Does anyone have any pictures of what VA's firewall cover looks like. Is it simular to a stock non AC heater cover or completely different.

I also would like any comments on what people think of the VA firewall covers they have seen.

I have a non AC 66 that I am looking at putting air in this off season and of course wondering what it will look like in my stock engine compartment.

Also if I go the stock way, what A body years will work?

Thanks Bill

On of my favorite features of the VA kits. The covers suck. I did all my work on a 72 but I have seen the 66/67 cover and it is the same material as the 68/72 cover. Sorta thin, heat and noise insulation value of ZERO and just sorta cheezy. I made a cove out of sheet metal and attached it to the firewall with some cap screws. Much more satisfying appearance. I cover all the firewall from the hood hinge attach point all the way over to behind the distributor. Add a little matchin paint and you can hardly tell what I did.

oman,

Is the cover you made just a flat cover? Do you have pictures? I read about 20 posts under the search area, most of them by you, but I didn't see any pictures.

How close are you to being done? Also, you had mentioned a larger condensor. Will VA substitute a larger one in the kit for more $ or did you have to go buy a second one and discard the condensor in the kit?

Thanks bill

They might substitute the condensor. I purchased my system over a year before I started the project. By the time I figured out that I did not like the size of the consendor they had changed the design of the line connectors and therefore they could not (they said) sell my old condensor in a "current" new kit. The connector type on the original pip squesk condensor was ...say a Type 1 conncetor and the new bigger condensor is a Type 2. I cant recall the names of the connector types but indeed they are different. Net of it all is that I ate the cost of the new condensor...about $150 but it is if I recall right nearly double the surface area. If you have the right (the new style condensor) and you did not buy too long ago and you talk to the right people at VA I think they will take care of ya on the substitution.

I know people working with the small condensor and they say it works great. I know other people with the small condensor and they are less than thrilled. If you read my stuff in the posts you know what I said about air flow. Low air flow with the BIGGEST condensor in the world ain't gonna work. Great air flow with the smallest condensor ain't gonna work eather. Ya need BOTH components and this is more true with R134 than R12.

My system is not quite done. I gotta crimp the hoses and do a few small things here and there. I work in an irregular kind of schedule, sometimes the car sits for weeks then I go full bore for a few days. This was a major redo of the car...head work, 67 Vette 3x2 system, new inner fenders, the A/C, the fans and the alternator.

A fair amount of engineering and re-engineering was required and that takes time. Like I said I am VERY VERY FUSSY....it has to be my way or no way when it comes to the car. I made all new supports for the VA unit, I redid my defroster duct to work with the VA unit, I built smooth walled cold air ducts for all the outlets...I guess the car is one of the few places where ya can still make that kind of selfish stand about what ya want. If it costs more or takes more time so be it. I am gonna get it so I am satisfied and I will not do half baked work. Result....a long project.

I don't have internet capable pictures of the firewall. I do have hard copy old style pics though. Yes the cover is just a flat piece of (I think) 20 guage. It goes right up to the top of the firewall and follows the contour of the cowel. It runs horizontally from the hood hinge mounting point (just beside the fender) all the way to behind the distrib like I said before.

You should not that the 68 and later VA kits that the hoses out of the firewall thru the hole where the heater blower motor formerly resided. On your car the VA kits takes the hoses thru the firewall at a point sorta in front of the passengers knees. I don't know if the VA under dash unit is the same or not for 66/ 67 cars and for 68 and up. I suspect it is but I am not sure. Anyway ...my point....your hoses in the install from VA are in a different place. For my taste the farther you can move them toward the passengers fender the nicer the firewall comes out...smoother.. All my hoses, A/C ahd heater come out above the inner fender and travel forward to the rad support and they are totally out of sight.

If ya want to talk one on one about any of this ya can call me. Send me an e-mail at The_Oman49@hotmail.com and I will give you my phone number.

They might substitute the condensor. I purchased my system over a year before I started the project. By the time I figured out that I did not like the size of the consendor they had changed the design of the line connectors and therefore they could not (they said) sell my old condensor in a "current" new kit. The connector type on the original pip squeak condensor was ...say a Type 1 conncetor and the new bigger condensor is a Type 2. I cant recall the names of the connector types but indeed they are different.

