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Installing Vintage Air Gen IV Air Conditioning System - Global CoolingYou Can Beat The Heat This Summer By Installing A Universal Gen Iv Air Conditioning System From Vintage Air. From the July, 2009 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Steven Rupp Photography by Steven Rupp
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There's a reason why the vast majority of motorists ply the highways in newer cars, and it can be summed up in one word: comfort. Yep, to most people out there, a car is judged not by its power output, but by how many cup holders and LCD screens are present. Power windows, MP3 jacks, and heated seats aren't even considered options these days. It's easy to see how people are seduced into a new minivan over a classic muscle car. But in some areas, it doesn't have to be an "either/or" proposition. These days you can have your cake and chow down on it as well. While we generally balk at many of the luxury features insisted on by "Joe Public," there's one that we can certainly get behind, and that's air conditioning. Anyone who's crawled along in sweltering summer traffic stuck in a non-air conditioned ride knows that it can suck the life--and the fun--out of cruising with classic iron. In some parts of the country, it can be considered an option, but in the areas where humidity and heat conspire to rip every drop of moisture from your pores, it's a downright necessity. The main issue is that many of the early muscle cars didn't come from the factory with A/C, and the systems in those that did are woefully inadequate by today's standards. Sometimes it's worse to be teased by an old A/C system, which can barely put out a tepid stream of air, than to have nothing at all. For over 33 years, Vintage Air has worked to put the big chill in the interior atmospheres of early iron. They offer a wide array of kits for many of the popular nameplates. Unfortunately, our '70 Fairlane falls firmly into the "dare to be different" category, and as such, nobody makes a kit specifically for it. But all is not lost, thanks to Vintage Air's universal Gen IV Magnum kit. This "one-size-fits-most" system is designed to be flexible enough to integrate into almost anything on four wheels, even our oddball Ford.  Even though our Fairlane never...  Even though our Fairlane never had air conditioning, it did have a heater core under the dash. It's big, ugly, and two of the vents barely functioned. As a bonus, the defroster only cleared fog off the very center of the windshield.  An air conditioning system...  An air conditioning system is basically just a heat exchanger. It absorbs heat and humidity from inside the car (via the evaporator unit) and dissipates it back into the atmosphere through the condenser. Installing one puts extra strain on your car's existing cooling system. Our current radiator and mechanical fan was able to cool the 408 stroker, but it was working near its limit. To remedy this, we upgraded to a Flex-A-Lite radiator. The larger radiator will dissipate more heat, and the dual fans will suck a ton of air. If your current cooling system is in good shape, you shouldn't need to upgrade in order to run A/C.  Installation was straightforward....  Installation was straightforward. The Vintage Air kit included a fan controller to interface with the A/C system. This lets each fan be controlled independently, with one triggered when the Vintage Air system is engaged.  Here's the main unit from...  Here's the main unit from the universal Gen-IV Magnum kit. The $699 system comes with the evaporator, mounting brackets, wiring harness, heater control valve, drain kit, A/C ducting, and all the parts for the defroster. The Gen-IV unit is packed with features, like vacuum-, and cable-free electronic operation, separate high-capacity heat and cool coils with a blend door for rapid temperature adjustment, a micro-processor--controlled coil temp monitor, and a variable-speed blower motor.  We picked up the universal...  We picked up the universal hose kit ($99), which includes all the hoses and fittings, in addition to the drier. This makes installation much easier. Since we're running an electric fan, we also chose a compressor safety switch kit ($51). The trinary switch provides high- and low -pressure system protection, as well as an electric fan engagement signal to turn on the fans when low vehicle speed does not provide enough airflow.  Another system component is...  Another system component is a condenser for $150. Think of this as the air system's dedicated radiator. It mounts ahead of the engine's radiator, and heat from the refrigerant that was absorbed inside the car is transferred to the air passing through its fins. Warmed air then passes through the engine's radiator, and becomes hotter still, hence, the added burden placed on the engine's cooling system.  Since every application is...  Since every application is different, Vintage Air includes universal mounting brackets with their condensers. We opted to fabricate our own by cutting down some aluminum flat stock and securing this to the Flex-A-Lite radiator.  We also made a call to March...  