To all my Southern Bronco Brothers, Air Conditioning with Bikin Top

[kat]

Have a '76 Half Cab with a 351W and have the serpentine swap. I have the old air conditioning compressor that I snatched off the Explorer. It still had oil in it. But haven't checked it to see if it works. Other than the aluminum bracket that it bolts to I have no other A/C parts. Thinking of putting A/C in the old girl but I have a two part question.

1-What is the best system to go with, is there a system that I can just get SOME of it minus compressor or would it be better to just get the whole system. I want to put compressor (new or old) using the bracket I have. So what is my best plan for attack?

2-I live in Florida..its hot down here as you know. During the summer I have been using the Bikini Top. I know air will escape from the cab, just wondering if anybody runs there A/C while using a Bikini Top and if so, does it help keeping you cool??
Thanks for any advice..

 

[Rustytruck]

If your going to run air conditioning with a bikini top or no top it would be pretty important to have the air conditioning ducts aimed directly at the driver and passenger. In the Bronco dash with all its stock stuff that would be hard to do without allot of very creative effort. The under dash unit would seem a good placement at first glance. Running half doors would probably help too but then your also trapping floor board heat.

 

[Jaxgtc]

If your going to run air conditioning with a bikini top or no top it would be pretty important to have the air conditioning ducts aimed directly at the driver and passenger. In the Bronco dash with all its stock stuff that would be hard to do without allot of very creative effort. The under dash unit would seem a good placement at first glance. Running half doors would probably help too but then your also trapping floor board heat.

I used to run my Jeep with the top down in winter and the heat on (Florida winter, nothing crazy), but I would think that no amount of ac is going to beat the heat with so much ambient air swirling around.

 

[bronconut73]

If your going to run air conditioning with a bikini top or no top it would be pretty important to have the air conditioning ducts aimed directly at the driver and passenger. In the Bronco dash with all its stock stuff that would be hard to do without allot of very creative effort. The under dash unit would seem a good placement at first glance. Running half doors would probably help too but then your also trapping floor board heat.

Yup....it'll have to be blowing right on you.
Bikini or not, good floor and firewall insulation is important .....

 

[kat]

I do have a 3 inch body lift to help somewhat on the floor heat. But am trying to stay away from carpet because I like the fact of an easy clean.
I was looking at some A/C units that had 4 movable vents, 2 could be placed under dash in front of each seat. But I kinda see how the air swirling around would be a problem

 

[Fitz24]

I live in south east Texas and installed a vintage air kit last year. Works pretty well with my 1/2 cab on. Not sure if it would be enough without top. Purchased my kit from one of the Bronco shops but I would recommend going straight to Vintage Air. They will help customize to your needs a little better I think.

 

[fordguy]

might help while sitting at the red light, but not much rolling down the road

 

[Tucknkitty]

Too Hot

I'll second the importance of insulation. I drove down to Bristol for a NASCAR race last may, it was maybe 75 or so outside and I had bare floors with a decent coating of linex. The passenger side floor board was so hot it was unbearable for my passenger (she had to keep her feet up) during the 9 hour drive home. It could melt your shoes if you left them there long enough...

I did three things: I used dynamat extreme on all of the interior, especially around the tunnels, I placed exhaust heat shields (from summit) on the places the exhaust was closest to the floor board (running ceramic headers), and then Dynadeck (its about an inch thick). The interior temp of my rig is near or within ten degrees of the ambient temperature outside. No kidding - it wasn't cheap but it had a significant impact. I run a BC soft top.

Just a thought but it worked for me and it made a big improvement on sound quality...more bass!!!!

TnK

 

[Lunar-tic]

I know this is far fetched, but if you could run a/c thru your seats like some of the new cars, that would probably be the best thing you could do in Florida with no top. Swamp ass and monkey butt will suck the fun out of any drive.

 

[Eoth]

HaHa.... Need this!

https://www.antimonkeybutt.com/

 

[kat]

All good ideas and it makes me want to NOT get A/C. I did not mention that the PO had fiberglassed the floor. It does help some. And I am running doors. Like was said before I have had some cool nights earlier this year when I had to run the heater. And when you roll up the windows it traps the air pretty good. Im with you on the swamp ass. I was wanting the vents to actualy point toward the crouch area in both seats. With the option to move the vents towards the face area if need be.

 

[Rustytruck]

If you don't want to insulate take the doors off and let the air flow. That radiated heat coming off the floor boards adds so much stress when you drive not counting the cooking factor.