I REALLY hope that's all that's wrong with it..
No AC!
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
No AC!
Back in February I purchased this for around $1600 and wasn't sure what I had. I joined here posted the door tag and everyone was nice enough to tell me. I've spent about $650 on a brake job and all the necessary documentation to get it legal, and its a pretty solid truck. I only have one problem. No A/C! And I live in Texas! Summer is coming and it's gonna be pretty darn hot. It takes R-12 freon, which as I understand it is no longer commercially available, as a matter of fact, it's downright illegal. Any low cost/no cost ideas or will I be duct taping a fan to my dash this summer?
Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 1
From: Hillsboro, OR
Back in February I purchased this for around $1600 and wasn't sure what I had. I joined here posted the door tag and everyone was nice enough to tell me. I've spent about $650 on a brake job and all the necessary documentation to get it legal, and its a pretty solid truck. I only have one problem. No A/C! And I live in Texas! Summer is coming and it's gonna be pretty darn hot. It takes R-12 freon, which as I understand it is no longer commercially available, as a matter of fact, it's downright illegal. Any low cost/no cost ideas or will I be duct taping a fan to my dash this summer?
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,970
Likes: 595
From: Greater Austin, Texas
There are also R12 replacements available, such as Autofrost and Freeze-12, that would most likely be cheaper, but you also need the EPA 609 cert. to buy them legally.
You can also convert to R134a very cheaply, but be careful, how little you spend on the conversion is usually inversely proportional to how long it will last.
Where in Texas are you? I just had a friend tell me the other day he ran across some old cans of R12 that his granddad bought years ago. He wanted to know if I had any use for em but all my stuff has been converted long ago to R134a.
You can also convert to R134a very cheaply, but be careful, how little you spend on the conversion is usually inversely proportional to how long it will last.
Where in Texas are you? I just had a friend tell me the other day he ran across some old cans of R12 that his granddad bought years ago. He wanted to know if I had any use for em but all my stuff has been converted long ago to R134a.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 20,789
Likes: 1,753
From: Kentucky
Big fan of R12...I score cans of it on E-bay for very reasonable prices when i work on older cars. If I plan to keep them I have new hoses made since the old ones are usually pretty well shot after all those years of heat cycling in the engine compartment.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 450
Likes: 3
From: Merchantville, NJ 08109
Granted you're in Texas, but that little vent window flipped 180, and the side and rear windows open make a nice breezeway... I was driving around in the 90degree heat we had here in NJ last week with just that arrangement- as my AC is fritzed out too at the moment... Reasonably cool- even in direct sunlight & heat...
Scott
Scott
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 20,789
Likes: 1,753
From: Kentucky
You can substitute canned duster for R-12…
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EB0WyAobFk
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EB0WyAobFk
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 19
From: Central Wisconsin
It's a similar refrigerant… what's the problem? I'm no expert although I was ASE certified in A/C years ago. We have a local shop here that has done dozens of old cars with this stuff… no downside that I know of. Cheap and easy.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 1
From: Hillsboro, OR
r134 is also cheap and easy. If bought in bulk, r134 can be around $3 per pound.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Thanks for all the replies fellas. 
I have called EVERY mechanic shop and auto parts store in town and no one carries R-12 or FREEZE-12. One guy even laughed at me "They still make that stuff?" One shop will do the conversion for a cool $200+. That's what I was afraid of. I'm tired of sinking $$$ into it lol.
I have called EVERY mechanic shop and auto parts store in town and no one carries R-12 or FREEZE-12. One guy even laughed at me "They still make that stuff?" One shop will do the conversion for a cool $200+. That's what I was afraid of. I'm tired of sinking $$$ into it lol.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
There are also R12 replacements available, such as Autofrost and Freeze-12, that would most likely be cheaper, but you also need the EPA 609 cert. to buy them legally.
You can also convert to R134a very cheaply, but be careful, how little you spend on the conversion is usually inversely proportional to how long it will last.
Where in Texas are you? I just had a friend tell me the other day he ran across some old cans of R12 that his granddad bought years ago. He wanted to know if I had any use for em but all my stuff has been converted long ago to R134a.
You can also convert to R134a very cheaply, but be careful, how little you spend on the conversion is usually inversely proportional to how long it will last.
Where in Texas are you? I just had a friend tell me the other day he ran across some old cans of R12 that his granddad bought years ago. He wanted to know if I had any use for em but all my stuff has been converted long ago to R134a.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,698
Likes: 47
From: Mexico, Missouri
If I had the AC license, I would buy r12 for my older vehicles, but anywhere around here, you can forgot having a shop put it in for you. They only want to recover and charge an enormous amount for that. And the cost of retrofitting to 134a or 152 is near the same cost. Its so crazy and absurd.