Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

The big brown truck dropped off my system today. I got my condenser and everything outside installed, but then I ran into a roadblock.

I mounted all the brackets on my evaporator and now have a question.

The instructions say to use 2 bolts through holes in the firewall, to mount the rear bracket. My firewall is smoothed, so I have no holes. This means I have no way to mount the bracket, or even locate the evaporator. What did you all do, that have shaved firewalls?

Thank you

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

maybe try this
http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/H...navid=12102936

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

I ordered my Vintage Air kit today and plan on smoothing my firewall. I am going to use the Vintage Air template to locate the bolt locations, drill the holes through the firewall, put the bolts against the holes from the inside with the head side facing the firewall, and spot weld through the hole onto the bolt head. Or you can spot weld the side of the bolt heads to the firewall from the inside. If your firewall is painted then those ideas probably will not work.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

those won't really help the situation

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

My firewall is already smooth, so I would be guessing on template location.

You also might want to rethink your idea. The bolts twist INTO the threaded support bracket, so a stationary bolt won't do you any good. Once you get the kit, you will see what I mean.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Post pictures of your firewall...

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

It ain't pretty

Just waiting for the wetblaster to get here and strip the cab and inner fenders. Should be done in a couple/few hours. Then it's on to final bodywork

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

You should be able to used the Vintage Air bracket as the template to determine where to drill your holes. There's only 2 bolts that go through the firewall that the interior bracket connects to. Here's a picture of the last one I installed.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

My problem is that my firewall is/will be smooth, so there will be no holes, or bolts coming in from the outside and as I mentioned earlier, the option of welding threaded studs from the inside really won't work either, because the thread into the bracket that is already threaded

I REALLY appreciate everyone trying to help, but hopefully someone with a smoothed firewall, that has added A/C will chime in

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Weld the bracket to the firewall.....

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Not an option. The bracket has to be mounted to the evaporator/interior box before it is bolted to the firewall. No access to weld on bracket.

I suggest getting someone that has a VA unit installed to make a template that goes all the way out to the edge of the first step in the firewall and has the necessary bolt hole locations marked out. That way the bolt hole locations are referenced to the edge of the first step in the firewall, a feature that is identical between a stock and smoothed firewall.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

It's really simple to do.. Place your metal plate that comes from V/A in place on the inside of the firewall just using it to locate your two mounting holes. The directions tell you which two to use.. Mark the holes and pull the panel off. Take two 5/16 X1" bolts and weld them in your marked locations.. On your bracket that bolts to the vintage air unit drill the threaded holes out to 3/8".. Then slide the unit in on the welded in studs and use nuts or locking nuts to secure the unit.. Then use the provided sheet metal screw to attach the top bracket the inner cowl..

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Thanks Kyle. I actually bought this kit off of Laid Back. it's awesome to know that you guys can help out on this end too :metal:

I'm heading back out to the shop right now to take care of this. THANK YOU very much!!

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

No problem and thank you for the business..

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

I was in the same boat. I had shaved and painted my firewall before I bought & installed my vintage air kit. I don't have any pictures, but I made a bracket that hangs down. Two bolts run through the inside of the cowl, pointing down to hold the bracket in place. So far so good.

Good Luck!

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Just mocked it up as described and it went fine. I still got to take it back down, to install my lines and see exactly where they are going to run. I bought the longer hose kit, that way I could run them out the firsewall way over toward the fender

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Never installed one of these units but reading what everyone was saying, this idea was exactly what I was going to suggest.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Ran my lines out the fresh air vent in the kick panel then over the inner fender to the front you only see the lines from the front of the inner fender naturally my picture is upside down but maybe this will give you another option good luck used a vintage air bulkhead

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

You must have uploaded the wrong picture, because there are no inner fender wells in this picture. Heck... There aren't even any lines coming out of the firewall or a bulkhead :uhmk:

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Hey Rod Run, any way you could post up pics and dimensions for the bolt placement?

I am going to have to do the same thing, but my paint will be done way before I can take delivery on my Vintage Air System.

Thanks if you can.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

I'm on my way out the door for the Boston Autorama right now, but I'll see if I can figure something out later this weekend. I'm not to confident that I'll be able to get good dimensions, but I'll give it a look.

Just thought of something.....

If you give me your address, I can trace the template on a piece of paper and can mail it to you

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Thanks, Rod Run.

I PM'd you.

Hope you have a good Autorama.

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

Truck is apart lines run out bottom of cowl lay on top of inner fender,they are hidden behind the area where the inner fender bolts to the fender here is the area at the bottom of the cowl where the bulkhead is located lines go from the unit through the fresh air vent---then you fab up something to close up that area around the lines hope this helps I ordered all my hose ends from summit

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

inside

Re: Vintage Air & smooth firewall question
 

I LOVE that idea. Thanks so much for sharing!

I will be doing that exact same thing