Since I cant seem to post in the Marketplace, I figured I'd post here. (Hope that's ok) Might also get more traction here anyway. I'm looking for a few things to upgrade my truck. Id like to add AC, since living in the south, it might just be a good idea

A nice(ish) red dashboard with the vents on the passenger side would be needed, as well as any venting inside the dash. Also looking for a dash frame, as mine was broken at the parking brake, and re-welded poorly.

Kind of a stretch, but I'm also in need of both fenders, preferably without rust or dents. I really want to get OEM fenders, I already have dented aftermarket ones, and I'm not impressed with them.

 

Best bet is to hit up your local junkyard or Craigslist / classifieds for a parts truck.

For OEM stuffs, that would come from junkyard or for sale ads as well. Otherwise LMC, Bronco Graveyard, Ebay, some combination of those is where you would find new parts. Reproduction or NOS.

 

OK a little back ground on the AC stuff ..... from someone who did this .... me!
Is your truck a factory AC truck OR dealer installed AC truck OR non-AC factory truck?

I ask because the AC dash swap can be done so it has all the vents and looks like factory AC but that is where it ends.

Factory AC trucks have a different fire wall than non-AC trucks. Non-AC has 2 large openings, AC 3 large openings.
Non-AC fire wall with 2 openings

AC fire wall with 3 openings

AC fire wall over the top of the Non-AC fire wall, you can see the 3rd hole is covered with the non-AC fire wall.


As you can guess I swapped the fire walls as I also wanted AC in my truck and the parts truck was a roll over so the cab was trashed.
In primer before paint.

They say you can cut the fire wall for that 3rd hole, make 1 or 2 other little holes and fill / block off a few others and have it work, I did not want to do that I wanted it to look factory if the HVAC box was removed.

Now with that out of the way I would do this is either buy a parts truck for all the AC stuff, dash with vents, AC controls (different than yours and they change thru out the years), AC wiring harness, HVAC box from both sides of the fire wall, all under hood parts like compressor & brackets, hoses / drier / condenser.
Or you can but the parts 1 by 1 but as said the controls are different between years so could run into issues. Besides you will have to guess how it all runs!

I would replace the drier (old and they do wear out), condenser (it gets junk in it you cant clean out) & hoses (you will be going from R12 to 134a just to be safe) but you have to old ones to match up the new parts to.
Looks just like the factory setup and what I was going for.


I still have more to go on the truck and a lot more on the AC system too.

Any questions post up.
Dave ----

 

James, thank you, but I've been looking everywhere, so far there's only 1 local parts truck, and its not looking good. There's nothing for our generation truck on Facebook or craigslist other than that. LMC, NPD, and Bronco Graveyard don't have what I'm looking for, and I don't need NOS, not exactly building a show truck. Green Sales is where I have gotten some NOS things before that I couldn't find anywhere else.

Dave, thank you for that mini write-up. I honestly hadn't looked into the AC swap that much yet. My truck is a non-AC truck, it actually has the high output heater lol. Looks like this will be a very long term idea, if at all. I also have to contend with the Explorer serpentine system on my 302. Not sure if the 80's parts would be able to work with newer components, or if a newer system would be able to reach the stock location. Research needed!

 

Ok if you could find a parts truck for the HVAC box, dash w/vents and wiring would be half the battle.
Then you can use the serpentine system with compressor and have new hoses made to hook the 2 together.
OR
What might be the easier way is use the serpentine system on the motor and get an aftermarket system like Vintage Air for inside the truck.
That is kind of what the dealer installed systems were. They were added to non-AC trucks leaving the stock heat/vent system in place and added a AC control panel some place on the dash.
Dave ----

 

I should also point out other than the vents above the glove box they are on the drivers side of the dash frame. The louvers are part of the gauge bezel on the drivers side.
I don't know if the vents above the glove box door and be cut out or not as I did not look into that.

There is duct work that feeds all the AC vents but if you were to go with an aftermarket AC and used flex hose from their box to the vents and maybe add under glove box door vents you could then get cool air thru out the cab?
Just throwing out what I think off the top of my head.
Dave ----

 

This is a get r done way to go for the A/C in your truck. They even say they can change the compressor over to a serpentine style pulley.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-A-C-KIT...-/282544260749

 

Oh sorry to hear that. Guess I'm spoiled a bit in my area where there seems to be plenty of pickins.

In my old Subaru days, I felt the hurt trying to find parts that where not "universal".

 

OK, so the third hole for the A/C allows you to use normal A/C. It is good to have, but not necessary. You will have to use the MAX if you do not add that opening. The cheapest way is to find a truck or Bronco in the junkyard and pull the parts. Do not use the dryer, and compressor from there. If the compressor is original, it will need R12 and if you add R134, you will kill it. You may be able to get away with 300 dollars for A/C with new dryer, compressor and orfice..

 

You would most likely need the compressor for a core so I would get it.
As for the other parts yes get them but don't use them as I posted before. Use them to match up the new parts to. Say you get a new part but it does not fit? Is It the part or did you install something wrong?
Just saying never throw out anything till the projects on the road and even then think about it.
Dave -----

 

I know old compressors sitting around can leak and go bad, but putting r134a in a compressor that had r12 in it does not kill the compressor. If you use the ester oil that comes in most conversion kits, the conversion to r134a usually comes off without a hitch if all your components are good.

 

Front fenders are the same: 1980/86 F100/350 & Bronco.

 

I have two straight original fenders in my garage right now. 99.9% rust free. Just one penny size hole in driver side. I also have a new accumulator and old A/C compressor w/ new clutch to throw in.

 

--PM sent.

 

So I'm looking into merging the Explorer system, or having custom lines made up to install the newer system in the truck. This will be a custom job, but if I do it right, it may turn out pretty well. No headache working with 30 year old equipment, but plenty of headache figuring out of I can do it.