65-66 Factory A/C
 

Anyone know about how many of th 65-66 trucks came with factory A/C and what that Option originally cost?
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

i may have a book somewhere with pricing. and im not 100% sure but i think the factory a/c trucks came with big back windows. (not saying all big backs have a/c) correct me if im wrong.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

I read somewhere that it was 1 in 8000, with say 200k built in 65 that would mean roughly 25K. I just wish I could remember where I found that info.

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My 66 came with a sbw and factory a/c (you can tell its factory by how well the firewall and dash cuts were rounded and perfect.) I would think in the west and sw (where you'd be most likely to shell out for a/c) you'd want a sbw to keep the sun from canceling out your a/c. I do think that ordering factory a/c got you the tinted glass option though.
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

does yours have the blue a/c sticker on the back window?

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Mine does but it is faded, it is also on green tinted glass.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

All options were a la carte back then, you checked off what you wanted. Panoramic back glass was a separate option, as was tinted glass. I have a 64 big window shortbed and a 64 burb w/fact A/C on both.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

True, each option was ordered individually, but often these single options were groups of individual items. No one selection got you "all the goodies" like the common misconception that there was a specific "custom cab" option.
I believe that soft ray tinted glass all-around was included when the a/c option was ordered. I looked briefly for it in print, but could not find it.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Mine had no remnants of the a/c sticker, but although it looked as if front and side glass could be original, the rear glass was very clean and the gasket not near as dry rotted as the others, and i wondered if it could have been newer glass than the rest.
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

this was also a dealer option as well . same unit as the factory unit . but no tinted glass installed. In 1964 big back window there was 43343 trucks In 1965 big back window was 46869 ac was 9866. in 1966 big back window was 51310 ac was 15029 truck s from 1/2 ton to 2 ton all years mentioned

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Agree there was no code C60 ac option that either included or required ordering tinted or BBW options in 66. I have one 66 Custom Camper factory air truck with the small window and no tinted glass and still had remnants of the "AIR CONDITIONED" bowtie decal in the passenger side rear glass. I don't believe that decal was part of the dealer ac package either. It had a 327 turbo 400 ps and pb and the ac is factory installed. I have noticed after reading the accessory factory air kit installation instructions and by looking at four 66 factory style air conditioned pickups that the X bar in front of the condenser is removed for the ac install and then if it got put back on, it was to be bolted in versus the riveted in version from the factory radiator support. Also as cortcomp said above you can tell a clean factory installed stamped out ac dash and painted afterwards while a dealer install will have saw marks and raw edges for the vent cutout.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

I just picked up a mostly compleat factory a/c system out of he junk yard. I'm gona install it In my 65 stepside but in the meantime I'd love to see some pics of them both installed and out of the truck. All the info I can get about these systems is much needed.
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Did you notice too on the X-bars they are offset to give room for the AC condenser whereas the non-AC bars I believe are straight.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

ac original cost was 430.40

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no wonder not many of these trucks have a/c. that was a lot of money back then. the title on my 65 c10 says $2025.00 for a truck with almost no options.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

On my '64 with the dealer-installed A/C, the installers removed the x-brace in the core suport and never re-installed it. The dealer-installed kit should have came with spacers to allow for the condensor clearance because the x-brace on the non A/C trucks is straight and not curved for clearance like the A/C-specific brace. That caused a multitude of issues, and it had stress cracks everywhere on the inner fenders and core support because of this. I got a original factory A/C core support out of a '65, and the x-brace is riveted at the bottom and bolted at the top. All factory, never molested. Having it unbolt at the top makes it possible to slide the condensor in place without having to remove the entire x-brace.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

That is how my 65 is , riveted on the bottom and offset and bolted at the top.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

flea jr, pick up a copy of the assembly manual, also 64 shop manual supplement also has some info.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Got the assembly manual. Best $20 I ever spent :) also have the 65 shop manual but it got almost nothing on A/C. Just tells me to look in the 63 manual. Looks like I'll be buying both 63 and 64 manuals.
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

The small 64 shop manual supplement has a decent write up on service, removal, etc.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

This is manual that really explains the options in great detail, especially the A/C. I listed the '65 manual, not sure what exact year you need.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CCwQrQMwAA

This manual is worth EVERY PENNY!! I love mine.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

buy the dealer accessories book shows the install on the ac they have reprints on ebay for appx 20.00 for each year 64 65 66

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

My AC cab has this little extra air deflector on it, can anyone else confirm this as an AC only piece.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

As far as I know, that is an A/C only piece, and it's really rare. I wonder if it was something that came along late, like in '66 perhaps?

I have removed A/C systems from 3 trucks (my 1964 and two 1965s), and I have yet to find that piece in any of the three. I have seen it in the assembly manual, though.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

My 65 had the thriftair heater and it has that part so I don't think it was A/C only thing.as a matter of fact I have seen that part on a lot of heater only trucks
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Wow Never noticed that till you stated this so I checked my 66 air trucks today and one original 66 non air 283 pickup. This is now the easiest way to visually check for a factory air assembly line install. Two had the X brace with the bars bent outwards a few inches from each end and the non air trucks were perfectly flat bars. All had the lower end of the bars riveted to the support and a bolts to the upper ends. My one ac truck which was not factory installed air did not even have the X bar replaced from the dealer installation!

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

I would love to see a pic of that if anyone has one so I can replicate It on mine:)
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Pic of that air deflector piece thing, and some of the riveted on bottom and bolted on top offset crossbars.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Forgot I had that ac cowl metal piece shot from a 66 C10 with factory air.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Good pic Cortcomp and Mark, that Xbar as far as I would be concerned is a sure fire way to prove it. I guess it would be easy to add or hard to replace if you had a wreck.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Thank you cortcomp. Looks like I can reproduce the bend in the x brace pretty easily. As far as the little air deflector I'm still not convinced that was an A/C only part.
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Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

My 1966 February Fremont built 1966 Thrift-Air Heater truck has it.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

So this is a dealer install? Bent cross bars but nut/bolt at the bottom.

Anyone have a pic of a factory stamped dash?

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Mine had the sticker in the rear glass and it was the green tinted glass. Unfortunately, while the truck was at the body shop in the mid 90’s, all of the glass was removed and the rear was broken. It wasn’t in good shape to begin with. It had a bunch of burnt/melted spots that looked like someone had ran a welder next to it or something. Who knows? Regardless, I intended to re-install it just because of the sticker and the tinted glass wasn’t available in those days. So, my truck has clear glass and a repop sticker.

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

Interesting discussion, I thought the a/c option also pulled in soft-ray glass - but as I read thru the above posts, not sure that is the consensus(?) Only documentation I could find doesn't seem to mention it though. Is there a definitive answer on this - was this a later year thing wherein a/c and soft-ray were linked together?

Re: 65-66 Factory A/C
 

I just bought a 1966 truck for parts that has factory air in it. Is it better to restore the factory air system and put it in my non a/c truck (66), or buy an aftermarket unit? Thank you in advance for any replies.