There's a reason why the vast majority of motorists ply the highways in newer cars, and it can be summed up in one word: comfort. Yep, to most people out there, a car is judged not by its power output, but by how many cup holders and LCD screens are present. Power windows, MP3 jacks, and heated seats aren't even considered options these days. It's easy to see how people are seduced into a new minivan over a classic muscle car. But in some areas, it doesn't have to be an "either/or" proposition. These days you can have your cake and chow down on it as well.
While we generally balk at many of the luxury features insisted on by "Joe Public," there's one that we can certainly get behind, and that's air conditioning. Anyone who's crawled along in sweltering summer traffic stuck in a non-air conditioned ride knows that it can suck the life--and the fun--out of cruising with classic iron. In some parts of the country, it can be considered an option, but in the areas where humidity and heat conspire to rip every drop of moisture from your pores, it's a downright necessity.
The main issue is that many of the early muscle cars didn't come from the factory with A/C, and the systems in those that did are woefully inadequate by today's standards. Sometimes it's worse to be teased by an old A/C system, which can barely put out a tepid stream of air, than to have nothing at all.
For over 33 years, Vintage Air has worked to put the big chill in the interior atmospheres of early iron. They offer a wide array of kits for many of the popular nameplates. Unfortunately, our '70 Fairlane falls firmly into the "dare to be different" category, and as such, nobody makes a kit specifically for it. But all is not lost, thanks to Vintage Air's universal Gen IV Magnum kit. This "one-size-fits-most" system is designed to be flexible enough to integrate into almost anything on four wheels, even our oddball Ford.
