I have searched for some information and most of it was found for Vintage Air and many from old kits. So I thought I would try again and see if folks are happy now with Vintage Air.

So first of all, Vintage Air or Classic Air?

I put Classic in my son's Mustang and have been happy with that, but it seems many people use Vintage on here.

Also, my car is a 1969 Vert without factory air but I do have access to a factory air dash. So my firewall, which I have read, may be different from a factory air car but my dash would have a factory air dash with the vents already mounted there.

So what kit do you folks recommend?

Thanks for any and all help. I would like to order my system ASAP.

SAM

I would love to help, but my freshly installed vintage air is getting charged, and a couple of other items being dealt with, but I won't have her back until probably monday or tuesday, then I can give you my opinion of how well it works.

I had Vintage in my Sebring (Cobra sleeper, Austin healey replica) ,was very happy with it...dont have any AC in my 69 bird ,but 3 friends have Vinrage air and are happy with it in their birds

I installed Vintage Air in my bird last summer and it’s “ok”. I’d like to see and test the classic air set up for comparison. The thing about Vintage is they set their thermostat to shut off the compressor fairly conservatively. I place a digital thermometer in the center vent and I can easily tell when the compressor cycles on and then off. You don’t want the evaporator to freeze up but they turn the compressor off when the vent temp get to 45 or 44 degrees. I know from experience that here, where I live anyway, vent temps can get 4 or 5 degrees colder and not freeze up, or at least very rarely. My black on black car needs to be as cold as possible in this Texas heat! Otherwise it’s a good system.

I look forward to hearing from you. I am going to get my son's AC charged either tomorrow or over the weekend. Hopefully, it works good.

Has anyone put in AC with tall valve covers? My engine is rebuilt and the builder said the stock or stock size valve covers "should, work, but if you're going to buy new ones I would get tall ones." He said is was going to be pretty tight. I think the cam that he installed (Comp Cam) needed longer rods and he thought it will be pretty tight.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

SAM

You wont need taller valve covers unless you are using aluminum roller rockers for the most part.
As far as pushrod length there should only be .200-.300 difference in length at most, so no issue there.

I thought he had to order longer push rods. Like a 1/2 inch longer rod. The roller rockers were probably the same. Here is the cam kit that is now in the car:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-K51-233-4

SAM

I have Classic Auto Air. It performs very well.

The compressor is a little bit loud... and the control system is fairly primitive - I did hear that Vintage Auto Air uses electronic controls, even for a servo for the flow to the heater core...

Does anyone think I would have any weird issues using a dash from a stock AC car on a non-AC car with an aftermarket system?

My original dash was chopped up and this one is perfect so I thought it would be good to have.

SAM

It works fine. But you might want to source the stock center vent from somewhere cause the ones that come in the kit are kind of funky. I'm not sure but there may be an upgrade available for the center vent from VA when you order.

Ah yes! Good point, Robert.

Classic Auto Air comes with a plastic vent that screws onto your center dash. Very not original, very plastic looking. It does have directional controls that the original does not have.

I bought the original style vent and had to cut a strip of plastic off of the air vent mount thing from classic in order to get it to fit, and use some weather stripping to keep pressure against the original style vent piece. It looks and works fine.

I called the Vintage Air people and they said that the 1969 Firebird's kit uses the cables and not electronic. Which I knew but they also said that if you get that kit it will probably be replaced in the future for an electronic version and you won't be able to get parts.

So then I am suppose to try and look at an electronic version. Either the 1969 Camaro or a Universal Kit. Both will take adapting them and relocating a controller somewhere.

Anybody do this or has anyone seen one installed?

Thanks,

SAM

I called Vintage yesterday and they said they would not get the 69 setup. He was the second guy that said I should get the Universal Setup and adapt it to the car. They say the Gen IV blows more volume and cooler. Has any one installed the Universal system? If so, any issues I need to know about and do you happen to have the parts list you went with?

SAM

There is nothing wrong with the cable operated system. If the 69 one that uses the cables also uses your original dash or the dash you prefer, I’d get that one. I wouldn’t put a lot of faith in what they say will work better when they don’t offer the preferred GEN IV you want in the first place. Looking at the big picture I wouldn’t worry about replacement parts now. Not from “that kit it will probably be replaced in the future for an electronic version and you won't be able to get parts” anyway. I know that sounds short sighted but if there is a problem it will be right away or nearly right away and more than likely it would be the compressor. I would not be happy relocating the controls that’s for sure.