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Thread Number: 54418
Family's first airconditioned car |
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Post# 767956 7/4/2014 at 14:58 (3,595 days old) by cuffs054  (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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What was your family's first and was it factory or add on? Does anyone have experience with early systems that ran the compressor all the time? The Chrysler Imperial collectors site has neat service manuals going back to '53. | ||
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Post# 767961 , Reply# 1 7/4/2014 at 15:12 (3,595 days old) by appliguy (Oakton Va.) |
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My families first car with factory A/C….. | ||
| Post# 767962 , Reply# 2 7/4/2014 at 15:16 (3,595 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
None of the family cars and pickups had air conditioning. The first car I can remember riding in that had air was the Frigidaire Factory Rep's 1964 Impala, furnished free of course courtesy of his employer. There were 3 dash vents, 2 ball and 1 rectangular in the center. You couldn't have been cooler if you were in Siberia. I realized right then and there that next to a car stereo, this was a must-have item.
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| Post# 767968 , Reply# 3 7/4/2014 at 15:39 (3,595 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN) | ||
Volkswagen 411
Our first car with air conditioning was the 1972 Volkswagen 411. This car is mostly forgotten today, but it was VW's attempt to modernize the old Beetle and make it acceptable to a modern buyer, since by the late 60s the writing was on the wall and the beetle was on borrowed time.
They were generally good cars, but had issues with the fuel injection, which could be cranky. The entire line of air cooled cars had to be scrapped when more stringent air standards came into effect, which an air cooled engine cannot possibly meet. As for the air conditioning... we lived in Southern California where it was needed perhaps 5 days a year. I never remember it running.
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Post# 767976 , Reply# 5 7/4/2014 at 15:55 (3,595 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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You're right about the early fuel injection, scoots. We had a VW Squareback and at idle, in winter, it would rev up and down without anybody touching the throttle.
Our 1961 Mercedes 220S had add-on under dash AC. I remember my dad getting it off a junked '55 Chevy. The York compressor ran all the time. On long trips the coils would freeze over and you'd have to turn it off 30 minutes or so to defrost. Thus was in the mid-Sixties. American cars had much better AC and heating than European ones in those days, and even well into the Seventies. This post was last edited 07/04/2014 at 16:42 | ||
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Post# 767979 , Reply# 6 7/4/2014 at 16:01 (3,595 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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| Post# 767980 , Reply# 7 7/4/2014 at 16:01 (3,595 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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66 Cutlass It was cold as ice, Moms Sister had a 63 Super 88 and it was also cold as ice, that got Mom hooked on Oldsmobile. | ||
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Post# 767981 , Reply# 8 7/4/2014 at 16:07 (3,595 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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Post# 767982 , Reply# 9 7/4/2014 at 16:07 (3,595 days old) by philcobendixduo (San Jose) |
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1965 Ford Galaxy
My Dad (who was on the road all week as a salesman) traded his 1965 Mustang (early production) for a 1965 Galaxy as he found the Mustang too small - especially the trunk. The 1965 Galaxy had what I think was dealer installed air - a Ford unit that hung under the dash with four "eyeball" vents. This was when we lived in Nebraska.
My first car - a 1974 Honda Civic (purchased new) had no air and I vowed I would never again have a car without air - especially here in California! Next car was a 1980 Honda Accord LX - with air! | ||
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Post# 767986 , Reply# 10 7/4/2014 at 16:21 (3,595 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I don't think any of our cars were A/C in the 50's and 60's ('56 Ford, '50 Chevy, '47 Plymouth), and my first car with AC was in 1997 with a Dodge Neon. Tell the truth, it's not really necessary most of the year around here, until one ventures into the eastern valleys. Nice to have to get condensation away from windshield, though. Since then the AC on the Neon has lived up to its built-to-a-price heritage, and the refrigerant seems to leak out every few months. Not a big deal since it's been parked waiting for a new rear main seal.
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Post# 767993 , Reply# 12 7/4/2014 at 17:00 (3,595 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH) |
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Always.
Near all of my family's cars have had AC as long as I have been around. I was brought home from the hospital in a nearly-new 1981 gray Volkswagen Rabbit LS Diesel with ice cold AC. We also had 2 1975 Lincoln Continental Towncars with ice cold AC that was remarkably quiet. My mother's 1974 Mercury Capri had no AC, but it was replaced in 1985 with a 1975 Volvo 244 DL with AC. The Volvo's AC died a few years later and wasn't fixed.
