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Does an old A/C Compressor Have Value?

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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 12:08 PM
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Default Does an old A/C Compressor Have Value?

I have a old A/C compressor from a '70 Corvette small block. It's quite heavy & sitting around my garage in a sealed box collecting dust. Is it of any value? I may sell if worth it. Just shipping for this heavy item could be costly.


Last edited by RetroGuy; Apr 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM.
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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 12:12 PM
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To the vast majority of car owners it's of no value. To the owner who needs it to complete a numbers matching car, it could be gold. Jerry
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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 12:25 PM
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A couple years ago, I inquired with a well-respected compressor restorer (can't recall his name) who said it's not worth rebuilding my original; to just buy a replacement and put the correct label on it. This is a non-judged car so maybe that would be fine but it rubs me the wrong way. As I recall, rebuilding was in the $600 neighborhood at the time.
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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by 67:72
A couple years ago, I inquired with a well-respected compressor restorer (can't recall his name) who said it's not worth rebuilding my original; to just buy a replacement and put the correct label on it. This is a non-judged car so maybe that would be fine but it rubs me the wrong way. As I recall, rebuilding was in the $600 neighborhood at the time.
Usually the only thing that goes wrong is the front seal starts leaking. $600 sounds like a lot more than replacing a seal. If it was run out of oil somehow, or the compressor seized I could see that price. Short of that, the original OEM compressor is going to be of better quality than a newer version of the same. They last basically forever as long as it's not internally damaged from rust or lack of oil.
OP, Storing it in a box exposed to the atmosphere for many years could be a gamble as to whether it is still serviceable or not depending heavily on the level of humidity it has seen.
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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 02:25 PM
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My original one is sitting on a shelf. It was taken off a while back before I got the car. Pulleys turn nice and the compressor turns nice too. You can hear the oil sucking around when you turn it. Going to sell it for $100 since I'm going VA.
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Old Apr 7, 2025 | 12:24 PM
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If a Forum member wants this A/C compressor, I'll sell for just $20 plus cost of shipping anywhere in the continental USA. PM me...

Last edited by RetroGuy; Apr 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM.
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