1970 Bronco Air Conditioning

[Ford Bronco70]

I am considering installing air conditioning in my Bronco. I am comparing Vintage Air to Classic Auto Air. I am curious if any of you have used either system and can you provide me any insights on which system installs the best and functions best? Or provide insights into your satisfaction with the system you installed?

 

[blubuckaroo]

I am considering installing air conditioning in my Bronco. I am comparing Vintage Air to Classic Auto Air. I am curious if any of you have used either system and can you provide me any insights on which system installs the best and functions best? Or provide insights into your satisfaction with the system you installed?

I'm presently using an early Vintage Air unit.
The A/C works great, but the heater/defroster system sucks.
Vintage Air doesn't use outside air in their heat/defrost. It makes you run the compressor almost constantly.
Even new modern cars use some outside air for heat/defrost.
Until Vintage Air fixes this, I won't use their systems in any more projects.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Every aftermarket all in one units will only recycle interior air. It is also something I dislike about all of them. At SEMA one year I was talking with a company and they were working on a fresh/recirc system like any factory car has. A year later I went back and they gave up on it, didn't think there would be enough interest in it.

To that it makes the stand alone "knee knocker" under dash A/C a little more desirable in my opinion. You keep the factory heat (that works great if you have the 192° thermostat and a hint of insulation in the cab), fresh air that is needed for defrost/defog to work. And you still get A/C. You do loose the A/C to help the defog, but you also don't need to run the A/C all winter long to get any defog action.

My dream was always to get an aftermarket A/C package unit, force the unit to take fresh air (with a cabin air filter). The idea of a cabin filter just makes it even harder. Packaging is already super tight. Doing an underhood filter would be counterproductive as you would pick up too much engine bay heat in just fresh air. Being forced to run A/C even when it is cool outside. Sucks trying to add this modern stuff to old bodies that were never intended to take it.

 

[blubuckaroo]

Every aftermarket all in one units will only recycle interior air. It is also something I dislike about all of them. At SEMA one year I was talking with a company and they were working on a fresh/recirc system like any factory car has. A year later I went back and they gave up on it, didn't think there would be enough interest in it.

To that it makes the stand alone "knee knocker" under dash A/C a little more desirable in my opinion. You keep the factory heat (that works great if you have the 192° thermostat and a hint of insulation in the cab), fresh air that is needed for defrost/defog to work. And you still get A/C. You do loose the A/C to help the defog, but you also don't need to run the A/C all winter long to get any defog action.

My dream was always to get an aftermarket A/C package unit, force the unit to take fresh air (with a cabin air filter). The idea of a cabin filter just makes it even harder. Packaging is already super tight. Doing an underhood filter would be counterproductive as you would pick up too much engine bay heat in just fresh air. Being forced to run A/C even when it is cool outside. Sucks trying to add this modern stuff to old bodies that were never intended to take it.

If someone would make the old "knee Knocker" system that would move enough air, then we would have something.
As it is, you have to decide which you want. Good A/C or good heat/defrost.

 

[36Fan]

Ive always wondered if there was an OEM system that would be close enough to fit into a Bronco. Maybe out of a Bronco II or Ranger etc. I need to look around next time Im at a pick a part. As for now, I going to install the VA system.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Ive always wondered if there was an OEM system that would be close enough to fit into a Bronco. Maybe out of a Bronco II or Ranger etc. I need to look around next time Im at a pick a part. As for now, I going to install the VA system.

I've been looking for 30 years. I am really good at finding the odd ball stuff as well. Short answer, NO. You are not going to find it. Ranger/BroncoII are large systems with a significant underhood and under dash footprint. The big problem is there is not room between the dash and the firewall, there just isn't room for anything that can flow a lot of air. And so many systems have a large underhood footprint (usually the evaporator case) that there just isn't any room for.

If you ever get in a gutted Bronco shell, it isn't much larger than a complete Bronco. Very little room is taken up by the dash. A modern car with a complete in car HVAC system, take it out up to the firewall and it is amazing how huge the cabin suddenly is. That cockpit module (dash, glovebox, HVAC, cross car beam, ductwork, etc.) takes a massive amount of room.

 

[36Fan]

I've been looking for 30 years. I am really good at finding the odd ball stuff as well. Short answer, NO. You are not going to find it. Ranger/BroncoII are large systems with a significant underhood and under dash footprint. The big problem is there is not room between the dash and the firewall, there just isn't room for anything that can flow a lot of air. And so many systems have a large underhood footprint (usually the evaporator case) that there just isn't any room for.

If you ever get in a gutted Bronco shell, it isn't much larger than a complete Bronco. Very little room is taken up by the dash. A modern car with a complete in car HVAC system, take it out up to the firewall and it is amazing how huge the cabin suddenly is. That cockpit module (dash, glovebox, HVAC, cross car beam, ductwork, etc.) takes a massive amount of room.