My 1987 Volvo 240 GL has AC and it works too. The heater will burn you alive, but the AC is hardly adequate. It's better than nothing, and I like saying I have a 27 year old car with working AC, but it just wasn't a well thought out system. Dave | ||
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Post# 768002 , Reply# 13 7/4/2014 at 17:18 (3,595 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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 The first air-conditioned car that my family had was a 1965 Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop; light yellow with a light brown interior. Ford's first year for fully-integrated air conditioning with 4 outlets distributed across the instrument panel. It cooled very well and featured the flo-thru ventilation with a vacuum operated vent built into the parcel shelf below the rear window. I still love the styling of that car!
The first air-conditioned car that I personally owned was a 1964 Galaxie 500 4-door sedan; again, light yellow with tan interior. What a bomb of a car! It had a 352 engine with a 4 bbl carb and 3-speed automatic - terribly underpowered - and Ford's idea of "factory air-conditioning" in 1964 was still a below-the-dash unit.
The oldest air-conditioned car that I have owned was my 1961 Buick Invicta Custom 4-door hardtop; silver with black, full-leather interior. Fabulous car. | ||
| Post# 768007 , Reply# 15 7/4/2014 at 17:44 (3,595 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
First air conditioned car
My grandmothers 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88. They bought this in December of 1960. I have owned it since July of 1978. The air conditioning is wonderful in this car. It has the original Frigidaire A-5 compressor. I replaced all the rubber o rings in the lines, rebuilt the hot gas bypass valve, and replaced the receiver dryer, then had it evacuated and recharged with R12 just this year. Cool as a mountain top! Just drove home in it about an hour ago, with the A/C on of course.. :)
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| Post# 768013 , Reply# 16 7/4/2014 at 17:57 (3,595 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
1968 Olds '98 | ||
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Post# 768014 , Reply# 17 7/4/2014 at 17:58 (3,595 days old) by ultramatic (New York City) |
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1966 Ford Country Squire | ||
| Post# 768016 , Reply# 18 7/4/2014 at 18:01 (3,595 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
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Oh, My Dear Darlin' Baby Jesus.... | ||
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Post# 768033 , Reply# 21 7/4/2014 at 19:25 (3,595 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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Our first car with air conditioning was a 1965 Buick Electra 225.
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Post# 768045 , Reply# 22 7/4/2014 at 20:50 (3,595 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Rick | ||
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Post# 768046 , Reply# 23 7/4/2014 at 20:53 (3,595 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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 My Dad got a new 1957 Ford--I don't remember if it was a Custom 300 or a Fiarlane--I know it wasn't a Fairlane 500. The A/C vents were up on the dash near the windshield. They were angled to blow up and over the front passengers. I don't remember if there were any other vents. It was not a 2-tone car color. It was kind of like a celery green--the same green color as pictured in the Country Squire Station Wagon that's not the fake wood grain. | ||
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Post# 768065 , Reply# 25 7/4/2014 at 22:08 (3,595 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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1959 Olds Super 88 with factory air, two ball turrets and one rectangular vent in the middle. | ||
| Post# 768076 , Reply# 27 7/4/2014 at 22:40 (3,595 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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On my Mom's 67' Chevy Caprice it said "Frigidaire" and GM on the compressor, but "Harrison" on the box containing the evaporator. | ||
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Post# 768079 , Reply# 28 7/4/2014 at 22:56 (3,595 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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| Post# 768096 , Reply# 29 7/5/2014 at 00:47 (3,595 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
 GM rebadged it's Frigidaire A-6 compressors as "Delco Air" around 1976, my 1975 Electra that was built in March of 1975 has a Frigidaire compressor and my former 1976 Electra which was built late in the model year (June 1976) had the same compressor badged as Delco Air. Around that time, GM also started to use their crappy R-4 compressors. The rest of the A/C systems were tagged as "Harrison" like the radiators. Usually, there's a "Harrison" sticker on the A/C box or on the VIR units of mid-1970s cars. The early trunk-mounted a/c units of 1953-55 were badged as Frigidaire but later in-dash units were badged as Harrison.
Around where I live, a/c wasn't very popular until the mid-eighties. My parent's oldest car with a/c was a 1986 Jetta GL Turbo Diesel. I have seen many late 1960s and even early 1970s luxury cars like Cadillacs without a/c. My current 1965 Buick Wildcat lacks A/C and my former 1974 LeSabre and 1968 Wildcat also lacked it. I also had a 1989 Jeep Cherokee and 3 1990-93 Toyota pickups with no a/c. The 1993 Toyota pickup I currently have has a/c but it was originally sold in the US and most of those that were sold in Canada didn't have it.
