Changing A/C to Heater on '79 Grand Prix

[GregonVI]

I want to change out the auto climate system in my '79 GP to a heater only.
Can I use the heater box and controls from any '78-'88 A/G body in my car?
Will I have to change the dash or can I just ignore most of the vents in the dash, or maybe I could hook some or all up to the new heater so they will work on the "vent" setting?

Thanks, Greg

 

[Blake442]

Any '78-'88 non a/c set up can be made to work, but there are some brand specific pieces that are hard to find individually, so you're far better off finding a set up from another Pontiac. Also, if you're not stripping the parts yourself, make sure you buy a complete set up, as tracking down certain bits and pieces individually is a huge pain in the *ss.

No need to change the dash, but you will have to remove it to change the air ducts. There are special "vent-delete" pieces that will eliminate the two outer-most vents, as the non a/c set up does not use them.

I've done the non a/c swap on both my 442 and my Cutlass wagon, and it's not too difficult.

 

[79GP6.6L]

I've done this on my 79 Grand Prix, and Blake442's advice is dead on. I bought a non-AC heater box with ducts off of ebay, and installed it while the engine and dashboard were out of the car, so it was pretty easy. You will lose the farthest vents on the left and right sides of the dash, but the heat will work fine through the center vents.

It makes the engine bay look cleaner, and allows easier access to the right side of the engine.