Sacrilidge - aircon on a series!

[greenmeanie]

Ok gents I know I’m going to get grief for this but I want to mount aircon in my new 67 6 cyl SW. I live in Phoenix and this will be a family vehicle so my wife has made aircon a condition of purchase. It's hot as the hubs of hell here in the summer and apparently I smell bad enough without being sweaty all the time too.


I am thinking something along the lines of this:
Vintage air EVO or Super cooler space saver system slotted in whatever space is under the front passenger seat (What is under there on a 109 SW?) using a duct feeding into a modified center console. I would put in a plate and some baffles in the bottom of the console to create a plenum that would blow air through added eyeball vents to the front or rear passengers. I’ve got a Chevy 292 pushing her along so power should not be too big an issue for aircon too. Well that’s the eyeball design before I have even seen the thing.

Does anyone have details of having done something similar? I know that many moons ago someone posted some information about a truck with aircon but I think that was pre forum format change so I can’t find it.

Just so I can still claim my series manliness I still have a ‘71IIA 88 with a normal roof and a 101 when I really want to fry my nu!s

Ok, I got my flame suit on. Let the beating commence.

Cheers
Gregor

[jp-]

FYI

[KingSlug]

LR did do some aftermarket add-ons of AC. One version had a big bump on the hood, Marshall and Santana did some on ambulances and special vehicles. The are pics somewhere on the web.

Jared

[yorker]

"But it is a dry heat!?" ;)


AC was fitted to LRs back in the 1960's

http://www.landrover.vlothuizen.nl/show/list/7042-1.html

http://www.landrover.vlothuizen.nl/show/small/7042/7042-01.jpg

http://www.landrover.vlothuizen.nl/show/small/7042/7042-02.jpg

It shouldn't be too hard to put something together. AC systems are really pretty simple.
http://www.nostalgicairparts.com/

http://www.vintageair.com/

http://www.classicautoair.com/

I think East Coast Rover has installed AC on some of their Series LR projects back in the day.

With your 292 you can probably find mounts etc off of the later Chevrolet pick up trucks.

[thixon]

No beating from me. I live in GA. Its hot here as well.

I've put two vintage air kits in other trucks (1 jeep, 1 scout). The jeep was an old full size cherokee that did'nt come with AC. VA makes a great product. You'll be happy with it (though they are a bit pricey).

Your ducting idea sounds good. The unit itself isnt that big. It will also heat and cool, so you could bag the heater in the truck now, and replace it with the VA unit (its no more than two feet in length if I recall, and 6 or 8 inches in height and depth.). Good luck, it should be a good upgrade.

[adkrover]

I've been looking into the exact same idea. Under the front passenger seat of mine is a lot of nothing. I so far have not been able to find a unit that will fit easily because there is less than 8" of height from the seat frame to the truck frame and most of the heat/cool units need at least 8". The box is also not quite long enough for most of the units that tend to be around 24" long without having to modify the parking brake linkage. The only thing I have found that will definitely fit is an under dash unit that does cool only. They are not designed for ducting so I was considering cutting out the front of the seat frame and fitting it like a car stereo.

The things I've found to keep in mind are that the seat frame needs to be removed for major service to the clutch and gearbox so you wouldn't want to pull the AC unit everytime you had to work on the gearbox. You would want to install it so that the seat frame and floors could be pulled without disconnecting the refrigerant lines.

The bottom of the seat box on the passenger side is completely exposed to the elements so it would have to be sealed tightly. Also, the AC unit needs to draw warm air from the interior so I was looking at adding a floor panel similar to the driver's side. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about the road spray or make up air. I could just set the unit under the seat on the floor and cut out the front and back of the seat box. Warm air in the back, cold air out the front. Again, that floor would have to be a permanent piece so you can still pull the other floors and seat box for gear servicing.

I have a new Mt. Mansfield heater (from Rover's North) installed in my truck so heat is not an issue for the front seats but I would also like to have ducts for rear heat. The Mt. Mansfield does put out plenty of heat to warm the rear passengers but the front passengers get really heated up. Ducting would make it more balanced.

Let me know what you end up with and I'll be happy to share where I go with it. I too have a wife that made it a condition of purchase. We are in the Adirondack Mountains so the heat isn't as much of a problem as the bugs. Opening the windows lets plenty of little biting and blood sucking creatures in.

Then the question of will it work very well to have the air all blowing at the passenger's feet. To get cold air to the rear seat might make icicles in the front seat. My other evolution is to ceiling mount an underdash unit above the back door, blowing forward. Not sure if the fans could push the air all the way up front with any efficiency but it could be an idea. The under dash units are common from all of the manufacturers and measure about 16" wide x 6" high x 10" deep.