Now, most cars sold here have a/c but some economy cars still lack it. A friend of mine has a black 2007 Honda Civic that lacks a/c. It has power windows but that's all (it does not even have power door locks...). He got it used for cheap two years ago probably because not many wanted a black car without a/c! He's quite rich but doesn't care much about that as he mostly uses his 5$ bicycle on nice days and so does his girlfriend who's now 8 months pregnant! They live in a small single bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building that they own (no a/c there of course!) and they don't plan moving soon... | ||
| Post# 768112 , Reply# 30 7/5/2014 at 03:54 (3,595 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
The car belonged to Westinghouse, not 'the family'. It was a 1957 Buick. 'The family' got a (slightly) used 62 Pontiac in 63, that was "our" first AC car.
MY first AC car was dad's company 67 Plymouth he sold me in 75. Had to replace the expansion valve but after that it would ICE the vents, not just frost them. | ||
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Post# 768121 , Reply# 32 7/5/2014 at 05:05 (3,595 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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Post# 768129 , Reply# 33 7/5/2014 at 06:48 (3,594 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Rick, Tom, Kenny | ||
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Post# 768130 , Reply# 34 7/5/2014 at 06:53 (3,594 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Harrison Harrison was GM's Radiator Division and was originally credited with ownership of the air conditioning systems - with a footnote that the compressor was supplied by Frigidaire.
lawrence
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| Post# 768141 , Reply# 37 7/5/2014 at 08:49 (3,594 days old) by NYCWriter () | ||
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Ours ... ... 1979 Caprice Classic station wagon. Two-tone burgundy with burgundy interior and luggage rack. Sharp-looking car it was!
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Post# 768173 , Reply# 38 7/5/2014 at 12:14 (3,594 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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Post# 768185 , Reply# 40 7/5/2014 at 13:49 (3,594 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Lawrence, None of the Oldsmobubbles were hardtops. Daddy traveled 7.5 southeastern states and believed that the center pillar offered him more protection in an accident. Got sie dank, we never had to find out. | ||
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Post# 768220 , Reply# 41 7/5/2014 at 17:15 (3,594 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago) |
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1965 Ford LTD 
It had air-conditioning, but I don't remember it ever working correctly.
It was replaced by a 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 with an aftermarket air-conditoner that looked like a vented box bolted to the floor. It, too did not work. Our flat-roofed house didn't have air-conditioning either. For all these reasons I handle heat well. | ||
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Post# 768223 , Reply# 42 7/5/2014 at 17:32 (3,594 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 768227 , Reply# 43 7/5/2014 at 17:43 (3,594 days old) by imperial70 (MA USA) |
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Ours was a 1982 Mercury Cougar 4 door sedan (fox body). Super cold AC. But very Problematic. The very first car I purchased was a 1986 Mercury Marquis (fox body, not to be confused with the Panther Body Grand Marquis). | ||
| Post# 768242 , Reply# 44 7/5/2014 at 19:43 (3,594 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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Since it hasn't been mentioned, Chevrolet called their factory air with a settable thermostat "Comfortron" and under the lip at the top of the dash was a caged probe of some kind. That's where the system took the cabin temp from. | ||
| Post# 768245 , Reply# 45 7/5/2014 at 20:12 (3,594 days old) by ptcruiser51 (Boynton Beach, FL) | ||
1966 Chrysler Newport
Could double as a meat-locker. My OM never bothered reading owner's manuals, "I know how to drive a car". So consequently, did not understand that the "heat" lever could temper the a/c blast. This continued thru 1968 Chrysler, 1970 Chrysler, 1973 Ford LTD, 1976 Ford LTD, 1979 Mercury Marquis, 1981 Mercury Sable. Always freezing, all the time.
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Post# 768264 , Reply# 46 7/5/2014 at 21:34 (3,594 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada) |
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Ours was a '72 Lincoln Town Car - similiar to this one.
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Post# 768304 , Reply# 47 7/6/2014 at 01:00 (3,594 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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Post# 768308 , Reply# 48 7/6/2014 at 02:41 (3,594 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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 That would be a 1957 Lincoln Premiere Landau 4-door hardtop. The cooled air was delivered from the ceiling, with a round directional vent in each of the four corners. Circulation to the rear vents involved a pair of flared oval clear plastic ducts that came up out of the package tray.
