Vintage Air for early G-Body

[see2xu]

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.

Agree, and that's the approach I've followed on the '78, which was built with factory a/c. Unfortunately, this sweet old W30 wasn't optioned that way.

 

[Texas82GP]

My brother and I were in a similar situation when we built his LS swapped 78 Z28. We bought the direct fit kit minus the compressor, compressor brackets and hoses. We bought the compressor and bracket separately from other sources. We sourced the bulk hose material and fittings we needed separately from Vintage Air and made custom hoses and had them crimped locally. It worked out great. We also elected to modify the under dash unit by adding hard line fittings (sourced from Vintage Air) to the heater core to move the heater hose connections from under the dash to under the hood, to improve servicability.

 

[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.

My brother and I were in a similar situation when we built his LS swapped 78 Z28. We bought the direct fit kit minus the compressor, compressor brackets and hoses. We bought the compressor and bracket separately from other sources. We sourced the bulk hose material and fittings we needed separately from Vintage Air and made custom hoses and had them crimped locally. It worked out great. We also elected to modify the under dash unit by adding hard line fittings (sourced from Vintage Air) to the heater core to move the heater hose connections from under the dash to under the hood, to improve servicability.

Thanks! That might be a better approach, IF the brackets supplied with the SureFit don't work.

 

[69hurstolds]

Although there's no official Small Block Olds or Big Block Olds, most people group them into SBO or BBO to make it easier. Brackets for SBO and BBO will likely be different. The 455 is NOT the same dimesion-wise as a 260/307/350/403 as far as fitments. The deck height is higher, which means the engine is wider by almost 2", affecting the intake width as well, and on older engines the water pump dimension lengths could be different depending on the pump used, meaning the pulley alignments could be affected. So you have to check those.

This also means all the SBO brackets don't always swap directly over to the 455 from the SBOs. Many times when people try to add an R4 factory compressor bracket to a BBO, they take the SBO bracket and weld extensions to them to make them work. The alternator brackets are all on the head for the most part so the stuff can swap directly from Olds V8 to Olds V8. PS outside bracket that shares the front bolt to exhaust manifold may need a bit of fabrication too from SBO to BBO depending on year/model.

It's all fixable, but will require some minor mods. Unless there's a specific kit made to fit available already.

Just tossing that out there.

With all that said, if the Vintage Air units make those scroll type compressors, I believe those would be a better choice in the long run over any R4 based compressor. While R4s can be made to work, you have to reseal them at some point because they're notorious for leaking from front and shell seals.

 

[see2xu]

Although there's no official Small Block Olds or Big Block Olds, most people group them into SBO or BBO to make it easier. Brackets for SBO and BBO will likely be different. The 455 is NOT the same dimesion-wise as a 260/307/350/403 as far as fitments. The deck height is higher, which means the engine is wider by almost 2", affecting the intake width as well, and on older engines the water pump dimension lengths could be different depending on the pump used, meaning the pulley alignments could be affected. So you have to check those.

This also means all the SBO brackets don't always swap directly over to the 455 from the SBOs. Many times when people try to add an R4 factory compressor bracket to a BBO, they take the SBO bracket and weld extensions to them to make them work. The alternator brackets are all on the head for the most part so the stuff can swap directly from Olds V8 to Olds V8. PS outside bracket that shares the front bolt to exhaust manifold may need a bit of fabrication too from SBO to BBO depending on year/model.

It's all fixable, but will require some minor mods. Unless there's a specific kit made to fit available already.

Just tossing that out there.

With all that said, if the Vintage Air units make those scroll type compressors, I believe those would be a better choice in the long run over any R4 based compressor. While R4s can be made to work, you have to reseal them at some point because they're notorious for leaking from front and shell seals.

This is VERY helpful. Have zero experience with Oldsmobile engines. Maybe the "builder" kit will be the better approach.

 

[Ribbedroof]

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!

The underdash parts are all the same for G bodies. Only differences are under the hood, condensor, bracketry, hoses. Seems like a lot of times I read about people pulling all the stuff out because "racecar". Marketplace is littered with G body partouts, even here where they don't get much interest.

 

[random_farmhick]

Ok, you say that you won't be able to find a complete drop in from a w30? well that may be "technically" true, but it should be the same as all g-body cars. At least from the unit on the firewall back. Hoses, engine brackets, condenser, will/could be different though. Only thing i'm not sure about is the opening in the firewall. I know square body trucks, the opening is different from an ac truck to a non ac truck, but I've never had a heat only unit out to see if its the same(I think it is though). I had a 455 olds in my elcamino, and the factory ac box(although not hooked up), and it cleared, but not much room to spare.

 

[olds307 and 403]

Although there's no official Small Block Olds or Big Block Olds, most people group them into SBO or BBO to make it easier. Brackets for SBO and BBO will likely be different. The 455 is NOT the same dimesion-wise as a 260/307/350/403 as far as fitments. The deck height is higher, which means the engine is wider by almost 2", affecting the intake width as well, and on older engines the water pump dimension lengths could be different depending on the pump used, meaning the pulley alignments could be affected. So you have to check those.

This also means all the SBO brackets don't always swap directly over to the 455 from the SBOs. Many times when people try to add an R4 factory compressor bracket to a BBO, they take the SBO bracket and weld extensions to them to make them work. The alternator brackets are all on the head for the most part so the stuff can swap directly from Olds V8 to Olds V8. PS outside bracket that shares the front bolt to exhaust manifold may need a bit of fabrication too from SBO to BBO depending on year/model.

It's all fixable, but will require some minor mods. Unless there's a specific kit made to fit available already.

Just tossing that out there.

With all that said, if the Vintage Air units make those scroll type compressors, I believe those would be a better choice in the long run over any R4 based compressor. While R4s can be made to work, you have to reseal them at some point because they're notorious for leaking from front and shell seals.

Good call on the water pump length, there are 4 different lengths, 5.1", 5.6", 5.9", 6" and the reverse rotation V6 diesel water pump. You will need the water pump AND pulleys to match with the A/C brackets.