[adkrover]

Here is a cool only unit that will definitely fit.

http://www.nostalgicairparts.com/parts/id250-indash-evaporator-unit-air-only-101.html

[adkrover]

Here is a cool and heat unit that will definitely fit. I called the company and the cooling is 14,000 btu's and 190 cfm on the fan. Same as the ID-250

http://www.nostalgicairparts.com/parts/id255-heat-air-indash-evaporator-unit-102.html

[greenmeanie]

adkrover,
That's the kind of info I'm looking for. I'm still waiting for my truck to get here sometime next month before I can make some measurements. I had wondered if there was a tool box similar to the drives side under there. If not it open's the possibilty of building an enclosure under the seat box specially to mount it.

I am also looking at ducting from front ot the rear of the truck purely because my malamute likes her cool air too. If I can find the right unit I would consider replacing the heater in the OEM position but I think it's a rather odd shape to fit something into.

I fear the next few weks are going to pass very slowly for me.

Cheers
Gregor

[thixon]

Gregor,

Anytime you drag home a new project, you need to make a budgetary allowance for what I like to call "spousal appeasement."

If you buy a new truck, she gets a new watch. You get the picture.

This works in two ways. In the near term, you get an unlimited amount of time to spend with the new project, without the usual complaints. In the long term, you won't catch flack for projects down the road, because she knows what happens when you drag a new one home.

Now here's the beutiful part of this strategy. You don't need to go tit-for-tat. Just because you spend 8K on a new project doesn't mean you have to buy her a rolex!

Good luck!

[greenmeanie]

Ah yes, the spousal appeasement.

You might say this truck is her spousal appeasement to me. You see she has a bit of making up to do for we were supposed to have gone on a very, very nice expensive week up in Whistler snowboarding a few weeks ago. That is until, two days before we were to depart, she discovered she had let her passport expire so we had to cancel everything, fortunately without too much finaincial loss.

Needless to say having a strong relationship and being the loving husband I am, I smiled, took it very calmly, comforted her in her distress and went out and bought a new project. We are now about even and are going to spend next week up in Tahoe instead. Life is hard and I expect to pay for it sometime in the future when she isn't so embarassed. By that time I expect to have a very nice truck though!

Cheers
Gregor

[LaneRover]

Aircon in a Series truck?

Sounds more like sacreliscious!

I have driven my 65 109 in Arizona in August without aircon - it SUCKS.

A friend that works on hot rods said, if he can get aircon into the footwells of a Model A hotrod he is pretty sure that a system could be found to fit an old series Rover.

Brent

[thixon]

Reverse spousal appeasement. I like it! :thumb-up: Already a jedi are you (to be read in yoda voice).

Nice job. Have fun in Tahoe. Whistlers cool, but you can have just as much fun in cali

[leedr]

Gregor,

Anytime you drag home a new project, you need to make a budgetary allowance for what I like to call "spousal appeasement."

If you buy a new truck, she gets a new watch. You get the picture.

This works in two ways. In the near term, you get an unlimited amount of time to spend with the new project, without the usual complaints. In the long term, you won't catch flack for projects down the road, because she knows what happens when you drag a new one home.

Now here's the beutiful part of this strategy. You don't need to go tit-for-tat. Just because you spend 8K on a new project doesn't mean you have to buy her a rolex!

Good luck! yeah its called the fair hobbies act....invented and adopted without discussion everywhere.

[Saxondog]

Our SIII 109 wagon is her appeasement! In order to get her to leave me alone on the weekends to restore my old Dodge truck, I had to agree to do a custom for her. She found and bought the Rover with my knowledge. She want's me to make it as comfortable and driveable as possible. A/C, auto trans, disc brakes, full interior, the whole modern SUV nine yards. Initially I was all for it, but after running to the parts store and doing some light off roading, I'm having second thoughts.I kinda like it the way it is, with all it's shortcomings. Now i'm afaid i'll have to find another one for me and I'll have to appease her again!! It's all a viscious cycle AARRGH!!!

[greenmeanie]

Well my wife got the Audi allroad for her appeasement. It is a good versatile vehicle for a modern car. It's a great machine for the 4 hour haul up the twisties to the mountains for boarding.

Me, I'm up to three now.:
101 I don't know why but I love this machine. It'll never leave but then again if I don't stop tearing it to pieces and rebuilding it it may never run again either.
'71IIA 88 This is my general runabout do everything truck. It keeps taking abuse and just purrs along.
'67IIA NADA 109 SW. Delivered today. She has a Chevy 292 and smells of cat pee or something inside as she has sat idle for so long. I've got a few weeks to spend getting to know her before starting to make some mods. This will be the family truck.

