Hot Enough for You? Air Conditioning for Classic Cars
Published on 7/9/2024
Hot Enough for You? AC for Classic Cars
Are you considering adding Air Conditioning to your classic car or truck? Read on for some HOT tips below!
There are many reasons to modernize classic cars from the 1950s, 60s and 70s but one of the most popular upgrades requested of us is Air Conditioning. Some classic cars came originally equipped with AC but many did not. For the ones that already have it,
sometimes it's possible to convert the system to the modern Freon required today (R134A) - the original Freon (R12) is no longer available due to its hazardous properties. There are pros and cons to doing a conversion of an old system - mostly cons because it doesn't always work or work well AND it can be very expensive. The components in an R12 system were designed to use R12 and R134's chemical properties are different. When clients request this of us, we generally dissuade them due to the high cost and possibility for an unsatisfactory result. Generally speaking, installing an entire new system from manufacturers like
Vintage Air and
Classic Auto Air is the best option for effectiveness and reliability (it's also the most expensive option as you can imagine.)
Typical AC System - 1969 Mustang Mach1, 428 CJ
New, complete systems are widely available for popular cars and trucks from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and universal kits are available for many others. Building a custom system for vehicles that don't have a direct fit option can also be done but it can get expensive due to the customization involved.
Typical Complete HVAC Kit