Hi, I have a 1973 Buick Lesabre in perfect condition but no AC. 350/2bbl. I also have a 1973 Buick Centurion in average shape with a nice 455/TH400 and cold blowing factory air. How hard would it be to remove the AC from one car and install it into the other? Anybody done this or can imagine this ? Thanks Gary
i know on my 66 lark you have to cut the dash for the center vent cause the non air cars dont got it.......you should be able to use similar car parts as in my case a chevelle and just hook it up to your controls and vents other than that you need the compresser dryer pump the ac blower set up then its just matter of running your ducts lines and wiring...
I looked at this on my Wildcat. Look at your firewall and compare it to the A/C car. Mine would have to be cut up WAY more than I wanted to. I am taking a dash from an A/C car and installing a Vintage Air system. From the inside of the car it will "look" original. I had to rework the OEM climate contol linkage to mate up with the new switches and slides. It is still in progress. I talked to a guy who had done it and he said he would never do it again. You could just put the new climate control in the glove box. I just want mine to look as original as possible. Rick
I put a/c in a 74 LeSabre and it was quite a job. All of the underdash duct work is totally different.The wiring harness is different,too.The firewall has to be cut. If you decide to do this, the right hand inner fenderwell will have to be removed,makes access MUCH easier.The dash pad will have to be removed ,which is easy on a '73.The plastic instrument cluster housing will need to be loosened up.The underdash AND underhood wiring harness will need to be switched out ,also. Right behind the glovebox is a section of the inner cowl that will have to have a 5" square hole cut so that the vacuum valve for inside(recirculate)/ouside air ,can poke through.Pretty hard job,but worth it to have a cool breeze. I did a '75 Caprice convertible years ago that was easier,due to the a/c wire harness being a seperate plug in affair.Hope this helps you.
I installed factory air in my 1969 GS400 Convertable, in 1990 I had a complete 1969 GS350 with air and my GS400 convert in the garage together both were running cars I took every single part off the air car and swaped it in to my convert!! It was even with in 3 weeks on the date codes that I could find. It can be done but is a LOT of work. In my case EVERY thing 1 1/2 ft on either side of the fire wall had to be changed and the fire wall recut and welded to allow the proper heater core. The result is a near perfect 1969 GS400 convert with factory air the color was even correct for my car and date codes were close enough. Would I do it again .... YES ... would I be happy about it NO but it was worth it for me at least! Have I over optioned my car YES will I ever sell it NO So I make it how I want, my 1969 GS400 convert I have owned since 1983 and has over 350,000 ( hard ) miles on it has been my best investment in my sanity that i have spent. myabe I should treat her to a repaint and fix that rust whch was there prior to me buying her.... yea thats what i will do ken now all I need is some 1/4's like every one else on here :laugh:
I'd go to Classic Air in Tampa and have them install one of their systems - won't look factory but it'll be the cleanest install you'll find... I had them do it to my '68 charger and my '72 skylark ragtop (a non a/c car) will get their treatment as well at some point. Their preference is non-a/c cars because they have a flat firewall to work with and can do the install with a minimum of cutting. Also, their switching system works off the non-a/c switch mechanicals, not the vacuum usually found on factory a/c systems. If you call them, ask for Erol - he can give you the specifics...
COOOOOL hehe Thanks everybody for the thoughts on the AC conversion. Ill have to reallly think this through... but I live in Florida and its really hot here in the summer. Thanks Gary
I did it! Hi, I did this conversion last summer on my 73 Centurion which is essentially the same car. It can be done, it's just a long series of simple steps. Here are the things I learned. 1) You have to unbolt the hood to get the A/C box in or out. 2) There is a plate that the non A/C fan sits on that needs to be cut out for the recirculation. The outline is there, it's just a small area to work in. Be sure to paint any bare metal because the condensation will start rust quickly. 3) The passenger side air vent has to go (but you can keep the drivers side). 4) You'll need to make a couple of block off plates to fill in the holes from passenger floor vent, you'll also need to cut a hole in the interior for the recirculation air to enter the system. This is a nerve wracking cut because the location is visible under the hood but the cut has to be made from inside the car. I used a pilot hole to make sure I got the right spot. 5) The fresh air vents for the center of the dash will need to be removed and a block off plate made for it's hole. 6) make sure all of your vacuum lines hold vacuum, and all of the vacuum actuators work without leaking. There is good news! The dash pads on these cars are huge and when you remove them there is easy access to all of the areas you need to reach, except the area where the controls sit which is a bit tight. I installed my system and then had my mechanic convert it to R-134a. On the highway with the fan on low a digital gauge in the vent got down to 35 degrees. I was impressed.
If you do change your system over, I'd be interested in your non AC set up parts left over. The AC doesn't work on my 72, and I really don't need it up here.
This car needs AC Here is the car that will receive the AC. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4553361841 I just bought it, flew to Michigan and drove it home on the original bias ply tires. Yes I'm sure! Gary
Cherry see, you can find good deals on Ebay if you are patient, you know what you want, and you have the money saved up...or can quickly liquidate something you already have... Its unbelievably clean. I cant believe it. Its at the custom exhaust shop now, getting new dual exhaust. The original exhaust is on there now but it has a leak in the muffler and has to be fixed, so Im going dual with resonators. Its plain jane, but its cherry. Gary