Now I need something that floats for my next truck.

Cheers
Gregor

[JimCT]

Buy her a RR classic....very much a LR and all the comforts of home, and I guarentee it will surprise you off road, and they are cheap these days.

[thixon]

yeah its called the fair hobbies act....invented and adopted without discussion everywhere.

Huh? I can't tell if you're making fun of me, or agreeing with me.

[PH4]

Trying to find thread where someone posted photo of airconditioning unit installed under seat. anyone remember that thread? In addition, what about mounting a airconditioning unit in a center seat tuffy box?

[greenmeanie]

Search is your friend:
http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3844

As the man says finding a condensor big enough is the real art of the game. I've got a 14X25 one but I'm extensively modifying the radiator panel already and will probably have to shorten the headlight buckets too.

A Sanden 508 compressor will also suck about 5hp form your engine and a 709 about 7hp.

Cheers
Gregor

[EASTTNROVER]

I can't even keep the rain or snow out when i'm drivin, can't imagine keeping the A/C in!

[onecross]

I have always wanted to put this unit behind a tuffy box in the front middle seat of my 1960 series II SW 5 door
http://www.rdac.com/Pages/product_pages/units_pages/6830_unit.html

what do yall think?

[yank]

onecross
Is that box all you need? That looks way to easy.

[greenmeanie]

I'm almost definite you'll still need a condensor, compressor and drier. That looks like the eveporator/air handler only. After all, the heat has to go somewhere external to the cabin.

Cheers
Gregor

[PH4]

If that would work, I believe it would be a no brainer.

I just received my rebuilt 2.25 with 9.1 head and 2.5 cam. I hope I see a difference in performance. At least enough to maintain 65mph and push a airconditioner. I wear a suit to work most days and use my 109 sw as my daily driver so I really need the aircon in South Carolina. If not for suits then would not worry about it. Had a little bit of buyers remorse on the 2.25 when looking at the Robert Davis conversion on line but we will see.

[greenmeanie]

I'll have a Scotty's adapter available soon if you fancy something with more poke. I don't think the old series box is going to be able to keep up with my 292.

[thixon]

I'm almost definite you'll still need a condensor, compressor and drier. That looks like the eveporator/air handler only. After all, the heat has to go somewhere external to the cabin.

Cheers
Gregor

X2.

[adkrover]

PH4 - The condensor I installed required NO modifications to the radiator mount or light buckets other than drilling 2 holes in the LH drivers side cowl to run the hoses. It was a tight squeeze but it did go in just fine. Now that I have a few more miles on the truck I would say that it does a very good job of keeping the truck liveable but it's not the same as having it blow directly in your face. I ran 4 ducts. Two to the front footwell and 2 to the rear footwell. My daughter loves it in the back because it blows from the seat box up to her. For the front passengers, it blows forward and up. Basically at the back of the knees. It does blow 40+ degree air at the vent so it's nice and cold but sometimes it makes the legs cold. If you could find a way to route the front hoses up around the gearbox or as someone else suggested into the center console Tuffy box, so they blow at your chest, that might be an improvement. Otherwise, I still think it's a great improvement. Also, you may not care in AZ but in NY, it can also give the rear seats, HEAT!

Not sure about your engine power but I have the Robert Davis 2.5 and it has more than enough power to run a loaded truck and AC so if you new engine has any kind of power it should be fine. The Sanden compressor draws very little on the engine.

Let me know if you need help sourcing parts or with photos.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been out of the loop the last few days.

[greenmeanie]

Sounds good adkrover,
I'm only going with the bigger condensor because I'm already modifying the cowl behinhd the radiator panel to fit a radiator properly. I think I'm going to go with two Hot Rod Air 50-0005. I'll copy your mount for one using the concole as my educt and the other will go in place of the OEM heater. That one will feed air to the firewall though the existing air ducts and I'm contemplating running the other two to either feed air to the footwells or to blow air straight at the driver/passenger. I'm still figuring out that one though and will have to wait until the bulkhead returns from acid dip to design the routing.

I like the idea of having heat as well as it will be my ski truck too. We do get snow in AZ you know.

Cheers
Gregor.

[adkrover]

Green,

I didn't try for the front mount because my PO had installed a new Mt Mansfield heater from RN that supplies PLENTY, did I say PLENTY of heat for the front passengers and defroster. It just didn't make sense for me to rip out that fabulous heater. I'm sure you'll be able to make the front unit work and it will be great. AZ does get cold but my truck is based where it is normal to see -20F for extended periods so I really wanted to keep my heat. For me, my install works great because we only get really hot weather for 3 months out of the entire year but if I were in AZ I might have done differently. That's the beauty of a Series, you can make it work no matter what your needs.