Factory A/C vs Vintage

[FatherandSon]

I have a 69 Chevy Custom Camper C20, 350/400, w/factory A/C. At first glance all the A/C parts look to be present but non-op. What are the cost & efficiency pros & cons of restoring factory vs aftermarket such as Vintage? Thanks for your input in advance!

[leddzepp]

If all the factory stuff is there, I would go with it. If a bunch of parts were missing, I would go the vintage air route. Welcome to the board neighbor! I am in Riverside also.
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[BrianV]

I agree with ledzepp the vintage air is very nice but if everything is there you will save a ton of work. And the factory ac works very well.

[thelonerife]

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I have had a working factory system and while I like to have some things stock. I will never put a dime into a factory system again. Heres why. I have put a load of money into a stock system by changing compressors, clutches, clutch seals only to have them start leaking oil later down the road. It really ticks you off when you finally get it right and you pop the hood and see oil sprinkled all over the engine bay. I have installed Vintage air on one truck that I sold and have one on my project truck also. I like the system. The only change I would make next time is I would take one of the lines that come in the kit and have it made 3'' longer. Just to have a little more adjustability with the compressor. I like the Vintage a lot better than the stock and it looks better under the hood. Just my .02

[leddzepp]

I have been down the same road as thelonerife as well. Rebuilt A-6 compressors are junk and will leak no matter what. I went through 4 of them. Other than that compressor I have never had an issue with a factory AC systems other parts. If your compressor is toast I would go with a pro6ten from old air products. It bolts right in to the factory brackets, is more efficient than original, and will not leak. I was very happy with mine.
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[Wrenchbender Ret]

I have the vintage -air inside unit with factory compresser. Like the guys say I can't keep it from slinging oil.

[TBONE1964]

Keep it original and use a pro6ten compressor like leddzepp suggested.

[ERASER5]

I would keep the stock setup sort of. New hoses is a good idea as is eliminating the suction throttling valve. If you want a Sanden compressor, that will work too. Kepping the expansion valve or going to an expansion tube is up to you. But the OEM air handling system is the best. Outside air is used for heating and you can re-circulate the air for max cooling.

All of the aftermarket HVAC systems only recirculate the air, so during heat mode, the windshiel can fog. BUT you live in Cali. Your "cold" front is what 40° F? Mine is 0° F, so the issue is much bigger for me.

[Lee H]

After pricing out the parts needed to rebuild my stock AC system, and an estimate to have an AC shop convert to do away with the expansion valve (including parts and labor plus parts and labor to get the other AC parts needed) it was only a few hundred more to get a VA system. I just could not see that kind cost of upgrading and kluging together a 40 year old system when the VA system heats and cools many times better. That and the cleanness of the cab and under hood install, it was an easy decision to make.

[RenoKeene]

Mine had to be original for my build, slings oil like all the rest. Working on a bolt on shield to keep the oil off the hood etc. I'll make it kinda stock looking.
I'll post up when I get it done.

[FatherandSon]

Thanks to all for the feedback/info. The pro6ten compressor sounds like a good tip. I've only had the truck about 18 mos so I don't know how long the A/C has been inop but I suspect some of the parts will need replacing. I guess I'll do a detailed cost comparison after I determine which parts need replacing. Are the OEM parts compatible with R134? If not which do I need to replace to be compatible?

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by FatherandSon

Thanks to all for the feedback/info. The pro6ten compressor sounds like a good tip. I've only had the truck about 18 mos so I don't know how long the A/C has been inop but I suspect some of the parts will need replacing. I guess I'll do a detailed cost comparison after I determine which parts need replacing. Are the OEM parts compatible with R134? If not which do I need to replace to be compatible?

I think you will be WAY cheaper rebuilding the stock system. I did a write up a while ago on here for converting a non-AC truck to an AC truck. Even then it is cheaper to use stock pieces.

Regarding old, stock AC compressors I must be lucky. I'm running three of them that are all 40+ years old and all working fine with no leaks. The one in my truck had 10 years off sitting on a shelf in my shop but the Chevelle ones have been in operation since the general put them on in 1971 and 1972.

Because you aren't converting a non-AC truck you won't need to do all the things I had to but I did replace a lot of the stock parts I got off a junker AC truck with new parts that are supposedly able to handle R134a. I've read that your stock AC hoses won't contain R134a. I wasn't sure so I just bought new.
Click over to:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=478564
and scroll down to post #8. There I have a detailed list of parts you'll need to convert to R134a.
You'll want the new suction and discharge hose, expansion valve to drier hose, o-ring kit, R134a compatible oil, o-ring/thread sealer, and you MUST buy a new receiver/dryer. Before you faint that is less than $200 worth of parts.
I'm not convinced I needed a new expansion valve but they are only $17.

The next time I open the system up I'm going to buy a newer condenser made to work with R134a. The R12 one on your truck works but a newer one will work better which will lead to colder temps coming out of the system in the cab.

The link in post #4 in my write-up used to be a real nice, detailed procedure with pictures on how to adjust your POA to work with R134a. That link broke some time since I posted the how-to. Go to that autoacforum and type "POA convert R12 to R134a" in the search. Lots of posts there deal with adjusting your POA to work with R134a. When it gets warmer out I should re-create that procedure and post it on this forum so it doesn't get lost. It is real easy to do and without the adjustment your AC won't cool as well with R134a as it would with the stock (R12) setting.

[bollybib]

mrein3 has given some good advice. I have been doing a lot of reseach on this subject and his description is very close to what I am going to do to mine.

[stsalvage]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

If all the factory stuff is there, I would go with it. If a bunch of parts were missing, I would go the vintage air route. Welcome to the board neighbor! I am in Riverside also.
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I totally agree

[FatherandSon]

Again, thanks for your posts guys! MREIN3 your post is awesome and I appreciate all the work you put into it for fellas like me. It's just what I need!

[bugmasta]

Go vintage air, got one in my truck and never regretted it one bit!
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