Does anyone know if the Vintage Air units for the 69 non a/c and 69 a/c cars are basicly the same?
What I was thinking of doing is to switch out the heater defrost controls of my non a/c car for controls from an a/c car.
The idea is to get the multi position fan switch.
I dont know if the non a/c unit has more than one fan speed of not? I got the unit looked at the parts and packed it away for safe keeping.
Mabe that should be my question, "does the vintage air unit for a non a/c 69 chevell have more than one fan speed?"
thanks T.C.

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69 SS 396 clone/hotrod
468,215 w 188/219, xe284h,th 400 3200 stall,12 bolt 355 posi.
http://hometown.aol.com/cowger1/myhomepage/auto.html

TC, I put Vintage Air in a non A/C 69. There is only one fan speed.

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TC #364
Aces #4309
Jeff's 69 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/daytonajeff1.jpg)

I put Vintage Air in a non a/c '68 and I have two blower speeds. I thought that the '68 and '69 kit were the same.

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"SSuper Dave" Palmer
A.C.E.S. #1483
Team Chevelle #32 Gold
1968 Chevelle
1988 Trans Am
1970 El Camino (electrical system operating, Vortec engine starts and runs at last!Bodywork is continuing.

I don't know for sure, my system is not hooked up yet. Still in the box. I looked at the wiring diagram and the switch last night. I think there are two speeds for the blower when it is in heat only mode. One blower speed in A/C mode.

Also if I play with the switch it has 4 positions. One obviously is off. Two I think are for heater only and the last one #4 is for A/C. The fouth position activates the compressor with the fan on and cool air starts to flow. I suspect that if the motor is wired for two speeds on heat then it would be possible to find a way to wire the system for two different fan speeds in A/C

I never thought to ask VA about this when I was talking to them about the sure fit systems. I am using my 69 system in a 72 and a little engineering is needed in terms of the cable controls in the dah that are used.

Why not call VA...their tech support has been cery good to me while I was investigating the use of the 69 Sure Fit system in the 72 vehicle.

[This message has been edited by oman (edited 12-27-2001).]

Thanks for the replys
I did call VA and the tech. said the units had a multi speed switch for the fan.
BUT! I did not ask in what mode?
He also said the older units were only a one speed fan but anything bought in the last year would be multispeed.
I would think that only one speed could be to much at times.
The tech. guy did say the A/C and non A/C units were different and there would be wiring and possably switch changes involved in using the controlls for the A/c car in a non A/C car.
I hope it's at least two speed for heat and air?
T.C.

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69 SS 396 clone/hotrod
468,215 w 188/219, xe284h,th 400 3200 stall,12 bolt 355 posi.
http://hometown.aol.com/cowger1/myhomepage/auto.html

I looked at the wire diagram today.
What it looks like to me is there is a wire that goes to the compressor and then to the heat. I think this is the common so either one can turn the fan on.
There are also three wires marked "L-M-H" that are going to the fan. Im thinking that means low-medium-high, that would explain the 4 positions on the fan switch "off,low,medium,high"?
My unit is packed away so all I can do is look at the directions at this point.
Shure would be nice to have a three speed fan in both modes?
mabe I will E-Mail VA?
T.C.

I think you will find that there are 3 speeds in heat mode and in A/C. Here is why.

I am going to install a VA system in my 66 Vette at some point. I have the installation instructions for both the Vette and the Chevelle. I just don't have the VA kit for the Vette yet.

Looking at both wiring diagrams they are nearly the same with the exception that the Vette diagram uses the Vette OEM switch, On another forum focused on Vettes several people have added VA kits to their Vettes and they say 3 speeds in A/C mode and Heat mode.

Now the proof remains to be seen BUT I think one could set up a bench test of the wiring and the blower motor with a 12 volt battery and a ground wire(s) to simulate chassis grounds. If football is bad today I might just try it.

Send an E-amil or call VA and I will try the wiring test.

TC,

I was wondering the same thing about my non-AC 69. Your question really helps. Keep us posted on what you find out and nay problems you have putting in the system!!

I have an E-mail into VA, waiting for an RE?
T.C.

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69 SS 396 "hotrod"
468,10.0 c.r 215 ovals w/188-219 ported & bowls blended valves unshrouded ect...,merlin dualplane intake, 780 vac.sec.w/proform body & 4 corner idol adj., XE284h cam kit,TH400 w/heavy sprag & shift kit, 2800-3200? stall,12 bolt 373w/brute force posi.,metco upper & lower controll arms.
exhaust???????????
http://hometown.aol.com/cowger1/myhomepage/auto.html

Just a little word of warning, don't expect Vintage air to know everything about what they sell. I bought their sure fit system for my 65 factory air chevelle, and the salesman did not have the correct information about how the unit fit and whether or not it would work in my car. I like the product, but the only way to know if what you want to do will work is to figure it out without their help.

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65 Danube Blue 4 door wagon, 350/330hp crate with 700R4, Factory air, Factory am/fm stereo.

Finally got an answer from Vintage Air
The tech. said there IS three fan speeds in both modes.
He said if I looked at the wire diagram I would see three wires going to the fan motor.
L-M-H low,medium,high.
Thats that!
T.C.