The thing that I hated was my parents' rule of aiming all vents toward the center of the cabin, as if the system should be operated like central A/C or something. The interior of that car was cavernous and the only way to stay cool was to have a vent pointed at you, not toward the no-man's-land in the center. My sister and I would often re-aim our vents in the back seat to blow the cold air at us instead, when Mom & Dad weren't looking. | ||
| Post# 768356 , Reply# 49 7/6/2014 at 09:00 (3,593 days old) by xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania ) | ||
I don't recall my mothers 1983 Cavalier having A/C but I know her next car did.
It was a 1987 Chevy Celebrity Classic, gray with matching carriage roof and tufted velour interior, and wire hubcaps. Unfortunately it was the 2.2 little engine and was essentially junk when traded off in early 1992.
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Post# 768387 , Reply# 50 7/6/2014 at 11:17 (3,593 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada) |
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Pete,
I have a friend that does the same thing with the heat and A/C. She'll come to pick me up and the temperature will be set to 18C on a hot day or 32 C on a cold day. I've explained to her several times how the auto temperature control functions but she just doesn't get it. I have mine set at 21.5 C year round. Gary | ||
| Post# 768389 , Reply# 51 7/6/2014 at 11:37 (3,593 days old) by dynaflow (rockingham nc) | ||
our first | ||
| Post# 768400 , Reply# 52 7/6/2014 at 12:33 (3,593 days old) by dirtybuck (Springfield, MO) | ||
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Whirlcool: Thanks for the correction on the name. | ||
| Post# 768439 , Reply# 53 7/6/2014 at 14:22 (3,593 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia) | ||
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A 53 Cadillac We had a 53 Caddy with air in 58,my first car with air was a 54 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe.Chrysler seemed to always have the best air.On the 1942 Desoto 5th avenues,they had factory air,of course with the war just starting not many were made.I wonder how many survived! | ||
| Post# 768442 , Reply# 54 7/6/2014 at 14:31 (3,593 days old) by pcasa (Dallas. Tx) | ||
58 impala | ||
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Post# 768443 , Reply# 55 7/6/2014 at 14:31 (3,593 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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Post# 768445 , Reply# 56 7/6/2014 at 14:32 (3,593 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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Post# 768454 , Reply# 57 7/6/2014 at 14:45 (3,593 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Bobby with the '53 Caddy | ||
| Post# 768463 , Reply# 58 7/6/2014 at 15:01 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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GM kept the trunk-mounted air conditioner in some brands until 1955. Pontiac got in-dash a/c in 1954 (and I think they didn't have a/c in 1953) but Buick and Cadillac kept the trunk-mounted Frigidaire units for 3 years until 1956 models were introduced. The 1953 Buick and Cadillac system had 4 vents in the roof while the 1955 system just blew air from the two plexiglass tubes at the back.
I'd love to get a 1953 Roadmaster hardtop coupe with factory A/C. I guess I won't find that around here... | ||
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Post# 768464 , Reply# 59 7/6/2014 at 15:05 (3,593 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois) |
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My folk's first car air was a 1969 Mercury Marauder; the unit hung from under the dash. My first car that I bought was a 1968 Ford Ltd. Brougham which had factory air in it. | ||
| Post# 768469 , Reply# 60 7/6/2014 at 15:14 (3,593 days old) by pcasa (Dallas. Tx) | ||
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roadmaster
.. I remember those plexi tubes on Cadillacs .. that was a real status symbol!
I'm also in the Roadmaster Wagon camp after watching Julie & Julia a gillion times
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Post# 768553 , Reply# 62 7/6/2014 at 19:57 (3,593 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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I never understood people who put on the a/c or the heat "all the way" and then when they start feeling too cold or too hot they shut it off instead of turning the dial or lever down so it's comfortable.. someone I lives with does this LOLI know several people who do that and try to moderate the temp via manual adjustment of the fan speed. My first car with auto-temp control was the 2001 Infiniti, and it's now a must-have feature. | ||
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Post# 768562 , Reply# 64 7/6/2014 at 20:28 (3,593 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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Dad, totally agree. Interestingly the autotemp in my Cruze (2011) is way better than the one in my 2008 Cadillac SRX. I wonder if it has something to do with where the cars were designed? | ||
| Post# 768587 , Reply# 66 7/6/2014 at 21:42 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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The automatic system in 1967 Rivieras wasn't called Comfortron (Olds and Chevrolet used that system). Buick called their system "Automatic Climate Control" and on the control panel, you could read "Buick Automatic".
