1980 AC question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 18
From: St. Louis MO
1980 AC question
I have a 1980 with a stroker motor in it. The AC has never worked very well and I am thinking about what my options are. Rebuild the original AC unit and all that goes with it or yank all of it out and do one of the Vintage air systems. Is it worth all of the work? How much more money do you think the new would be?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
The aftermarket ac set ups use modern stuff they simply work/cool better...
Depending on how much of your stock set up needs to be replaced, it adds up fast to be better bang for the buck to go modern aftermarket,
In most cases unless a hard core purist or a great working factory set up the aftermarket set ups win hands down every time.
Depending on how much of your stock set up needs to be replaced, it adds up fast to be better bang for the buck to go modern aftermarket,
In most cases unless a hard core purist or a great working factory set up the aftermarket set ups win hands down every time.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Unsolicited Free Advice: before you jerk out anything, take your car to any competent automotive AC shop and let them test the system. You may need nothing more than a squirt of freon.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
My 81 also got cold, nothing wrong with good working factory ac but when you have to replace major parts it adds up, and it doesnt cool as well as aftermarket.
If it needs a shot of coolant then it has a leak which is a problem...my dads avanti took a shot of coolant even spring for 20 years....
Freon...ah, the good old days.
If it needs a shot of coolant then it has a leak which is a problem...my dads avanti took a shot of coolant even spring for 20 years....
Freon...ah, the good old days.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 18
From: St. Louis MO
I put 3 cans of coolant in the car and it is all out the next day. did not hold the charge. It also will not move the controls up in the dash to make it not blow on the floor. I would like vents and defrost. I am going to have the dash out this fall and trying to decide what the next project will be.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
I hope I didnt sound too snarky, I was more trying to be fun with it, the ac systems in c3's is basically a 50 plus yo design and has a lot of bells and whistles...not a simple system while I love old school and doing my car to look old school some things I just wont do like Bias tires, points dizzies, or in my case build an aniquated stock ac system from scratch, yours might just be leaky, I have no idea how much a "good" shop will charge to trouble shoot and fix it...but it will not be cheap...so I would carefully weigh bang for buck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
The system on an '80 is no different than what comes on cars today, it's not like he has a '69 with a thermal valve and all that BS. I had a leak last summer, it was the o ring seal on my high pressure switch that went. had a universal a/c o ring kit from a job I did at work that had the correct o ring in it. filled it back up and problem solved 
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Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 727
Likes: 113
From: Austin TX area
I have a 78, just had the system converted to R134. I also played with the idea of leaving it original, but I found out a PO had it changed to Freeze 12. So I could go with freeze 12 or have it changed. I felt it was better to go with 134 and know it is very serviceable for year to come, by me or anyone that buys the car. Also I was really not concerned with originality since a lot of the car is not original.
To save money, I did a lot of the work myself, I had a cut up A/C wiring harness which I replaced, to do that I had to remove the entire dash and then most of the duct work, I went to Home D and purchased various size gasket material and glued it to all the duct work and then assembled the duct work outside of the car just to dry fit it the best I could. I then checked all the actuators and replaced the one in the plenum. I also tried to upgrade to the larger fan/motor. Not done with that, but I did increase the gauge of the ground wire and now I have AC and it's cool baby! In the end I am not sure how much I saved, but it cost me for the $337 to have it converted to 134.
To save money, I did a lot of the work myself, I had a cut up A/C wiring harness which I replaced, to do that I had to remove the entire dash and then most of the duct work, I went to Home D and purchased various size gasket material and glued it to all the duct work and then assembled the duct work outside of the car just to dry fit it the best I could. I then checked all the actuators and replaced the one in the plenum. I also tried to upgrade to the larger fan/motor. Not done with that, but I did increase the gauge of the ground wire and now I have AC and it's cool baby! In the end I am not sure how much I saved, but it cost me for the $337 to have it converted to 134.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 18
From: St. Louis MO
hoping to check for the leak tonight. just wanna get through the summer and then I will do a full on A/C replace and repair. Pull the dash and fix all of the lights and some gages while I am at it.... may just take the body off to make sure I get everything just right!!!