Air Conditioning Options - Budget

[urbanbeard]

I have read about the "vintage" air systems and they seem to be rather expensive. Are there any cheaper options? Not sure if this is something I could even tackle myself, so I would need to factor in labor cost.

 

[Ksm]

Yea, factor in labor and a few new additional parts in case it doesn't play well with what you have. I went through three different radiators because of overheating issues.

 

[00gyrhed]

back in the old days before we had companies like vintage air making these kits we used to cobble together AC systems from junk yards.

The biggest consideration is to take an AC unit out of a similar vehicle and take it ALL. That way it will all play well together and you can just buy parts for that vehicle. Find a system from a modern mini van with Sankyo compressor and just pull it all. Some careful looking around will often get you an interior box with heater and evaporator all together that can be altered to fit behind you broncos dash.

We actually used to take the evaporator and heater core and build boxes around them with fiberglass on the engine side of the firewall so as to keep the clutter under the dash to a minimum. Properly done it will snug up nice and tight to the dash and you can slick it off and paint it to match.

However, we only did it that way because these kits were either not available at the time or were silly stupid expensive.

You can get all the parts for next to nothing and if you get luck find an interior unit that works. But I have spent a lot of time walking yards looking for just the right thing. If you have pretty good fabrication skills and more time than money you can make it work.

Also if you don't mind a knee knocker I have picked up complete systems for next to nothing.

 

[sykanr0ng]

Here is a member selling some used/rebuilt older Ford under dash units.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2708787&postcount=1

 

[urbanbeard]

Thanks for the thoughts. May just need to save up for the vintage system, as I do not have the knowledge or time to go pull parts. It just gets so damn hot here in Texas and I wanna be able to still drive my bronco in the summer without soaking my clothes.

 

[Ksm]

I have a Vintage Air system, and even when it was working I was still sweating in North Texas. It basically just cools you where you point the vents. I can't say the entire cab, or even the front end of the Bronco, gets "cool." But it does help.

But that's just how mine turned out, every Bronco reacts differently to these "elective surgeries"

 

[TN1776]

The biggest thing is that you have to insulate the interior like you mean it. Plug all holes in the firewall, insulate the floor, side panels, hard top, etc. While not a Bronco, my dad built a 38 Ford pickup hot rod and it is air conditioned with a vintage air system. He had the same complaints as stated above - cool air where you point the vents, etc. He later went crazy with dynamat on all interior surfaces and had a custom interior put in. The cab will get cool (not cold like a modern car, but a noticeable and appreciated cooling effect). Granted that cab is tiny compared to an EB interior, but the same rules apply.

 

[blubuckaroo]

The biggest thing is that you have to insulate the interior like you mean it. Plug all holes in the firewall, insulate the floor, side panels, hard top, etc. While not a Bronco, my dad built a 38 Ford pickup hot rod and it is air conditioned with a vintage air system. He had the same complaints as stated above - cool air where you point the vents, etc. He later went crazy with dynamat on all interior surfaces and had a custom interior put in. The cab will get cool (not cold like a modern car, but a noticeable and appreciated cooling effect). Granted that cab is tiny compared to an EB interior, but the same rules apply.

A Bronco is easy to "insulate like you mean it". Large cavities in the roof and side panels, and a flat floor and firewall.
I doubled up on all the floor and firewall pads, and used all the styrofoam I could fit into the roof. The side panels got filled with auto insulation sheets from the wrecking yard.
The glass got tinted with high UV window tint.
My car stays cool even when idling in 110 degree traffic and the tunes are better too.
Then I moved to the northwest where I seldom use the AC anyway. %)

 

[sykanr0ng]

A Bronco is easy to "insulate like you mean it". Large cavities in the roof and side panels, and a flat floor and firewall.
I doubled up on all the floor and firewall pads, and used all the styrofoam I could fit into the roof. The side panels got filled with auto insulation sheets from the wrecking yard.
The glass got tinted with high UV window tint.
My car stays cool even when idling in 110 degree traffic and the tunes are better too.
Then I moved to the northwest where I seldom use the AC anyway. %)

That is a bigger part of it than most people realize, cut down the heat coming in = less work to cool the car.
Look at any air conditioned car from the last 35 years, every one of them has tinted glass.
Broncos were all made with clear glass, but then none of them were factory A/C.

 

[gnsteam]

That is a bigger part of it than most people realize, cut down the heat coming in = less work to cool the car.
Look at any air conditioned car from the last 35 years, every one of them has tinted glass.
Broncos were all made with clear glass, but then none of them were factory A/C.

Agreed. Tinting make a difference. I've tinted the windows in all of my non AC Broncos and it does help.

 

[wesleydax]

Installed vintage air a couple weeks ago. so far i love it. rampage soft top and no window tint and it does a good job. not like a new car but like the others have said theres no insulation. If your fair with tools you could do the install then just take it to the ac shop and have it charged.

 

[sykanr0ng]

"insulate like you mean it"

After thinking about this some more, even if you live in or move to a cooler part of the world doing a serious insulating job on a Bronco will pay off.

With good insulation heating a Bronco also becomes easier.

And since insulation usually dampens noise:
Getting a good sound system in a Bronco becomes easier.
Holding a conversation without shouting in a Bronco becomes easier.

I don't plan on A/C in my Bronco (the OBA will use the A/C compressor mount) but I will be insulating and probably adding tinted glass.