This system was completely mechanical (so it couldn't be called Comfortron!) and not reliable. Buick was the first brand to introduce automatic control in 1959 with their "auto heat" system. This system was available with or without a/c and controlled the temperature, the fan speeds and the air distribution automatically just like newer fully automatic systems. It was offered just for a year and Buick didn't offer an automatic system until Cadillac Chevrolet and Olds started to offer it in 1964-65-66. Unlike the other GM systems that used electronic sensors, the 1966-67 Buick system relied on 3 thermostats (like oven thermostats with bulb sensors) and was very complicated. It was modified in mid-1967 but the modified system wasn't much better. I owned a 1967 Riviera with the second ACC and I did keep many parts from it but many were bad... In 1968, Buick changed to another mechanical system but this time, used a bi-metal thermostat. Still not good but not as bad as the 1966-67 systems. In 1971, all GM cars got a system that was electronically controlled like the Comfortron and it was more reliable. It was also improved in mid-1974 with the Mark II programmers (these systems also added an "Economy" position rather than a "Vent" position so you could turn on the heat without having the A/C compressor running.
The 1967 Riviera GS that I currently have doesn't have the Automatic Climate Control, it just has manual A/C but this one works well at least! My 1975 Electra has the electronically controlled ACC with the Mark II programmer that also works well. By then, it was the same system that Chevrolet (Comfortron) and Cadillac (Climate Control) used but for some strange reasons, Olds stopped to use Comfortron in 1974 and replaced it with their "Tempmatic" semi-automatic system which just controlled the temperature. Buick used that semi-auto system (called Custom-Aire in Buick cars) for just two years in 1976-77 on the Century/Regal/LeSabre/Estate wagon while the Electra and Riviera still offered the fully automatic system. Pontiac had other names for it's automatic and semi-automatic A/C systems and like Oldsmobile, it had an electronically-controlled air conditioning system at first and went with a semi-automatic system in the mid-seventies while Chevrolet kept the fully automatic Comfortron.
See the link to see the complete service manual supplement for the second ACC system used by Buick in 1967, the first type used in mid-1966 to early-1967 models is similar but it uses a "liquid vacuum motor". CLICK HERE TO GO TO PhilR's LINK This post was last edited 07/06/2014 at 22:08 | ||
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Post# 768590 , Reply# 67 7/6/2014 at 21:53 (3,593 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 768597 , Reply# 68 7/6/2014 at 22:12 (3,593 days old) by hydralique (Los Angeles) |
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Phil . . . It has always tickled me to see how far Buick used to go to not copy or even use the same products as Olds and Cadillac! | ||
| Post# 768601 , Reply# 69 7/6/2014 at 22:21 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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The semi-automatic Tempmatic system in Oldsmobiles replaced the fully automatic Comfortron system that they used since the mid-1960s. I think that was a strange move at Oldsmobile since you could still get a Chevrolet Bel Air with Comfortron in 1974 (I've seen that!) but you couldn't get it in the fanciest 98 or Toronado! Pontiac also replaced the fully automatic system with a semi-automatic at about the same period and in 1976-77, Buick used a semi-auto system on it's "A" and "B" bodies (but "C" bodies still had the fully automatic system).
Olds used the Tempmatic system instead of Comfortron from 1974 to the mid-eighties and that system controlled only the temperature. The fully automatic systems also control the fan speeds and the air distribution. | ||
| Post# 768606 , Reply# 71 7/6/2014 at 22:37 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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Hydralique, that's true! Before 1968, Buick even had it's own cruise control systems which were completely different from the system Olds and Cadillac used. Buick had a system called "Electro-Cruise" from 1963 to 1967 which was controlled by the pointer in the speedometer (in cars without the cruise control, this pointer was often used for the speed alert). The other system used in 1966-67 Skylark and LeSabre models equipped with the two-speed ST-300 transmission was called "Auto Cruise Control" and was controlled by the transmission itself.
www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manua...
Olds and Cadillac used a system made by Perfect-Circle and Chevrolet used a simpler system that was adopted by all GM divisions by the seventies.
These pics show the cruise control adjustment in my 1965 Wildcat and in my 1967 Riviera. Both cars could accelerate from 0 mph to the set speed just by pressing the setting knob! Once the set speed is reached, the cruise light comes on and the cruise is "locked" in position. Then, if you move the pointer, you can increase or decrease the car's speed without touching the accelerator. | ||
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Post# 768610 , Reply# 72 7/6/2014 at 23:00 (3,593 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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I love this new Silverado I have now with the dual zone climate control. Could not figure out how to get it to especially heat here when it was freezing when using remote start. Technician at my dealership said all you need to do is set temp where you want it and make sure fan is on high, hit remote start on the key fob and it heats or cools where you set it. My father would be in awe with even remote start. My aunt had a late 50's Buick with a safety sentinel that would buzz if you went faster than you set it at and auto dimming headlights. That was a nice car.