Net of it all is that I ate the cost of the new condensor...about $150 but it is if I recall right nearly double the surface area. If you have the right (the new style condensor) and you did not buy too long ago and you talk to the right people at VA I think they will take care of ya on the substitution.

I know people working with the small condensor and they say it works great. I know other people with the small condensor and they are less than thrilled. You also have to consider some people have good air flow others don't some have station wagons and that is even more area to cool. Other guys have El Caminos which is the opposite in terms of volume of air to cool. Still other guys put the dryer inside the engine compartment. Not the best location. So when someone says it works great or it doesn't work so hot ya gotta ask some questions.

If you read my stuff in the posts you know what I said about air flow. Low air flow with the BIGGEST condensor in the world ain't gonna work. Great air flow with the smallest condensor ain't gonna work eather. Ya need BOTH components and this is more true with R134 than R12.

My system is not quite done. I gotta crimp the hoses and do a few small things here and there. I work in an irregular kind of schedule, sometimes the car sits for weeks then I go full bore for a few days. This was a major redo of the car...head work, 67 Vette 3x2 system, new inner fenders, the A/C, the fans and the alternator.

A fair amount of engineering and re-engineering was required and that takes time. Like I said I am VERY VERY FUSSY....it has to be my way or no way when it comes to the car. I made all new supports for the VA unit, I redid my defroster duct to work with the VA unit, I built smooth walled cold air ducts for all the outlets and that is just the beginning of waht I did. Understand this work is not necessarily a result of VA not delivering a working kit. It is the result of me seeing a better way and builting to my expectations. ...I guess the car is one of the few places where ya can still make that kind of stand about what ya want. If it costs more or takes more time so be it. I am gonna get it so I am satisfied and I will not do half baked work. Result....a long project.

I don't have internet capable pictures of the firewall. I do have hard copy old style pics though. Yes the cover is just a flat piece of (I think) 20 guage. It goes right up to the top of the firewall and follows the contour of the cowel. It runs horizontally from the hood hinge mounting point (just beside the fender) all the way to behind the distrib like I said before. It runs down to the point where the floor board meets the firewall. That transition makes a nice cut off point that hides the fact that the plate is there in the first place.

You should note that on the 68 and later VA kits that the hoses out of the firewall thru the hole where the heater blower motor formerly resided. On your car the VA kits takes the hoses thru the firewall at a point sorta in front of the passengers knees. I don't know if the VA under dash unit is the same or not for 66/ 67 cars and for 68 and up cars. I suspect it is but I am not sure. Anyway ...my point....your hoses in the install from VA are in a different place. For my taste the farther you can move them toward the passengers fender the nicer the firewall comes out...smoother.. All my hoses, A/C and heater come out above the inner fender and travel forward to the rad support. They are totally out of sight.

If ya want to talk one on one about any of this ya can call me. Send me an e-mail at The_Oman49@hotmail.com and I will give you my phone number.

oman,
Thanks for the info, I have read most(lots)of your comments here, and appreciate all the time and effort you have put into sharing your experiences and helping us on the subject.

I have not purchased anything yet and am in the learning stage, collecting info, before I lay down the cash. It will be an "over the winter" project for me.

Thanks Bill

I had to make the covers for my '65 because it was a factory air car and the V/A covers wouldn't work. They were cheap looking. I did use the plastic hose cover to run the hoses through the firewall because the clearances were so tight, I wanted everything to fit right the first time out. Look at my signature for the pics.

Jim,

Thanks for the picture. I would like to stay away from the flat sheet metal patch as it looks, well, just like a patch.

I would still like to see what the VA panel (that everyone seems to hate) looks like. Remember, I have a Non AC car, so I'm thinking it will not need to cover too big of an area. What is it that makes everyone dislike it so much?

Thanks Bill

http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref19.html

Here is 64, might be close...

Joe

Thanks Joe,

Great article. I see what they mean about the cover, kind of box like. I had pictured it to be a molded piece with smooth contours.

Thanks Bill