The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Found AC unit - still good?

Cleaning out my fil’s storage shed. Found this old ac unit. No other parts. Is this worth holding on to? I have a 55 series 2 that eventually I want to put ac in but I feel like I’m missing a ton of parts and not sure it’s worth lugging this around.

It looks to be in very good "cosmetic" condition.

If you do not use it, try to sell it in the Swap Meet?
Good luck determining a fair/good price.

The company is still in business. Drop them a line with the numbers and see what it fits and if the missing parts are available. Looks like it may never have been installed. 🛠

Ditto on contacting "Old Air". The first thing you need to determine is whether it is intended to be used with an expansion valve or an orfice tube. HVAC systems are pretty simple- - - - -evaporate refrigerant inside the passenger compartment and absorb heat, then pump the gas to the front and condense it in front of the radiator to remove the heat. "Repeat as required". What you've got is the evaporator, and a pretty wide selection of compressors and condensers should be able to complete the setup. Definitely hang onto it- - - -even if you just take it to a swap meet somewhere. Somebody will want it, and maybe pay you well for it!
Jerry

Here is the web site.

https://www.oldairproducts.com/category/ac-systems-parts/custom-street-rod-universal

Thanks to all. Going to call Old Air and see if I can get some info.

Looks a lot like the Old Air unit I put in my 59. You still need hoses, compressor, dryer, controls, ductwork, etc. Mine is 20 years old, and is made for freon-R12. It makes cold and hot air. Back then their instructions were not all that good, maybe they have better ones available now. I have no complaints with the system and keep a stash of R12

I was just over there a couple of months ago. Good folks and this unit would probably have been a 134 unit...maybe one of the early Hurricane models. So, I'd say it could be still used. Give them a call.

Got an email back from them: "I apologize sir but that one is way over 10 years and we don’t have access to those records, plus we don’t know if it was an IP or CAP unit."

So....now I'm at an end. I think I will advertise this on the swap meet and let someone make me an offer. I'm moving so it has to go (and while I would love AC in my '55 series 2, there are a ton of other things that I need to spend money on.)

Take it apart. If it is the expansion valve type, it will be inside the case. You will see small flying saucer shaped brass part with a copper pipe coming out of the center. That will make the unit very usable since you won't need any thing else but hoses going to the compressor, and condenser in front of the engine.

Let's apply the translator to that email- - - - -"That's too old for us to bother with, and we want to sell you a new unit. Don't expect us to make any effort whatsoever to help you!"
Jerry

He'll need a receiver/drier also...

Agree with selling. The actual old A/C units called "hangdowns" or "underdash" are pretty neat, Chrome and retro. Can be made to run 134. The modern type, as you have, is not my cup of tea. Not all there, company won't help, may have big issues.

The only thing which concerns me is the lack of all of the controls whether they be cables or electronic control switches. The company may not still have those in stock if it is an older unit.
The guy that you talked to was probably a noob and doesn't know enough about the older units to help you. I'll bet someone there does.

That unit was patented in 1990 and that patent was an update of a patent abandoned earlier the same year. Darrow Cowart was the inventor. I found evidence both patent numbers were preceded by earlier applications but I can't access those and will have to ask a relative (an IP attorney) to check if such info is needed. The patent of the unit you have has now also been abandoned and replaced by other numbers along the way. So it looks like it is between 25 and 29 years old now and I guess there is a possibility it could be one of the freon 12 units. Beyond that I can't tell a lot. The WayBack Machine has some Old Air web info but it doesn't go back very far. Good luck!

My first job as a paid employee of the family auto shop was as a member of an installation team of add-on under dash air conditioners. We had a distributorship for Mark IV and later Climatic Air add-ons back in the late 1950's and early 1960's when most vehicles were sold without factory air conditioning. One man would install the under-dash evaporator, cut holes in the firewall for the hoses, and do anything else needed in the passenger compartment. The other guy would install the "adapter kit" under the hood- - - - -condenser, compressor mount, extra fan belt pulley sheaves and idlers, etc. With everything installed, the system would get a vacuum pump applied for 2-3 hours, Freon was added, and we'd drive an air conditioned car to lunch. We'd install another one in the afternoon. Parts and labor for one of those jobs was around $300.00 or so, a healthy sum when minimum wage was around $1.00 an hour! That was also approximately the cost of an "out of frame" engine overhaul including regrinding the crankshaft, grinding the valves, boring the block and installing new pistons at the time!
Jerry