See it at '02 Fest TX on May 6 (archive)

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: I'm on this Vintage Air thing. After theives that took my stereo mangled my Behr console and evaporator, I decided against buying one of the few NOS Behr consoles that are available.

: You can fit a much larger then "mini space saver" VA unit under the dash if you can give up a few things. Briefly, I did it by:

: 1) Making a mold which replaced the top section of the heater box (replacement is made of fiberglass and sits in the cowl area much like the top panel of the heater core did).

: 2) Losing the glove box - at least the forward 1/2 of the glove box. I retained the panel so that the dash appears factory.

: 3) Bending a new A/C front panel from a hefty piece of aluminum into which I've cut: 1 rectangular hole for stereo, 1 circular hole for hazard switch, 4 circular holes for A/C vents, and one oval hole for the A/C control panel (streamline unit)

: and 4) adding an electric vacuum pump (sourced from a Mercedes), and a vacuum reservoir (sourced from an Audi) since the VA stuff is vacuum operated.

: BTW, I went through the "what fits" scenerio right outside the Vintage Air shop since San Antonio was only a 3 hour drive from my place.

: The A/C is not yet functional since the car has been down for almost 2 months now. I've done most of the install (a PITA, btw) while trying to get the motor operational again. The heat is all routed and done, but the A/C still needs new hoses (done otherwise).

: : Installing A/C into my '74 2002 is a long term project. The approach I'm considering is outside what is probably considered the norm. I'm planning on using the mini-space saver evaporator from Vintage Air and a Sanden 508 compressor (both R-13 compatible). The best thing about the Vintage Air unit is it's pretty small and can be purchased with heat, cool, and defroster capabilities. So, the plan is to replace the existing heater box with the Vintage Air unit and make a custom faceplate for the center console.

: : As for the compressor bracket, I got lucky and amnaged to locate a used one for $35. I believe ICE also sells one too. But, with the lack of demand for the bracket, who knows if they will continue to sell them.

: : As I said, this is a long term project (probably next year), so I doing my homework now. When I fix my heater core, I'm going to make a cardboard mockup of the Vintage Air evaporator to check fit and function. Never wait until the last minute....

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