Dear V-8 Buick air conditioner installers, I've got a pair of OEM vents for my trusty 1965 Buick Special wagon to go with the Vintage Air system I bought for it. Unfortunately, the dashboard obviously doesn't have the holes for the vents right now and cutting the holes looks really, really tricky. Here is a photo of what the OEM vents look like when installed (taken from an eBay sales image): Here is the same part of dashboard which needs a hole cut into it: It is a bit hard to visualize, but the hole needs to be cut across the compound shape. This can be seen clearly if you look at the vents themselves. Here is the front view: Here is the back view: I had hoped to somehow come up with a template from the vents themselves, but the additional parts makes it hard to figure out where is the point of contact between the vent and the dashboard. I got a suggestion to try to get hold of pieces of an old dashboard which came with factory-air and use that as a template. However, I have no idea of where to get such a those hunks of dashboard. Has anybody managed to cut these holes and been happy with the results? If so, what technique did you use? Thanks in advance for any pearls of wisdom on this tricky problem. :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
I put a vintage air in my '65 Cat. However, I found an A/C dash to use. I seem to remember my original non-A/C dash had the hole outlined on the backside of the plastic dash. Try reaching your hand back there and see if you feel the raised outline of the vent hole. Rick
Not on a Special (Re: Template to cut holes for A/C vents on 1965 Special/Skylark?) Howdy Rick and V-8 Buick A/C upgraders, I just checked and unfortunately no hole outline for the outer dashboard vents anyway. That's a uniform piece of steel. Anybody else got a bright idea? :idea2: Thanks in advance for any good ideas! :Smarty: Cheers, Edouard :beer
Ok, Plan B would be to cut a piece of paper to fit the back side of the vent. I'm sure it will take several attempts. Once you get a piece cut out to fit perfectly with no crinkles or folds and contact all of the outer perimeter of the vent, then lay it on the dash to mark where to cut. Once you get the piece of paper cut you might even cut numerous copies of that piece and laminate them with elmers glue to hold the form of the vent. Then once it dries use it as the template. Plan C- Make a mold of the dash to practice on. Tape a piece of saran wrap over the dash where the vent goes. Take a piece of paper slightly larger than the saran wrap and conform it to the dash. Wet the portion of the paper with elmers glue where the dash has the curves you are trying to recreate. Tape the wet paper over the saran wrap portion. You may need to reverse the wet/tape processes. Once dry you may want to laminate more layers of paper to make it firmer to make the cuts. Then practice on that "dash" with Plan B. Rick
Could anyone take a few pics of vents? (Re: outer A/C vents on 1965 Special/Skylark?) Dear Rick, Bill, and V-8 Buick artists . . . . I can see that I've given myself a - fun - project. Plan B!?!?!! you must be kidding!! On this project, so many things have gone wrong that I've long since run out of letters of the alphabet!! :eek2: . . . .What's the matta' with you guys . . . . you think I'm one of them crafts persons or something!! :laugh: Unfortunately, indeed it ls starting to look like desperate measures like this might be called far. However, even casts won't work without some dimensions. These surfaces are changing only gradually, so trying to get the general placement would be tricky. I think I would need at least this dimension on the port (driver) side: On the starboard (passenger) side, I think I would need both these dimensions: Even some pictures of these vents taken at different angles would help confirm the installation location. Could someone with a 64-65 Special/Skylark and factory air grab their camera and snap a few pics? :kodak: Any help on this caper sure would be appreciated!! ray: Cheers, Edouard :beer
Not sure you have all the pieces. Pictures show all the parts of the AC Dash Vent assembly. Believe the hole in dash should be round.
Dashboard has complex shape - not duct (Re: Template to cut holes) Hi Dan and V-8 Buick A/C wantabees, Yes, what I bought looks just like the photos The trouble is that the "round" extends beyond any flat surface on those outer metal surfaces of the dashboard. If you look at the shape of the vents where they come into contact with the dash, they are anything but flat. So when a circle is twisted by a bending surface, it becomes an ellipse. So I'm guess that the hole for the vent is circular on the flat part of the dashboard, but then becomes elongated on the part the dashboard that bends away from the occupants. Of course the duct itself is perfectly round. Buick needed something uniform to connect to the air conditioner plenum! If that seems like nasty geometry to you . . . . . I agree 100%!! That's why I'm a little desperate to come with a template that somehow captures either the dashboard or vents. If I could get my hands on either a piece of a 65 dashboard that had these holes cut out or alternatively an unusable pair of vents that I could cut to show the hole against the surface of the dashboard. Unfortunately lacking either, I'll probably have to try to make a mold and hope I can create a template from that. Oh well . . . . . Cheers, Edouard
Glad you have all the pieces and yes I can appreciate the difficulty. Have you considered using a hole saw - at least that's what I think they are called. Used to cut a big round hole. If you could find a bit the same size as the 'insert tube' of the vent then cut the hole in the dash by holding the saw level so that the first portion cut is the lower part of the dash. Practice on scrap metal would be helpful. Lots of practice. Since your install is aftermarket would it possible to just put the holes in approximately the correct place and concentrate on making the installation as neat as possible ? Same distance below the dash pad, etc. That way using a hole saw all you would need would be the bottom center point of the hole.
Good points! (Re: Template to cut holes for outer A/C vents) Hi Dan and V-8 custom A/C installers, Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, your appreciation of the difficulty of the problem . . . . . doesn't make it any easier!! I'm struggling with my scheme for the center vents and have been really overwhelmed as of late. However hoping to have more time over the weekend and first part of next week. However, I'm a bit concerned about any saw that tries to cut a circular hole in an uneven surface. If I end up cutting the holes myself, I'm inclined to use the same Dremel rotary technique that I used on the center panel. It is very slow but gives much more control. The only trouble is that the engine installation could actually start within a week or two. I'm not sure I can get these holes cut before then at this rate. You are 100% correct. The hole need not be perfect. They only need not extend beyond the outer vent mountings to here is some room for error. I'm certainly going to take advantage of that . . . . I just hope - not too much!! Since you have a 1965 with factory A/C, any chance you could get the dimensions I asked for in this post? http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...-a-1965-Special-Skylark&p=2112704#post2112704 And maybe a few pics of the outer vents? The photos I got of eBay are . . . . well, . . . . not the best to work from!! Thanks for your help Dan!! :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
So much for my round hole theory. The titles on the pictures should tell the story. Any questions just post them.
WOW!! Thank you!! (Re: holes for outer A/C vents on a 1965 Special/Skylark?) Howdy Dan and V-8 Buick 65 A/C wantabees . . . . WOW!! :shock: Compared to cutting the holes to just allow the circular ducts to slip through this is ridiculously simple!! ou: However that is a - lot - easier to do than trying to cut the minimum amount of metal to allow the vents to fit. So thanks Dan!! from me and I hope everyone who decides to do this from now on. I've downloaded the photos you have posted and will look them over carefully tomorrow. But I think you have found the Rosetta stone for installing these vents!! :Smarty: This is what makes V-8 Buick really . . . . . Great!! :bglasses: Thanks again!! :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
