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Installing a Classic Auto Air AC system in my 1971 non-AC car.
Wondering if anyone has done a custom control using the Classic Auto Air D.E.R. control ported into the OEM AC control on the shifter bezel. The Corvette’s OEM AC controller with the wheel control has a cool factor to it and the Classic Auto Air plastic controller kinda looks like plastic crap.
Thinking of pulling the fan switch and heat/vent slide controls out of the Classic Auto Air plastic box and jerry-rigging them to the underside of the OEM AC controller. Or using the stock fan switch and rig a couple of potentiometers connected to the OEM AC controller wheels….
I don't think there are many here running caa systems. The guy I'm thinking of used their oem replacement controller like the one you mention. Most of their stuff is large and seem oversized compared to the va controllers. I have the billet aluminum slimline controller and there's nothing slim about it and it's not designed well as far as backlighting goes. Yes it does function though.
I see that the newer VA system re-uses the OEM controller by replacing the vacuum swing valves with cable driven pots and a new overlay. Very cool.
I did read a forum post somewhere that talked about CAA being spun off from an ex-employee of VA and that the systems have some similarities. I am wondering if the VA Controller kit would work with the CAA systems with some minor alterations and calibration... Challenge accepted!
**UPDATE**
The CAA "D.E.R." controller comes with 10K Ohm slide pots (Confirmed with a meter as well as CAA tech resource)
The VA controller kit comes with 12K Ohm slide pots. Confirmed by VA tech resource.
The VA pots should work with my CAA system so I ordered a VA controller kit and will update this post with the results when testing is completed
Thanks
Richard
Last edited by Kidster71; Sep 20, 2019 at 03:48 PM.
I would like to use the DER a/c controller from classic air with my vintage air kit. but not sure if it can be wired up to the VA system. I like the vintage air kit but would like to have the modern classic air controller if it would work.
I ended up buying the VA controller kit and installed it on my original 1971 controller (replacing the vacuum swing valves with cable driven pots). I OHM'ed it all out and it all looks like it will work theoretically but I had a few other priority tasks to do (body ready for paint) so I haven't had a chance to complete it by installing the DER plug and going through the calibration setup.
Now with others having interest and for the cause, I will bump it up the priority list and try to finish it up this weekend. I'll take some pics, do up a quick wiring drawing and share it out
This is what I have mapped out so far. Unfortunately, when I unboxed the VA controls that I purchased, one of the resisters was broken so I am waiting on a new one to arrive before I run the CAA calibration setup. I will update when I calibrate in a couple of weeks….stay tuned.
Note: The VA resisters are actually 10K Ohm contradicting the VA tech that I spoke with over the phone stating that they were 12K Ohm. This is a good thing in that both VA and CAA systems use 10K Ohm system mode control resisters
The first Picture is the VA harness from the VA manual. The second picture is the out of box CAA DER and wire harness mapped out. The resistance per mode is also documented in this picture.
The third picture is the stock C3 Corvette controls modified with the VA kit (resisters and harness). The VA three pin plugs connected to the VA resisters with their wires cut, soldered and heatshrink tubed to the corresponding mapped out CAA DER harness plug that connects the assembly to the CAA system. The resistance per mode is also documented in this picture.
thanks for the post. can you show me how to wire a CCA DER to my vintage air system ? I want the modern caa control but I have a vintage air system I am installing. thanks for any help.
Last edited by jpattt24; Dec 10, 2019 at 05:12 PM.
thanks for the post. can you show me how to wire a CCA DER to my vintage air system ? I want the modern caa control but I have a vintage air system I am installing. thanks for any help.
I geuss I just wire it opisite of pic # 3 ?
Last edited by jpattt24; Dec 10, 2019 at 05:22 PM.
I am only looking at this from a CAA to VA controller perspective but it is quite simple to go the other way.
As you can see in the “VA wire harness As-Is”, the Red wires are all tied together and the White wires are all tied together. So, it looks as simple as soldering the CAA White and Green wires to the VA White wire and soldering the CAA Violet and Blue wires to the VA Red wire.
As per my write-up, I have not tested this but from a conceptual perspective, it all should work.
Please make sure that you are competent with wiring and soldering and make sure that you ohm it all out with a meter for yourself before connecting it to your CAA or VA core system.
I should have this all working in a couple of weeks and I will update my results in this thread.
Classic Auto Air Custom Controller Question
