Removing the stock AC/Heat box and installing a vintage air under dash unit, has it been done?

[pitch black]

Here is the simplest setup you can do on a under hood install . The heater was left uninstalled on this one.

 

[pitch black]

Here is a little more advance setup with braided hoses and the Dakota Digital controls on a LSA install.

 

[Number1]

What all comes with the kit. I'm looking to get one for my 1985 monte carlo ss.

 

[Boost231]

Nick micale is the guy to speak and or order from. Www.arizonagn.com

 

[Boost231]

bump...

 

[El Corvino]

Is it possible to use the factory AC/Heat switch?

 

[El Corvino]

And why the hate on the factory AC box. I just had mine painted gloss black on my last frame off to look pretty. haha

 

[Nick Micale]

Is it possible to use the factory AC/Heat switch?

No, the factory AC uses vacuum controls, and the Vintage Air unit is all electronic controls.

 

[pitch black]

Is it possible to use the factory AC/Heat switch?

Anything is possible but I doubt you want to pay me to engineer it for one car.

 

[leirch]

I've been working on fitting my dash with the VA adapters and here is a current progress picture which may help some that need reference pictures.





I am also in the process of figuring how I want to do the wiring layout for this VA system. I noticed in the picture below, the circled connection is the brown AC power wiring for the OEM system, I'm wondering if I could use this plug(whack off the oem hvac connector and wire my red power wire to the VA system). I know this brown wire goes to a 25A fuse in the fuse block and the VA system says it needs a 30A fused power source.

Can anybody tell me if this factory brown wiring would handle 30A? I thought of this after remembering that Bob Bailey increased the ECM fuse for his TR6 system and figured I may luck out with the OEM GM wiring for the AC system as well.

 

[Instro84]

is that the kit from Nick?

 

[pitch black]

I've been working on fitting my dash with the VA adapters and here is a current progress picture which may help some that need reference pictures.




I am also in the process of figuring how I want to do the wiring layout for this VA system. I noticed in the picture below, the circled connection is the brown AC power wiring for the OEM system, I'm wondering if I could use this plug(whack off the oem hvac connector and wire my red power wire to the VA system). I know this brown wire goes to a 25A fuse in the fuse block and the VA system says it needs a 30A fused power source.

Can anybody tell me if this factory brown wiring would handle 30A? I thought of this after remembering that Bob Bailey increased the ECM fuse for his TR6 system and figured I may luck out with the OEM GM wiring for the AC system as well.

I would not suggest you wire it any way but to the battery as the Vintage Air instructions suggest. Any issue it may cause will void the warranty.

 

[leirch]

Yep its nicks kit, ok ill go to the battery directly

 

[olds443]

Almost done with all the wiring on my install... Is the ac relay on the fender required for the Vintage Air unit or can i cut it out altogether now?

 

[cbar_tx]

Almost done with all the wiring on my install... Is the ac relay on the fender required for the Vintage Air unit or can i cut it out altogether now?

I'm sure you've got it already but I'm curious what you decided. The VA wiring harness has it's own compressor relay but the one on the fender gets a signal from the ecm to disengage the clutch at WOT. Let me know how yours is doing. I'm working on the finishing touches of my install.

 

[olds443]

I'm sure you've got it already but I'm curious what you decided. The VA wiring harness has it's own compressor relay but the one on the fender gets a signal from the ecm to disengage the clutch at WOT. Let me know how yours is doing. I'm working on the finishing touches of my install.

I moved the relays to the inside of glove box door. I haven't ran the system yet

 

[cbar_tx]

I moved the relays to the inside of glove box door. I haven't ran the system yet

so, you did run the ac signal thru the factory relay?

 

[captndave737]

And why the hate on the factory AC box. I just had mine painted gloss black on my last frame off to look pretty. haha

Can't remove the PS head if you have studs with the stock unit. It gives you lots more room in the engine bay.

 

[Duts87ss]

From the pictures I've seen, it looks like this system takes up a bit more room behind the glove box. Does anyone have, or can they get, more interior pictures of the unit installed (with dash reinstalled)? I plan on making a ECU (Holley Dominator) mounting plate that runs from the glove box hinge to the firewall in my Monte and would like to make sure I wouldn't have to refabricate if I were too install Nick's VA system.

 

[olds443]

From the pictures I've seen, it looks like this system takes up a bit more room behind the glove box. Does anyone have, or can they get, more interior pictures of the unit installed (with dash reinstalled)? I plan on making a ECU (Holley Dominator) mounting plate that runs from the glove box hinge to the firewall in my Monte and would like to make sure I wouldn't have to refabricate if I were too install Nick's VA system.

So will this be behind the glove box door or underneath where the plastic under dash cover went? Will it below or above said panel? Not sure what the unit dimensions are but there is very little room left behind the gove box door