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| Post# 768624 , Reply# 74 7/7/2014 at 00:15 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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As far as I know (I don't live in the best place to spot 1950's cars with factory A/C!), Olds had an in-dash system in 1955 but not Buick. And I thought they didn't have individual outlets in the headliner anymore by 1955 but according to this link, they still did.
I didn't know that Cadillac still didn't use the dash-mounted systems in 1956 but that seems correct! Some 1956 Cadillac convertibles even had trunk-mounted A/C apparently. I'm wondering how that setup left space for the top to fold down! I know that the series 75 still had trunk-mounted a/c systems for the rear passengers much later.
And about the dual-zone air conditioning. I had that in my 1991 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. I didn't like that car but the A/C system was great (when it worked!). As far as I know, this was the first car to offer a dual-zone Climate Control system. Just a year or two later, many other brands offered it. If I remember well, Oldsmobile had introduced rear passenger a/c vents in the 1991 Ninety Eight and a year later, Buick had that feature and Olds had the Dual Zone feature from Buick...
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Post# 768625 , Reply# 75 7/7/2014 at 00:27 (3,593 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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Phil, could you explain how the controls on the '67 Riviera work? It looks like the top "slider" is for temp control, then below it are switches for fan speed and recirc/normal/vent/heater, then another slider below that labeled "defrost" and "AC."
Does the bottom slider give you some kind of infinite control of what vent the air comes out? Or is it just two positions? | ||
| Post# 768629 , Reply# 76 7/7/2014 at 01:04 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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The bottom slider gives an infinite control of where the air comes out as long as you don't use the A/C and don't want the air to go in the A/C outlets. So with the slider on the left, the air is to the floor, in the middle, the air is to the floor and defrost outlets and to the right it's to the defrost only.
But to get that, the 4 position heater and A/C selector has to be on "HTR". That also means you can't defrost the windshield while the A/C compressor running...
In case you're wondering, the slider at the top is for the temperature and on the extreme left position, it also shuts-off the water valve for maximum cooling. The two small levers are for the fan speeds (on the left) and the right one is the selects either REC A/C (recirculation or "max a/c") NORM A/C (without recirculation) VENT (non-cooled air going through the a/c outlets) and HTR for non-cooled air going to the floor and defroster.
With the humid weather we have here, it often happens that when you start the car at night and you switch from "a/c" to "defrost", you get the windshield all fogged-up because the a/c compressor doesn't work in HTR or DEF and there's humidity remaining in the evaporator core. Then it's hard to dissipate moisture from the windshield because the cold engine doesn't heat and if you switch back to a/c, you can't get it through the windshield duct! To avoid that, I swith the a/c to "VENT" for the a minute when I'm arriving at my destination to evaporate most of the moisture in the evaporator and I move the "DEFROST" slider to the left so the remaining humid air will go to the floor register the next time I start the car. It would have been much simpler to just add a separate switch for the compressor and allow the user to direct the cooled air wherever he wants...
Manual A/C explained in the owner's manual: www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manua... Automatic Climate control explained in the owner's manual: www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manua...
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Post# 768635 , Reply# 77 7/7/2014 at 01:43 (3,593 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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I see. So the temp was controlled by the water valve instead of by air blending.
I remember having cars with no AC (or add on units) where the only thing you could do when you wanted defrosting us wait for the engine to warm up to give hot air -- that or have a rag handy to wipe the condensation off. | ||
| Post# 768645 , Reply# 78 7/7/2014 at 02:56 (3,593 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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The temperature is controlled by air blending but there's always some hot air leaking through the cable-operated blending door and through the vacuum-operated door that also partially diverts the air from the heater core when the a/c is on. If you get the temperature slider to the extreme left position, not only the air mostly bypasses the heater core with two doors that divert the air away from it, there's also a vacuum line that closes the water valve so the hot water doesn't circulate in the heater core.
1967 Rivieras without air conditioning don't have a water valve for their heater core. When you select one of the two "Vent" positions on the heater control panel of a 1967 Riviera that has no air conditioning, you get outside air from a different duct that doesn't get any heat from the heater core.
When I installed air conditioning to my car that originally didn't have it, I had to block that hole for the ventilation in the firewall.