I agree. The same common problems I see when I look at cars with the dashes out. The biggest problem is the fan motor and evap going into the engine compartment. I still look every chance I get though.

 

[sprdv1]

from history on here with diff folks, Vintage seems to be pretty popular and works well

 

[jasonmcc]

I know ppl have had success with crystalline tint on their windows and a thin sheet of aluminum as a heat shield under the bronco and things like heat/sound deadening. While it's not directly related to the A/C specifically it has to do with staying cool... your goal.

 

[blubuckaroo]

When we bought our'77 we had the dealer install an AC unit. I think the brand was ARA. It was like the classic add-on units that mounted under the dash, but it had a discharge extension on each side to ends of the dash. These used the factory heater/defrost. These units are still available.
They should be easier to install than the complete heat/AC system too.
https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...kit-underdash-v8-289302-66-77-ford-bronco-new
In my experience, it didn't move enough air to cool a full cab Bronco. They would probably be great for a half cab.

 

[gclauson]

Has anyone looked at a Suzuki Samurai? They are very small under the dash but some had factory AC. Perhaps that could be a Bronco option.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[bronconut73]

As I understand it Sammy's have what looks like "factory installed" air but is not. Still, your point is valid....I bet its small.

But the VA unit has been "made to fit our eb's".
Sometimes you should re-invent the wheel. Sometimes you shouldn't. I think this is one of those times where you shouldn't.
Lol

 

[brenton23]

I am considering installing air conditioning in my Bronco. I am comparing Vintage Air to Classic Auto Air. I am curious if any of you have used either system and can you provide me any insights on which system installs the best and functions best? Or provide insights into your satisfaction with the system you installed?

I'm curious where you're at on this. I'm about to start work on a 1974 bronco and would love to know what your experience has been. I'm also in Omaha.

 

[tbratz]

I installed a vintage air system I think I got from BC Bronco a number of years ago and was very disappointed. It was a lot of trouble to install and there were things they didn't tell me, like having to install and new thermostat housing so the new radiator hose would fit, which wasn't included in the kit. The biggest issue was fan to radiator clearance. I had a 4 core radiator I had just bought and ended up having to buy a new 3 core radiator since the fan hit the 4 core radiator. Even the three core ended up only like 1/2 inch from fan. Also, the fan belt was a constant squeal, because the way the compressor mounted only a very small portion of the belt contacted the pulley, it may have been the power steering pulley, I don't remember which one. As far as cooling it was very subpar and anything above 90 degrees forget it. I did have an automotive AC shop tell me it would never be effective at cooling since the condenser was so small and inefficient. I think it also sat so close to the hood that one of the lines mounted at the compressor also rubbed under the hood. After a couple years the compressor started to leak so at that point I tore it out. The heater did work better than the factory heater however. It was one of the worst upgrades I ever did to my Bronco and a waste of money. Do not mean to scare you away from installing one, because others like theirs, Just some honest insight on my experience installing one.

 

[brenton23]

I installed a vintage air system I think I got from BC Bronco a number of years ago and was very disappointed. It was a lot of trouble to install and there were things they didn't tell me, like having to install and new thermostat housing so the new radiator hose would fit, which wasn't included in the kit. The biggest issue was fan to radiator clearance. I had a 4 core radiator I had just bought and ended up having to buy a new 3 core radiator since the fan hit the 4 core radiator. Even the three core ended up only like 1/2 inch from fan. Also, the fan belt was a constant squeal, because the way the compressor mounted only a very small portion of the belt contacted the pulley, it may have been the power steering pulley, I don't remember which one. As far as cooling it was very subpar and anything above 90 degrees forget it. I did have an automotive AC shop tell me it would never be effective at cooling since the condenser was so small and inefficient. I think it also sat so close to the hood that one of the lines mounted at the compressor also rubbed under the hood. After a couple years the compressor started to leak so at that point I tore it out. The heater did work better than the factory heater however. It was one of the worst upgrades I ever did to my Bronco and a waste of money. Do not mean to scare you away from installing one, because others like theirs, Just some honest insight on my experience installing one.

good to know, and for me honestly AC is probably one of the lowest things on the list of upgrades. I'm in the very early stage of not knowing what I don't know, but like probably all of us, have some big dreams about what it could look like someday...

 

[lars]

Depends on what you are starting with.

In my case an engine with the Explorer 5.0 serpentine system. And what ever Vintage Air system BCB was selling 3 years ago. No thermostat housing, fan or radiator clearance issues since none of that changed. I run a permanent hard top and have insulated most of the sheet metal on the floor, firewall and roof to the extent practical. It arguably doesn't cool as well as a late model vehicle but it's a huge improvement compared to nothing. I live in the Sacramento Valley where summer highs get into the triple digits; it transformed my Bronco from undriveable in the summer to tolerable.

That said the install was a huge pain, the most challenging system install I've done on my Bronco. 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.