Summer time in the south...and soem A/C options.

[crankin]

My old lady is on my case again about looking into A/C options (not that i can offered it right now...but at least it will buy me sometime).
I ran across this pic...



Does anyone know what the A/C unit is?

[Les Parker]

Looks like the 97 Def 90 A/C kit.
Jim Cartier of Seminole Rovers in Tampa did some work on the fitment of the kit to Series III and IIa's a few years ago.

[gambrinus]

I know someone fond a kit from these guys that went into a rover pretty well...

http://www.vintageair.com/

RW

[amcordo]

Two great options here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeross/2253402695/

http://www.mopo.ca/uploaded_images/AC-734147.jpg

[crankin]

Two great options here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeross/2253402695/

http://www.mopo.ca/uploaded_images/AC-734147.jpg

I don't even know why I bother.

[amcordo]

I don't even know why I bother.

Ha. Sorry Clint - I didn't have much to contribute but I couldn't let you down by staying quiet.


I remember seeing a modified rover on ebay recently that had replaced the 4cyl with a GM Vortec 8cyl on their LHD. What they did could be emulated by you, just with the oe engine. You could make a bracket to attach a modern AC compressor the engine and run a longer belt through it in addition to the alternator. They stashed all of the other equipment for the AC in the passenger side wing. I think the only cutting they did was to allow air into the wing up in front of the radiator and spliced the cold air output into the heater tube BEFORE the heater core.

A huge upside to designing the AC system yourself is that you can find some abundant parts in a junkyard and have easy replacements - unlike that defender kit. AC systems are actually pretty simple. Compressor compresses a gas through a radiator coil where a fan whisks the cold of the compressed gas off into the car. The gas warms up and goes to another radiator where it is air cooled before returning to the compressor to start over. The only moving parts are a blower fan (which you already have - your heat blower) and a compressor.

I just realized a pretty big downside to that design is that the cold air has to pass through the heater core. While the heater core won't be warm (cutoff the warm engine coolant before it gets there) it will have metal fins that will effectively trap moist air. I have a Chrysler Crossfire that shares that poor design - what happens is the cool moist air collects in the heater core and starts growing mold and mildew - it smells BAD. The engineers designed a fix where the ac fan runs after you turn off the car for about 20 minutes on low which dries out the heater core so you don't get a horrendous smell every time you turn on the AC.

Also, since you've a S3 you will HAVE to either galvanize your heat distribution boxes (inside of the car attached to the bulkhead) or otherwise seal them with something like waxoyl often because condensation from the AC will eat right through that weak metal.

Another downside is that you'll be drawing a few HP off of an already weak engine.

[greenmeanie]

This is an old air products unit grafted into a late IIA 109. I cut the top of the footwell and added a simple sheetmetal dog house to create some room. I made it fit to the original duct which will have a couple of eyeball vents added to promote good airflow.

Sorry for the big piccies.

[kevkon]

Take a look at the complete units from http://www.nostalgicairparts.com/ The FJ or Jeep units look like they would work in an Series. Your engine size is important as the compressors will be different for a 4 cyl.

[adkrover]

Here's a link to a thread I started a while back about adding AC to my 109. I basically installed a remote condenser under the passenger seat box and ducted the air to the front and rear footwells. With the little eyeball vents, I was able to direct the cold air up to the passenger compartment and it really works well.

http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3844

[adkrover]

Sorry, I got my terminology reversed. I mounted the evaporator under the passenger seat and the condenser I fabricated a bracket to mount on the front of the engine.