That heater system with two vent positions was a new addition to the 1967 Riviera, the 1966 model didn't have the position that allowed to heat the air going through the dashboard outlets. Previously, cars without A/C didn't have ventilation outlets in their dashboards, they had vent windows instead. The 1966 Riviera and Toronado were the first cars to eliminate the vent windows.
An picture showing a 1966 Riviera with the heater only. www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA...
And illustrations showing and explaining the 1967 Riviera's modified heater controls. www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manua... www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manua... | ||
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Post# 768712 , Reply# 80 7/7/2014 at 09:09 (3,592 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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 1986 Chevy Celebrity... Also the first family car w/ a grid-type electric rear window defrost...! We were so impressed with the operation of it, too!!!! Everything cleared off that heated back-lite, so easily...
Hard to believe that my mom would, thereafter, actually SCRAPE that rear window on her other, later cars that had that feature, and probably never even turned it on...!
-- Dave
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| Post# 768727 , Reply# 81 7/7/2014 at 10:05 (3,592 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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I think Nash And the Rambler cars had the first in dash AC units, I know they claimed to have Kelvinator AC, but the older ones I saw used York compressors like Fords had. | ||
| Post# 768750 , Reply# 83 7/7/2014 at 12:13 (3,592 days old) by dirtybuck (Springfield, MO) | ||
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I completely forgot about this little gem. This was the best way if you could tell a Chevy had ac. It was found on the bottom right side of the back windshield and on station wagons, the bottom right side of the panel window.
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Post# 768753 , Reply# 84 7/7/2014 at 12:18 (3,592 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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Dirty, my 61 Biscayne had one! No power steering or brakes, but A/C. What a bear to drive in traffic! | ||
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Post# 768756 , Reply# 85 7/7/2014 at 12:26 (3,592 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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A Biscayne with A/C? Now that's a rare bird!
My sister's first car was a '65 Biscayne that could not have been more stripped down. Six cylinder, three speed column shift, and even the factory radio came without any pre-set buttons. What a pain!
I did learn how to master a manual transmission on that car though. It was far more forgiving than the '50 GMC, and my sister was a better teacher than my dad was! | ||
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Post# 768979 , Reply# 87 7/8/2014 at 00:21 (3,592 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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It's interesting how the designs evolved, not only mechanically but cosmetically.
Came across this pic of the AC controls from a 1960 Thunderbird. The styling is neat, and it let your passengers know you had AC whether you were using it or not!
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| Post# 768998 , Reply# 88 7/8/2014 at 01:08 (3,592 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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71 Olds The Delta 88 my Mother had had a DeFog position??? | ||
| Post# 769011 , Reply# 89 7/8/2014 at 03:24 (3,592 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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David,
My car also has the rear window defroster, the heated glass version was still not available in 1967 so all cars that had that option had the blower type. I heard that a few 1968 Rivieras had the heated glass but it was officially available on the 1969 Riviera and the following year on other full size Buick models. The blower-type rear defroster remained available as a cheaper alternative for a while. The 1966-70 Rivieras that have the blower-type rear window defroster have a molded plastic grille over the blower on their package shelf. These grilles didn't age well and many have turned into dust over the years while the plastic covering of the package shelf remains intact! My grille is still good and I bought a spare just in case it would start to disintegrate. Most other 1960's GM cars like my 1965 and my former 1968 Wildcat have a metal grille and the seventies cars that still had a blower-type defroster had a plastic grille that was more durable and made of a different black plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic used in the rest of the interiors of most 1971 and newer GM cars didn't hold that well!
About A/C Some cars, including your father's 1967 Riviera with the Automatic Climate Control had their a/c compressor working in all settings except "OFF" and "VENT". But those with manual a/c didn't have that yet. The 1968 Buick manual a/c control panel did include DE-FOG and DE-ICE but neither positions engaged the a/c compressor. It still engaged only in REC and A/C and the system had to be set on "HTR" to let some air go through the defrost outlets.
In the first link, there's a note that suggests running the system on A/C or REC for 30 seconds before switching to DE-FOG or DE-ICE but the manual isn't clear about the fact that you also need to move the selector to HTR if you want air to come from anywhere else than the 3 air conditioning outlets in the dashboard... Another thing that the manual doesn't say is that switching the A/C on for 30 seconds doesn't really help. I tried it!
oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Buick/1968... oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Buick/1968...
Again, the automatic system allowed using the defrost position while the compressor was running. In both 1967 and 1968, the automatic system was much better on paper than the manual one. Unfortunately, it didn't always work as it should!
oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Buick/1968...
See this link for a better view of the 1968 Buick manual A/C controls.
