The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk to a/c or not to a/c thats the question

hey guys, have a question, how many are using vintage a/c systems in there ol' trucks? how well do they cool it? im in dripping springs texas just outside of austin, and its awful hot here in the summer.

would like to keep the engine compartment close to orig as poss, rebuilding its orig 216 with updated bearings and pistons, rebuild the rearend with hiway gears.

i guess the questions are: what 12 volt generator do i need to look for to put on the 216?

and would a vintage air pull too much on the lil 216? my work commute when shes finished will be around 60 miles round trip id love to be able to drive her to work and back to show it off at times but dont wanna have to shower when i get there!!!!! advise?

If you are updating the 216 anyway. just get a 235 with a rocker cover kit to make it look like a 235. Save yopurself a lot of time and money. A standard GM alternator, 1 wire or 3 wire is fine. And then the compressor and kit. There are all sorts of 4 cylinders out there that come standard with AC so it's not going to kill the power. (that much!)
Worry about the pulleys and general setup of the belts and you should be in good shape. And at 60 mph with a cool cab on your way to work, no one's looking at your engine anyway. The compressor sure won't be stock looking, so why worry about keeping the 216? Guys give away 235's all the time-check the swap page.
While your swapping rear end gears, get a catalog from Patrick's. I believe he has some AC items for 235's in the catalog,

I am a big fan (fan get it ) of A/C heater systems. However if you plan to keep that Bolt Original ya might think of just rolling down the windows.
I installed Classic Auto Air in my 59 and I love it. I Drive my Bolt Daily, so I really need the A/C. If you could get away from messin to much with the Originality of you'r "BOLT" the better.
Oh yes if you do swap out that 216, please store it, or Give it to me. Ill take it!
"have an old 52 Deluxe that needs one"

Cliff59

so far unless i really get pursuaded ill keep it orig, rool the windows down and sweat, but "look cool" at the same time...

EVERY one that calls about The Coupe asks if it has A/C... if only for the resale-ability, I'd plan for it and install it.

dbone just remember you will look cool until you get older then you won't care about looks and you will just want to be cool.
Tom

gee, I am sure glad I haven't reached that age and can still drive it with the org air in it,, windows down and vent open,,,,,,,,,how good can it get

I put in an old york ac compressor with after market condensor off e-bay along with under dash unit from the 50's era made by Sears that I found at the swapmeet.In my 53 chevy pickup. Cools to 32 degrees. Hoses made at a local hydrolic hose co. here in Ft.Worth. Althou system was made for R12 I used 134A.I also insulated my cab every where I could including under dash floor and toeboard,behind seat and around the corners and the roof.Very confortable performed all work my self had a blast and It works great lots of comments from show goers.Will put Pics up as soon as I figure out how to do it.If you have any Questions please E-mail me @ [email protected] A whole lot more talkative than one of the after market ones and not that dificult to do. Neal

I like my A/C

Cliff(drives a cool)59

I wish that mine had a/c a few times per year but I think that it would be more trouble than it would be worth. I just roll 'em down and cruise.

Kyle

Thats correct there Kyle, I was checking the TEMP diff. and in Pullman Wa your high temp was 84 degrees. Here in Mineral Wells at 3 Am (right now) its 83 degrees. Our high today will reach 101. :o
I think thats why I have an A/C in my Apache.

Cliff(moving next door to Ft.Knox)59

I'm with ya dbone. I have a 216 in my '51 and intend to stay with it. I live in Norfolk VA where the humidity is usually as high as the temp. You need AC here just to be able to breath when at a stop light. I sent an E-mail to the vintage air folks about the 216 and got no reply. I have asked on other forums and have gotten no reply. I am just gonna do it. I'll let you know if it works.

Hey dbone, why do ya think it's called "Dripping" Springs?

It's your truck and you gotta drive it, if your use to air at home and at work, why not in your truck. Of course you could just drive a Honda :p

Just messin' with ya!

dbone AC is a very nice option.Sometimes I wish I had in in my 55,however I already have too much money tied up in it.I only drive it to shows,cruisins,etc.If it was a daily driver I would definitly put it in,but for now I use the 65-2 AC=65 MPH with 2 windows open.

thanks for all the input guys, im still up in the air on what to do ill decide when im going back togather with the truck, i plan to drive it alot, but would like to keep it stock everything seems alot simpler if you keep it a 6v system... have a orig radio for it 6v as well....

