Here is the Sanden SD 508 compressor from the Vintage Air GEN-II A/C system installed in Doug Tornello's '67 GTO.
Headed out for a cruise, making the trek to an event or simply showing off for friends, most of the fun we have in our vintage Pontiacs comes in the summertime. The kids are out of school so travel isn't a problem, the weather is generally great and all the salt and/or sand of the winter and early spring has been washed from the road surface by April showers.
In May and June all is right with the world. Bright sunshine combined with moderate temps and liveable humidity have you out and about in your Pontiac like it's a daily driver once more. You may even take it to work a few times just to show your coworkers and boss that your talents extend well beyond the job title the company has bestowed upon you.
Then come the dog days of summer: July, August and early September. The temperature rises, as does humidity, and your non-A/C Pontiac isn't as much fun to drive anymore. As you peel your thighs off of the sizzling Morrokide after just a few minutes behind the wheel, you realize that your vintage Pontiac could certainly benefit from an aftermarket A/C system.
The '69 Firebird LS1 project is also running a Sanden SD 508 compressor and GEN-II system. Notice how the polished stainless lines are bent for a clean look all the way to the firewall 4-way inline bulkhead (2 lines for heat and 2 for A/C). Classic Restorations technician Scott Hand installed the fenderwell while bending the lines to ensure that they would fit flush with it when the Bird was reassembled. The recommended blocking of all holes from the stock heating system was accomplished on both Pontiacs when the firewalls were smoothed and filled.
Fear not; we have a system to show you from Vintage Air that will get the job done. Far and away better than the knee-knocker A/C system you used to get from Sears back in the day-and also better performing than most all-factory units in vintage Pontiacs-the Vintage Air system can blow ice cubes once it's set up in your ride. Soon you will be driving your Pontiac in sweltering temperatures in air-conditioned comfort. There will be fewer heat-related complaints from passengers and you may even be able to attend more events that you would have never considered before.
In the last issue, we started the engine swap of an LS1 into a '69 Firebird at Classic Restorations, which is also an authorized Vintage Air dealer and installer. Part of that swap includes the addition of a Vintage Air's GEN-II universal system. Car and shop owner Melvin Benzaquen related, "Our experiences with installing Vintage Air systems have been very good over the years, so when it came time to install an A/C in my Pontiac, I went that route. I didn't choose Vintage Air's Firebird Sure-Fit system that retains the factory look inside the car because my '69 will be totally custom from the dash to the LS1 engine under the hood, so I felt the universal system would offer more choices for mounting locations, options and accessories."
Since the Bird is still apart, we have easy access to show you some of the hidden parts, like the evaporator unit that goes behind the dash. We also have access to Doug Tornello's '67 GTO. You may recall it as HPP's April '07 cover car. Doug has been running a GEN-II universal Vintage Air system that provides A/C, heat and defrost for a few years now. His Goat will be used to illustrate a clean installation on a vintage Pontiac with a Pure Pontiac V-8.
This story will not be a nut and bolt install since most of you will have the system professionally mounted anyway, and the amount of choices for placing items, upgrades, options and accessories will most likely make your install different from ours. Instead, we will discuss the highlights of the products, tell you what comes in the basic kit, show you the options we chose, tell you why we chose them and discuss other upgrades that you should consider that go beyond the basic A/C package.
Highlights
In GEN-IIs, the air doors are operated by electronic solid state servo motors that provide much more door travel than a vacuum system, thus offering more precise temperature control and more airflow when combined with a system, which is designed around them. To that end, the virtual flow testing with Pro Engineering CAD/CAM programs used to design this system also aid in producing an evaporator case that provides maximum airflow and improved defrost. Since the fully electronic system requires no cables or engine vacuum for operation, the control panel can be mounted in many different locations and engines with big cams and low vacuum are no problem. The GEN-II also features true bi-level operation for heat and A/C. If that's not enough, a new GEN-IV evaporator adds even more features (see the Web site for details).
