Hello I'm in Melbourne and the Summers get rather hot down here. It was about 40C in my car on a trip to the country... woaaaaaarh!!!! it felt like a sauna!!!! Apart from moving to Tasmania, where the summers are cooler, I'm thinking of installing an air-con unit in my 1965 Beetle.
I dug up some old emails from usenet - see below - but has anyone here done it or knows any mechanics in Melbourne who could do it?
Cheers!!!!
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I just installed one of the I.C.E. units in my bug. A very nice kit.
There were some areas of it that were difficult to do, but I kind of expected
that. ..... I put a T4 oil cooler conversion on my new beetlemex engine just to be sure I wasn't overheatng it. I also did not mount the sub-cooler condenser on the engine firewall - so as not to draw
already warmed air from it into the engine cooling. I mounted it above the transaxle and added an additional 9" radiator cooling fan to it to pull air thru it. The system has 2 condensers each with
it's own cooling fan. The thing will freeze your kneecaps off (I have an under the dash blower unit). Good luck, its not that bad.
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With all due respect, I think when it comes to air-conditioning, everyone should look to Singaporean Bug owners. We get 30C+, 90+% humidity here all year round, so air-con is... How we mount the air-con? Simple. Blower in the car. You have a choice of in front under the dash or behind in the luggage compartment. Both ways make you lose some space, but I personally, I prefer Smurfette's luggage space setup. The space is usually unused anyway. (Who climbs behind to stuff things there?) The rear setup is good also because the
cool air goes all round the cabin, while the front setup freezes your
knees and knuckles... :-)
For the compressor, we use a rotary type that is mounted on the LEFT of
the carb, about where the alternator is. With this, there are no bubbles
on the decklid. The brackets may vary from shop to shop, but the idea is
the same. I've got pics of you guys want to see. Looks like a Judson
SuperCharger if you ask me! :-0
And lastly, the condensor/evaporator is mounted under the pan, in front
of the rear left wheel. Don't ask me why. They are just set up so. Over
the years they get dinged a 'lil, but they don't leak. This way, you get
to keep your spare tire spare and once the car moves, the air gets
cold... fast.
ALVIN
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To Chad,
You can do it yourself like I did - cost approx $400AUS, have pics.
I have air conditioning in my '62, it works great and I'm real COOOL!
The underdash unit is an after market "Mark IV", small and neat, two
stage fan and temperature control, ducts etc, the rest - ie rotary
compressor (Sanden), condenser, receiver/dryer are from a Holden
Commadore (local Australian built car). The condenser unit with twin electric fans is mounted in the spare tire well. Air scoops at the bottom and escape holes at the back, sealed over the top to stop water entering the luggage compartment. The compressor is mounted to the right of the alternator on a bracket from under the alternator stand. Extra pulley welded in front of standard one. Had to have a slight bubble put into the engine lid to clear the electro-magnetic clutch on the compressor. Has a sensor fitted to shut down the compressor under 1000rpm (is adjustable, allows for easier starting and idle. Does not effect the performance that much on my warmed 1600TP. Disadvantages are - it only recycles the air inside the car (need to
open a window every now and then), and I have lost some space in the luggage compartment (now taken up by the spare wheel). Advantages are - my wife will now go travelling in the bug!
From
Grahame
Blue65 ·