It's August and you're at a show 20 miles from home. You've been sitting on blacktop all day watching folks ogle your truck. It is 98 degrees with 80% humidity. It's hot. Awards were just given (congrats by the way) and it's time to leave for home. You pack and jump in the truck for the long drive home. Look at that line of trucks in front of you trying to get out of the parking lot (only one entrance). The question is; do you roll up the windows and crank up the air or sit there and sweat? Easy question for me. I've been in that situation many times; some with cars with air and sometimes not. It's really refreshing to have that cool air blowing on your to calm you as you leasurely exit and drive home. You'll be relaxed and ready to clean those bugs off the grill before putting her away.

Crank it up (and I don't mean the glasspacks either). Check with Classic Auto Air. They have a good reputation. I tried Vintage Air and wasn't all that happy.

Vintage air has a neat looking system designed for these trucks. http://www.vintageair.com/download/pdf_singles/45.pdf It is what I've been eyeing for my 50. More so now that we have been hitting 100 quite a bit. Most of the 12v generators that came on chevys should bolt up. Check with Fifth Avenue at the links. They have everything you need to do a 12v conversion and they are nice too. I think they moderate the electrical board?. I'm converting to an alternator as my commutes are short and slow and generaotrs need the revs to put out.

If your truck is a daily driver another reason for A/C is de-fogging. The A/C dehumidifies the air before blowing it onto your windsheild and that makes all the difference in defogging glass, like in the winter or during a rainstorm.

I've got a set-up similar to the Vintage Air one, but I got it from Old Air and their kit included an electric fan and a different 'evaporator/heatercore/fan unit' that is metal and looks a little beefier.

I painted that plenum/fairing or whatever that mounts to the lower dash and holds the vents and controls the same color as the dash and it blends in nicely.

I like the idea Beaver53 has. Buy the assorted components and put together your own system. In the long run I want to do something like that with my 50. The challenge will be putting on A/C and keeping it 6 volt, although that's what I want to do. Remember by 53 or 54 GM had a reliable A/C system in Pontiacs and others with 6 volts. I think it can be done. Good luck dbone.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Offi...ategoryZ33573QQihZ009QQitemZ190011219018


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If you do end up adding A/C and coverting to 12-volt, leave the 6-volt horn in. When I converted my 54 GMC, I left all the 6-volt stuff in it just to see what would happen. Light bulbs were fun because the burned really bright for about 5 seconds, but the horn was awesome! You should hear a 6-volt horn when you put 12 volts to it. I will wake up the dead. Here in Arizona we get a lot of snowbirds in the winter that drive extremely slow. In my youth, when I was rude, I rather enjoyed the looks on the faces of the little old ladies that had just been blasted with my 6-volt horn!!

Whoa partner! Before you go searching all over for and AC system for your AD truck, take a look in Fort Worth, an outfit called 'Old Air'

They make kits for all kinds of old cars and trucks and my experience with their tech support was really good.

My 54 3100 does have a 235, converted to 12volt with GM single wire alternator.

The ac plenum they sell is a very nice fit under the dash, and the kit conforms well to the rest of my truck.

I live on the Texas coast, humidity in the 90's and summer high temps near 100 are the norm. the unit is 134a, came with brackets, hoses, a special AD truck firewall grommet, the works.

My temp guage does rise a bit when I'm driving around town in the afternoon, but when cruising, it runs just fine. I installed a special fan blade to improve cooling, probably will go to an electric fan in the future to help out.

One of the simplest set-ups I found and these guys understand Texas heat. I last dealt with Old Air about 5 years ago.

I suggest AC, insulation, my wife is especialy fond of Thunder's AC.

Jim

I'm running "2-50" air conditioning in my truck right now. That's two windows down, fifty miles and hour. I'll be updating.

still confused....leaning now towards keeping it totally stock 6v and just having the heater/defroster in it as original.... ill just drive my other truck for july and aug. months, i leave for work early and come home late anyway no traffic all hiway miles should be ok, plus even though its not going to be a SHOW TRUCK i like preserving the way it left the factory look. so im leaving a/c off for now thanks guys for all the input

dbone,

Those 50's period window swamp coolers pop up on ebay every once in a while. My neighbor in CA had a window cooler on his old Plymouth you loaded up with ice! There are also some 50 style after market fans that pop up. Go in early, work out and then shower before you go on duty. I imagine in Dripping Springs at night it might be in the 90's....