We also made a call to March Performance asking for a way to integrate the supplied Sanden compressor to our existing pulley system. After talking with their tech support folks, we ordered this kit, part No. 30354 for $190. This is designed specifically for small-block Fords that already use March's alternator/power steering serpentine kit. This brings up an important point: you'll be on your own for mounting the compressor, since a universal kit isn't made for a specific application.  The billet aluminum bracket...  The billet aluminum bracket from March bolted right up to the front of the AFR cylinder head. It's nice when stuff fits without having to break out a grinder and plasma cutter.  The Sanden 508 compressor...  The Sanden 508 compressor ($199) then bolted to the bracket and much to our delight the pulley lined up perfectly with the rest of the system. It came to us already filled with oil, an important bit of info to know when you get around to charging the system.  The new Gen IV unit is smaller...  The new Gen IV unit is smaller than the factory piece, and it does three times as much, since it handles heating, cooling, and dehumidifying the air. You've gotta love modern technology.  The Vintage Air system is...  The Vintage Air system is a universal fit, so the supplied brackets need to be bent, tweaked, and modified to fit the particular car. Our tech center has a mock-up Gen-IV unit, which is a lightweight plastic shell that's dimensionally the same as the real unit, and has the same mounting brackets. Since they weigh almost nothing, it makes holding them under the dash painless. If you do this on a regular basis, then they are highly recommended, and can be purchased through Vintage Air. Vintage Air also has a loaner program for one-time use. Once we had it fitting correctly, it was removed, and the real-deal was installed.  Next, we made the lines. The...  Next, we made the lines. The beadlock A/C fittings need to be crimped with this crimping tool to insure a leak-proof connection. Our tech center is equipped with this ATCO 371 beadlock crimper that made short work of the project. You can also make all your measurements and have a local air conditioning supply shop do the crimps for you. In addition to length, you'll also need to mark how you want the fittings clocked. If you can't find someone local, Vintage Air will crimp your fittings at no charge if you send them the marked parts.  Before attaching the hoses...  Before attaching the hoses we were sure to install the green O-rings and hit them with a dab of the supplied refrigerant oil. Forget the O-rings, or the oil, and the system won't seal. This oil is also used on all the threads. Remember not to over-tighten the O-ring connections.  Next, mount the drier in the...  Next, mount the drier in the area between the core support and the grill. Note that the drier is directional, and the "in" side will be closest to the condenser. With the drier secured, we made all the lines connecting it to the condenser, compressor, and main A/C system.  With the lines run to the...  With the lines run to the compressor, we finished installing it by running the wiring, and installing the belt recommended by March Performance. Lastly, we put the beauty covers on the compressor and idler pulleys.  Vintage Air makes an assortment...  Vintage Air makes an assortment of bulkheads for transitioning from the engine bay to the interior. These include single, double, and quad fittings in box, diamond, and linear shapes. For the Fairlane, the best choice was this in-line piece priced at $65. The two hoses to the right are the water lines from the 408 stroker.  The Fairlane's dash only has...  The Fairlane's dash only has two vents, one on each side. To get some airflow to the center, we had several choices from Vintage Air. The upper one would have been perfect if we had a place on the dash to mount the controls. We ended up going with the bottom one ($28), which served double-duty as a place to mount the control unit. If you need dash vents, Vintage Air has a lot more options besides these.  With the streamline three-knob...  With the streamline three-knob control panel ($209) mounted in the vent assembly and plugged into the main unit, we secured the assembly to the bottom of the dash.  With everything wired and...  With everything wired and plumbed, the only thing left to do was evacuate and charge the system with 134a. The Gen IV instructions spell out the proper system charge of 1.8 pounds. If you don't have the right tools, any shop that works on A/C systems can take care of it. A correct charge is critical; Vintage Air recommends charging the system with a charging station or calibrated scale. The Sanden compressor comes pre-charged with oil, so don't add any additional.  We started the car, and flipped...  We started the car, and flipped the controls to max cold. After a couple moments, the temp started to drop, and we eventually got down into the 30s at idle. The whole install took two long days, and set us back just under $1,500, but the first chilly cruise through summer heat made it all worthwhile.
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