Vintage Air for early G-Body

[see2xu]

I realize this is a long shot, but I'm looking to add Vintage Air to the '80 W30 I brought down from western Canada.

Incidentally, I was astonished to learn, on this site, that of the 800+ built, more than half ended up in the Great White North! What's up with that?

Anyway, mine has a replacement '70s 455 engine, but physically it's the same external dimensions at the 350 it was built with.

Vintage Air have a SureFit kit for '82-and-up Cutties, but tell me I have to go with a "Builder" generic kit for the '78-'81s for some reason. I'm thinking that the '82-up version would fit the 307, which is just a de-stroked/underbored 350 or 455, so I'm wondering why the SureFit wouldn't make more sense? The dash, firewall, and "blend box" I believe were the same for all 11 years, as is the wiring harness.

Anyone have experience, or advice?

Thanks!

 

[Stumblebum]

My experience with this is with the Vintage Air Monte Carlo evaporator kit. If GM done the Cutlass the same as the Chevys, and it is just a "facelift" then it will probably go in with no to minimal modification of the vent setup. They give you the vent adapter that bolt and/or silicone in place. Then you run the flex hoses where they need to go.

You will be removing your entire evaporator case to install the new one. The dash, passenger side fender and liner will need removed to pull the old case. The defrost vent setup will be unbolted removed as well.

Old wiring for A/C and heat doesn't matter. It will be removed also. The system has it's own wiring that will be run to the battery. The only wire that needs tied in is the lead to turn the relay on in "Run". Their drier kits have a spot for a binary or trinary switch depending on if you are running electric fans or the engine clutch fan and compressor clutch. This is all tied into the new Evaporator kit wiring. It is a pretty stand alone setup.

I am not an Olds engine guru by any stretch of the imagination so I can't tell you if the brackets for a 307 and 455 are the same. Somebody more knowledgeable than me can attest to that one. If they are the full kit will probaby work. If not you might be better off getting the partial kit and the appropriate drier and switch setup, then having custom lines made. This is the step I have to take having a TPI serpentine system on a small block Chevy since the A/C compressor is on the opposite side of a stock car.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Why not go to the factory-installed system? It was designed to fit the car, and when properly maintained, works very well. If it's a compressor issue, I'm sure there are retrofits for that.

I like the look of the OE integrated system, the universals, not so much.

 

[melloelky]

I know Tony's running an aftermarket set up but its not vintage it's restomod air i believe

 

[Stumblebum]

Why not go to the factory-installed system? It was designed to fit the car, and when properly maintained, works very well. If it's a compressor issue, I'm sure there are retrofits for that.

I like the look of the OE integrated system, the universals, not so much.

I will agree with most of that. If you just want your air working then it is much cheaper and easier to maintain or update the stock system.
However if you are after a clean looking firewall on a show car or more room on the passenger side for whatever reason and don't want to delete your A/C, then it is something to consider. It does clean things up considerably. Life has been getting in the way but I'm hoping to be close to finishing the car later this year.

 

[olds307 and 403]

You need make sure the brackets fit the 350 and 455. The deck is different between the two and requires different brackets from the factory.

 

[see2xu]

My experience with this is with the Vintage Air Monte Carlo evaporator kit. If GM done the Cutlass the same as the Chevys, and it is just a "facelift" then it will probably go in with no to minimal modification of the vent setup. They give you the vent adapter that bolt and/or silicone in place. Then you run the flex hoses where they need to go.

You will be removing your entire evaporator case to install the new one. The dash, passenger side fender and liner will need removed to pull the old case. The defrost vent setup will be unbolted removed as well.

Old wiring for A/C and heat doesn't matter. It will be removed also. The system has it's own wiring that will be run to the battery. The only wire that needs tied in is the lead to turn the relay on in "Run". Their drier kits have a spot for a binary or trinary switch depending on if you are running electric fans or the engine clutch fan and compressor clutch. This is all tied into the new Evaporator kit wiring. It is a pretty stand alone setup.

I am not an Olds engine guru by any stretch of the imagination so I can't tell you if the brackets for a 307 and 455 are the same. Somebody more knowledgeable than me can attest to that one. If they are the full kit will probaby work. If not you might be better off getting the partial kit and the appropriate drier and switch setup, then having custom lines made. This is the step I have to take having a TPI serpentine system on a small block Chevy since the A/C compressor is on the opposite side of a stock car.

 

[see2xu]

Thanks, you confirmed my hypothesis. The Olds engine is the oddball part of all this - were it an SBC (as was the option in the mainstream Cutties until '82) this would be a no-brainer. We've done Vintage Air in an '86 Monte SS, but it sports a built LS now in place of the L69 305 it was born with.

 

[see2xu]

You need make sure the brackets fit the 350 and 455. The deck is different between the two and requires different brackets from the factory.

OK, thanks. We'd end up having to fabricate something with the "Builder" universal kit anyway.

 

[see2xu]

Why not go to the factory-installed system? It was designed to fit the car, and when properly maintained, works very well. If it's a compressor issue, I'm sure there are retrofits for that.

I like the look of the OE integrated system, the universals, not so much.

This car was delivered without a/c. Unusual, I know, for such a top-of-the-line limited edition. Over half of those built ended up in Canada, where a/c was still considered a luxury forty-five years ago. Highly unlikely to find a complete drop-out from a '79 Hurst/Olds or '80 W30!