without a/c then the newer ones that dont have it,as long as its moving my 65 custom 500 gets plenty of ventilation but it would be nice if I could find another under dash system to put in it. The only reason I installed a/c in my 53 olds was that it was cheap and something different at that time,it had cracked windows and to anyone looking it was I was crazy to drive around in hot weather with the windows up or that old clunker had a/c. I liked to mess with people back then and got a good laugh when I pulled up next to people hanging out the windows trying to cool off and I pulled up next to them with cracked windows rolled up.

[Guest William J Toensing]

I would be afraid to put A/C in my 1941 Ford as it tends to overheat in hot weather, despite a new radiator & water pumps.

[Guest Mr Bill]

This message is directed to Jim Edwards regarding his father's 53 Ford with factory air conditioning. Beginning about 1953, the aftermarket air conditioning company NOVI began offering, with Ford's blessings, an aftermarket trunk mounted system specifically for Ford V8 models. Even the instruction and installation manuals were printed "NOVI Air Conditioning for Ford V8's." These systems were installed by the Ford dealer. I have an article for a 54 Ford Skyliner with one of these systems and have seen another 54 Skyliner advertised with this system. It was just as described in the forum, trunk mounted with the plexiglass tubes rising from the package shelf that discharged the cold air.

Studebaker did the same thing for its Ultra Vista V8 sedan models introduced in January 55. For the first time, Studebaker offered its cars with air conditioning. Studebaker purchased their air conditioning systems from NOVI, and these units had a special tag that instead of the usual NOVI name, read "Studebaker Car Air Conditioning System" to give the impression this was a Studebaker produced unit. These units were available either factory installed by Studebaker or by the Studebaker dealer.

As I have said many times before, these early auto a/c systems fascinate me.

Mr. Bill

Hamlet, NC

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

This message is directed to Jim Edwards regarding his father's 53 Ford with factory air conditioning. Beginning about 1953, the aftermarket air conditioning company NOVI began offering, with Ford's blessings, an aftermarket trunk mounted system specifically for Ford V8 models. Even the instruction and installation manuals were printed "NOVI Air Conditioning for Ford V8's." These systems were installed by the Ford dealer. I have an article for a 54 Ford Skyliner with one of these systems and have seen another 54 Skyliner advertised with this system. It was just as described in the forum, trunk mounted with the plexiglass tubes rising from the package shelf that discharged the cold air.

Studebaker did the same thing for its Ultra Vista V8 sedan models introduced in January 55. For the first time, Studebaker offered its cars with air conditioning. Studebaker purchased their air conditioning systems from NOVI, and these units had a special tag that instead of the usual NOVI name, read "Studebaker Car Air Conditioning System" to give the impression this was a Studebaker produced unit. These units were available either factory installed by Studebaker or by the Studebaker dealer.

As I have said many times before, these early auto a/c systems fascinate me.

Mr. Bill

Hamlet, NC

Though my memory is good, my recollections about the '53 Ford from almost 59 years ago (the car was bought in late '52) are probably less than 100% accurate. I would tend to buy into the NOVI product as being the case. I have no personal recollection of who might have actually installed the system in the car, but would candidly be surprised if a small East Texas town dealer would have had personnel capable of installing such a system in 1952. The car was among maybe half a dozen in the whole town that had A/C in that year. And as I mentioned, we got a lot of extremely puzzled looks when driving around with all the windows rolled up in the heat of a Texas July/August afternoon.

It wasn't until 1956-57 rolled around that cars with A/C in Texas were common enough to not gain those questioning looks implying "you must be nuts."

There was a great thread on NOVI on the H.A.M.B. a couple of years ago. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=410927

Jim

Edited April 5, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history)

[Guest jvoyles]

I recently purchased a 1956 chevy 210. It has the Novi A/C trunk mounted system in it. I assume that it was installed by the dealer or at some later date by a previous owner. There is no reference to it on the tag. It also has a power front bench seat that has no mention on the tag. The car is in very dood shape with minimul rust. I was told that the 57,000 miles on the odometer has not been turned over and is actual. It is a V-8 car. I drove it home 40 miles after I bought it for 5 grand. I wasn't planning on buying a 1956 Chevy but it looked cool and I think it will be a great project. Any opinions on the A/C unit. I was told that they were in fords so I didn't know if a chevy dealer could even get it installed by NOVI. I figure the odds are it was probably added much later by a previous owner. Is there any place that I can get parts for it? One of the rear tubes is cracked.