Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

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68 Wagon
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Joined: 02 Jan 2012 01:27
Location: Bozeman, MT area

Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by 68 Wagon »

Anyone done it out there? Vintage Air looks like a good option. The VG has enough "oomph" to power air and not be anemic like the old 1600 engine was. We live in Montana and rarely need a/c but a trip to southern california might require such a thing.
I've been driving 70's Datsun sedans, wagons, and roadsters almost every day since 1983!
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Dave Patten
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Dave Patten »

There is a universal heat and AC combined unit called the Hurricane. These are used in hot rods and resto-mods. It is compact at 11" tall x 8.5" deep x 11.5" wide

I plan to take a hard look at this uint for my 66 V520.

Link https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/ ... ete-system
Dave Patten
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Three B's Racing
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Three B's Racing »

Dave Patten wrote:There is a universal heat and AC combined unit called the Hurricane. These are used in hot rods and resto-mods. It is compact at 11" tall x 8.5" deep x 11.5" wide

I plan to take a hard look at this uint for my 66 V520.

Link https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/ ... ete-system
I've see those and their awesome but 75 pound weight hmmm!
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ecotec510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by ecotec510 »

I'm running the Vintage Air Compac under the dash. Used the smallest Sanden SD7B10 compressor. AC, heat and defrost. Plumbed into the original dash vents. Made an adapter plate for the original heater control location to accept the VA electronic controls. Makes the car much more livable on roadtrip duty here in the hot humid South.
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Byron510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Byron510 »

Pics? I'd love to see details.
In my youthful exuberance, I removed the heater out of the Bronze.
Now in my mid 40's, I see the error in my ways!
I have felt for many years that if I add a heater, I may as well add AC....with the compressor placed under that custom EFI manifold I made some years ago with 510rob.

Byron
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because the opposite never works.
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ecotec510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by ecotec510 »

Like anything in a 510 it's an exercise in packaging. I made brackets that mount the underdash unit to the original heater firewall holes, and two that tie it into the lower dash rail. Custom center vent. Condenser barely fits behind the grille, with plumbing snaked thru the horn opening. I added the AC after paint so I did whatever it took to avoid cutting the car. I currently have the fresh air vents capped and ac plumbed directly to the dash vents. I plan to try to figure out a way to have both fresh air and ac going to the vents, since that's missed a lot of days when you want the air flow with the windows up. 5yrs since the install.
accontrols.jpg
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accondenser.jpg
accondenser.jpg (201.42 KiB) Viewed 4532 times
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Byron510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Byron510 »

Nice job.

I have a factory AC under dash unit, and an optional late style center dash fresh air vent. I’d love to incorporate one or both into my installation. Likely just the AC unit, but we’ll have to see. I still need the heater and AC box, condenser and dryer to mount somewhere with plumbing to the compressor.

How as the sizing for you? Output good or overboard?

Thanks for the ideas and photos.

Byron
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qwik510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by qwik510 »

Byron510 wrote:Nice job.

I have a factory AC under dash unit, and an optional late style center dash fresh air vent. I’d love to incorporate one or both into my installation. Likely just the AC unit, but we’ll have to see. I still need the heater and AC box, condenser and dryer to mount somewhere with plumbing to the compressor.

How as the sizing for you? Output good or overboard?

Thanks for the ideas and photos.

Byron
Optional Late style center dash fresh air vent??

I don't recall seeing one one these.

Any pics?


I plan to use the "knee knocker" under dash evaporator unit with vents and a Sanden compressor. Nathan Marshall made up some nice bolt on brackets for the compressor to mount to an L series block. So the rest should not be too bad. Condenser, drier and new hoses along with a relay to trigger the electric fan when the compressor comes on.
Enjoy The Ride!
David
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Three B's Racing »

Puta, I mean it's just a bit of heat and sweat 8>) I've been driving my 510 since the build `97 to now with no AC just a heater and summers here in NH aren't exactly cool as we have temps and high humidity too granted not quite like the South but still. When I lived in Southern Ca my 510 also did not have AC no problem. Reason I've never installed AC is because for me it's just more shit you gota deal with when playing with engine/underhood stuff besides isn't your 2nd vehicle with AC your savoir?

You know I'm kidding right? I don't need to get pistol whipped 8>)
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Byron510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by Byron510 »

I’ll find a photo of the center mount air vent for the late style dash for you David, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen in person. However there is reference to it in the factory and Haynes manual drawings.

The AC part for me isn’t the only thing I need. As noted earlier I removed the heater in my younger years - welding up all the mounting and water feed holes. So if I’m going to to the effort of installing a new heater unit, I may as well do a combo unit while I’m at it.

Byron
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because the opposite never works.
68 Wagon
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by 68 Wagon »

Thanks guys. I'm having Vintage Air send me a catalog and planning on going with ecotech510's setup. Lot's of room in the VG engine bay. Battery is in the trunk now.
I've been driving 70's Datsun sedans, wagons, and roadsters almost every day since 1983!
qwik510
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Re: Air Conditioning for 72 4 dr. w/vg30?

Post by qwik510 »

Byron510 wrote:I’ll find a photo of the center mount air vent for the late style dash for you David, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen in person. However there is reference to it in the factory and Haynes manual drawings.

The AC part for me isn’t the only thing I need. As noted earlier I removed the heater in my younger years - welding up all the mounting and water feed holes. So if I’m going to to the effort of installing a new heater unit, I may as well do a combo unit while I’m at it.

Byron

Thanks Byron.

As to combo units, I had a Vintage Air Gen II Mini in my LS1 240Z. It was the largest unit that would fit behind the dash. It would provide cold air but on the hotter days, it was marginal.
The heat worked great though.

Get the largest unit you can fit along with the largest condenser too.
Enjoy The Ride!
David
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