Sounds like a lot of you guys out there have Vintage Air. How do you like the kits?
I put one in my 1967 Chevelle and personnly, I think they are pretty much crap. Poor fit, design not thought out to well, one of the worst instruction sheets I've ever come across, hard to service. I've talked with others and they complain about sub'standard performance, ie, small evap, etc. I haven't noticed this as much as my car is a convertible and I can always put the top down
Anyone else???

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1967 Chevelle convertible with a 1999 LS1 engine and a 4L60E transmission.
Also, looking to purchase a Posi rear-end, 10 or 12 bolt, prefer 3.08 or 3.36 ratio, for a 64 thru 67 Chevelle.

Since many suppliers carry Vintage Air and they are "copied" so much, is there anyone else who does it better. And, I'd like to know too if performance is okay, good, great, or in the dumper... Thanks!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I was wondering about that system as well, I have a non a/c 69 and was considering the VA system, but do you know if it just uses the 2 factory Astro vents for the a/c? I was thinking maybe they included a upper vent with the kit. My 69 has a blank block off plate right above the factory vent controls that would be perfect for an upper vent.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mjwad:
I was wondering about that system as well, I have a non a/c 69 and was considering the VA system, but do you know if it just uses the 2 factory Astro vents for the a/c? I was thinking maybe they included a upper vent with the kit. My 69 has a blank block off plate right above the factory vent controls that would be perfect for an upper vent.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

MJ Yes it does use the Astro vents as well as a center grille in the blank space you described. The grill is aftermarket and looks kind of cheesy, so I got a factory center grille and installed it in that same location. It looks like it belongs there.
I have no complaints with my VA system.

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TC #364
Aces #4309
Jeff's 69 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/daytonajeff1.jpg)

Hey Jeff. Does the center vent have some type of felt around the perimeter to keep the vents from falling to the "down" position? I found a old center vent assembly, bought replacement chrome vents for it, but.....they are really loose. I know the side vents have a felt ring. Thought the center might, also. You remember?

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My Elky (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/bridge04.jpg)
Arkansas Classic Chevelle Club (http://www.ac3online.net/index.html)
My Webpage (http://www.cox-internet.com/wooldridge/)

Danny Wooldridge
Member #1129
Aces #5044

The question about quality has been raised. I haven't finished installing my unit yet, but I would have to say from inspecting it that the quality is marginal. The fan switch that came with the kit fell apart in my hands and there were "Made in China" stickers on some of the parts. The instructions are not very well printed and are not informative enough. I was originally sold a system for my car that would not fit under the dash, so they took back the evaporator unit and left me with a condenser and other parts that are not suited for the "Sure Fit" system that they sent me. They would not take back the condenser and it looks to me to be undersized for my application. So I will post the results when I finally complete the installation.

Danny, I don't believe the center vent has a felt perimeter. If I remeber right it just has pins on each end of each vent that hold the vent in place.




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TC #364
Aces #4309
Jeff's 69 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/daytonajeff1.jpg)

I have vintage air in my '69, originally a non-A/C car. I bought this 6 years ago, but I imagine the kit hasn't changed too much. I have also installed a vintage air unit into a friend's '68 Chevelle which was originally an A/C car but the previous owner butchered/removed most of the A/C equipment.

There are 3 fans speeds, no matter what mode you are in (heat, a/c, defrost.) If you aren't getting 3 speeds you either have a bad fan switch on your controls, or you wired it incorrectly. The stock non-AC heater controls have a 4-position fan switch (off-low-med-high) which the vintage air unit uses for blower speed control. Same for the original-A/C replacement kit, it uses the factory blower switch, you just plug their wiring harness in.

If I remember correctly, the differences between the A/C and the Non-A/C kits is:

1. The firewall block off piece is different for the A/C and non-A/C applications. I didn't use them, I fabbed my own.

2. The non-A/C kit comes with a center dash vent. A/C cars already have this vent, so no need to include a replacement.

I think those were the only differences I noted. Both underdash units and all other parts were the same.

The vintage air provided center outlets on the non-a/c kits are decent, but as Daytona Jeff said, not as nice as factory original vents. I still have the vintage air center vents in my car because I haven't found a good original GM center vent to replace it with. All the ones I've found either have peeling chrome, are totally worn out and flop around, or have busted slats.

I have no complaints about my system other than they forgot to crimp the fitting on the discharge hose on the compressor. It blew off on a 105 degree day, spewing R-134 and refrigeration oil all over my headers. They fed-ex'd me a new hose and I had it the next day. It was partially my fault for not noticing the fitting wasn't crimped, but they shouldn't have let that slip out. The system works very well. When I first took it out of the box and saw the size of the condenser (it's tiny compared to a factory unit) I thought it wouldn't work very well, but I was wrong-- it works quite well. The box was a real pain to roll up and under the dash, but no problems once it's bolted up.

My only real concern with the system is the heater core. It's sealed up in the underdash box, and if it ever goes out, it looks like you'll have to ship the whole unit back to vintage air to get it replaced. That is if they're still around when that heater core gives out down the road many years from now...

[This message has been edited by Gokou (edited 04-21-2002).]