And a similar conversation on Flickr about A/C systems! | ||
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Post# 769041 , Reply# 90 7/8/2014 at 07:28 (3,591 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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Supersuds, if the 60 thunderbird had factory a/c it had a vent above the radio. If it didn't have a/c there was no vent. | ||
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Post# 769067 , Reply# 91 7/8/2014 at 09:49 (3,591 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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Post# 769071 , Reply# 92 7/8/2014 at 10:10 (3,591 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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Supersuds, I love the styling of the 60 Bird. Inside and outside. My grandfather had one. His had the optional 430 Lincoln V8. My dad still has one. My father's (pictured below) has factory A/C as well as power windows. | ||
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Post# 769072 , Reply# 93 7/8/2014 at 10:14 (3,591 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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There are only two cars, that I think, has better styling than the 60 Thunderbird. One is a 59 Cadillac Fleetwood and the other is a 48 Tucker. | ||
| Post# 769077 , Reply# 94 7/8/2014 at 10:22 (3,591 days old) by Davey7 (Chicago) | ||
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'90 Civic DX dealer installed AC It's mine now and the AC died several years ago and was not worth the money to fix. | ||
| Post# 769078 , Reply# 95 7/8/2014 at 10:23 (3,591 days old) by Davey7 (Chicago) | ||
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Hmm, forgot about my '83 Scirocco. That had good, working AC. | ||
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Post# 769104 , Reply# 96 7/8/2014 at 11:54 (3,591 days old) by hydralique (Los Angeles) |
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A good friend of mine has an '82 Scirocco, bought new and in daily use since then. Last time I checked it had over 500,000 miles. The a/c has always been maintained and works well. | ||
| Post# 769111 , Reply# 97 7/8/2014 at 12:20 (3,591 days old) by Davey7 (Chicago) | ||
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I liked the Scirocco, but it was a lot of work - I got it used from our mechanic and he got it from some local doctors kids who had no clue about things like checking oil etc.... | ||
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Post# 769121 , Reply# 99 7/8/2014 at 13:35 (3,591 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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The fam. car before the 1986 Chev. Celebrity was a 1978 Nova... It had a blower-type defroster too... (And the compressor, heater, fan. etc. was right below it in the trunk...)
-- Dave | ||
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Post# 769144 , Reply# 100 7/8/2014 at 14:06 (3,591 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Scoops
I don't think the scoops on that '59 Cadillac were functional at all. Back in the early days of GM air conditioning, when the blower was in the trunk there would typically be a pair of scoops on the rear fenders (one per side), they provided fresh air to the blower unit. Most of the time the scoops were right behind the "C" pillar, but in 1954 Oldsmobile had them just ahead of the tail lights.
lawrence | ||
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Post# 769348 , Reply# 102 7/9/2014 at 08:05 (3,590 days old) by countryford (Austin, MN) |
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Post# 769354 , Reply# 103 7/9/2014 at 08:20 (3,590 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Cadillac Scoops
Here is a link to a site about an air conditioned 1955 Cadillac. This was the typical early GM A/C setup, illustrating the fresh air scoops and the interior distribution.
lawrence CLICK HERE TO GO TO pulltostart's LINK | ||
| Post# 769879 , Reply# 106 7/11/2014 at 01:39 (3,589 days old) by harpon (Jacksonville) | ||
Dad got a used '67 Cadillac Sedan Deville about 1968 I guess- that was the family's first. The first I RODE in was a neighbor's Mustang about 1966.
I recall buying used cars throughout my own life, and usually the thousand dollar ones I got had A/C that was non functioning- and I didn;t need it much then. Now I'm amazed at how often the A/C is still working in older cars these days. but I like to take it all off if the systems shot- one less belt pulley, and a lot of weight to not carry around- the motor gets better airflow. just yesterday I was looking at the A/C on my 95 Escort wagon- which is working but needs some freon- and I noticed that if I ever wanted to take the compressor off- then a shorter stupid serpentine belt would not clear the area on the side of the motor where the tensioner sits- it would be a major project to replace the belt with one shorter - and I'm too old for those- so the bottom line is, if the compressor fails- it still has to sit there and turn the bearings and tensioner- selling me more gasoline, which I find quite iritating, because I know the intent and careful engineering built into it just for that purpose- when i could always just pull it off and use a smaller belt on other cars in the past. I'd likely get it fixed though- here in Florida. Haven't gotten it registered and on the road though, after a water pump and timing belt installation. If you park a car here for a bit, they want you to turn in your plate-DUMB! Like to drive it soon.
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