The included Sanden SD 508 compressor requires less torque to operate due to the fact that, "its load is distributed over multiple short stroke cylinders," according to Vintage Air reps. It's offered in a myriad of configurations to best match your installation and aesthetic requirements. These include plain, polished or black finish, top or rear exit outlets and a serpentine or V-belt pulley. The good news for those who like to run fairly steep rear gear ratios without overdrive is that the unit can be safely operated up to 6,000 engine rpm. An included safety switch protects the compressor from failure due to excessively high or low refrigerant pressure in the system.
Vintage Air says its parallel flow condenser has 25 percent more capacity than the tube and fin design of the same size. A unit that will cover the greatest amount of fin area of the radiator, yet will still fit within the confines of the core support opening in front of the radiator, will be chosen by the company for your project. Vintage Air A/C systems carry a 3-year warranty.
Mounting recommendations for the 14x24-inch condenser are for it to be as close to the radiator as possible without touching it, given the restrictions of proper line placement and avoidance of any other obstructions. There should be no more that a 3/16-in gap between the condenser and the radiator.
What To Consider When Ordering
One of the most important aspects of ordering a system is proper fit of the evaporator. To ease the guesswork when ordering a universal system, Vintage Air has printed the outside dimensions of all of the evaporators it sells for universal kits on the company Web site. Vintage Air recommends that the prospective buyer make a cardboard mockup of a unit that they want and then check to see if it will fit in the allotted space prior to ordering. The company can also offer you a plastic mock-up unit of the evaporator case you chose.
The Vintage Air dealer will want to know the year and model of your Pontiac, the engine size, which system you desire, your pulley choice, the measurement of the radiator core support opening, the finish of the compressor, control panel choice, hose and louver choices, whether or not you are running a clutch fan or electric fan, and extra-cost options or accessories.
Installation Considerations
Think long and hard before attempting this install at home. Plan out every step before you turn a wrench. Do you have the proper knowledge of A/C systems, wiring, bending lines, installation of fittings on hoses and other skills needed to do the job correctly? Do you have the required tools? If you get the universal rubber hose kit, you will need a crimping tool or you can use a local shop or Vintage Air to do it for you. If you upgrade to stainless, you will need a sizeable tubing bender to handle the #6, #8 and #10 lines. (The company also offers U-Bend-Em aluminum lines to ease installation.) If you've got the will, the tools, and the knowledge, then have at it. But if you think the install may be beyond your mechanical aptitude, Vintage Air can provide contact info for a dealer/installer in your area.
What's In The Box
Evaporator kit
Sanden SD 508 Compressor
Universal Hose Kit
Scott installed a large SPAL 16-inch electric puller fan from Vintage Air behind the radiator on the Firebird to draw air through the condenser and the Rodney Red 4-core aluminum radiator. Melvin related that he likes to install a 14-inch electric pusher fan in front of the condenser as well to cool it when the car is static and idling but the A/C is running. He said, "we wire it into the trinary switch so it automatically kicks in when the A/C head pressure level rises."
Condenser
Other Mods And Upgrades
Conclusion
According to Melvin Benzaquen, "The adaptability of the universal system from Vintage Air is a great advantage for installation. You can mount the dryer in any location. The same is true for the trinary or binary switch and a few other components." Scott Hand, the technician who installs the systems at Classic Restorations said, "they are very nicely designed, especially the control panels and are not difficult to install once you are familiar with them." Doug Tornello, owner of the '67 GTO stated, "The GEN-II system works great! It blows cold and I have had no problems with it since it was installed. The optional control panel and the outlets have a jewel-like appearance and function as great as they look."
Pricing for the systems varies greatly based on evaporator choice and the additional options and accessories you choose. The base GEN-II kit runs about $1,200. Adding a lot of options could increase the price past $3,000. Don't forget other mods/upgrades that are not included, like those to the cooling system and electrical system and pulleys to ensure optimal operation. Classic Restorations generally charges between $1,500 and $3,500 for complete installation depending upon the system-type, the application and the options and accessories chosen. Budget conscious or flamboyant, the choice is yours since there are so many options for customization.
Hopefully this article has provided some insight regarding the Vintage Air system's form and function to help you decide whether adding A/C to a non-A/C Pontiac or converting factory A/C over to this new more efficient system is right for you.
