Hi Guys,

I've been looking around at aftermarket systems and have been intrigued recently by www.classicautoair.com.  I wondered if any of you had any input on these systems.  I have been suprised searching through previous forum posts that so few of you have done retrofit AC installs.  Perhaps there is a very good reason for this or maybe you don't live in Tucson where it is 110 degrees right now and it isn't even noon yet.  This company looks better than what I've seen from Vintage Air and Hot Rod Air, but without a satisfied customer to talk to it is all marketing fluff to me (I am a marketing VP myself).  Anyway, any input would be valued.  Thanks.

I installed hot rod air 2 years ago as they were the only ones then with a C3 kit. It went in pretty easy & I haven't har any problems & I use it all the time with the top down or up. Try putting 2 spal 7" fans behind your front tires pulling air down(attach to the frame). This helped my vette stay cooler. Getting that heat out of that small engine compartment is a problem on all C3's especially BB's

Alan

I am currently installing a Hot Rod air kit on my 72.  While my installation is far from their typical kit it is a well made kit.  I have not had a chance to test it.  My Dad, who is a retired AC repairman, brought me down his vacuum pump system and his charging gauges so I can complete the installation real soon.

What is making my installation more difficult from their standard kit is that I am installing it in conjunction with a front mount serpentine kit, that requires a different compressor then the normal kit they sell.  So lines and othe fittings I am having to make up which requires a fitting crimp tool so you can crimp the fittings as needed while they are installed in the car.  Its a killer looking system and I would highly recommend it. While your car will be stepping away from orginallity I see nothing, but positives for such a move.

 

the opening on the firewall on a non-AC car is smaller than a AC car, if you are going to use stock parts to make up a system be aware that you are going to have to do some cutting and drilling.

After Shark, was your car a non- AC car, I want to change over to the new style 805 Sanden comp. setup, the jackass that writes for Vette Fever Chris Peters had a kit with all the parts to change over, I called him several times and he said he would put a kit together for me and let me know in a week or two, well haven't heard its been four months, I think he flat &$)@# lied to me , no wonder he's not in the corvette repair business anymore, anyway I have to change the Evapr,or weld up the oil return line, new lines, brackets, dryer etc, I have HRA's cat. going to put the parts together myself.

My car was an AC car, but everything was missing and the PO had cooked the harness on the headers because he didn't zip tie it up out of the way.  Since the harness was needing replaced and that meant tearing out the dash, removing the duct work just to get to it, I figured might as well replace it with something much better and less complicated to maintain.  These systems certainly do that.

The kit you are asking about from Chris is a kit I believe Corvette Central Sells.  I don't see it on their website, but In one of their older catalogs it was part number 453128 68-77E or 453214 77L-82.  It uses the Sanden Compressor, and comes wih the Brackets, Drier, Hoses and Other hardware.  It uses the R134A ref., but You will need to flush or codensor or get a new one.

Chris is now full time at Primedia as their Tech editor.  Chris is just so darn busy he has a hard time following through, plus he is still running his corvette Business.  Chris and I are friends and we talk all the time, a well of knowledge when it comes to Corvettes and has gotten me out of some binds and helped me out with information and parts over the past few years. 

 

I don't believe CC carries the kit anymore, I think Chris was probabley putting the kits together for them , I kept putting off ordering the kit and when I did he wasn't in the corvette repair business anymore, just a few resto jobs and parts, I talked at length with him and at the end of the conversation he said he would put a kit together for me and it would be a week, a month later I called again and he again said a week, that was three months ago, its good I didn't take anything apart before I got the replacement parts, I know he's busy, and I would probley rather do articles than deal with the public, but you don't commit to something and not deliver, least I don't, maybe next time you talk to your friend you might mention that old Joe is still waiting for the kit, still haven't ordered any parts, thanks for the reply.

So, what's the verdict?  Any opinions on the better of the three? 

Thanks, Jack