The A/C unit pictured in Post #21 is NOT Deluxe Dealer installed A/C in any way, shape or form!

It's not for a 1973/79, either,

It's the Factory installed integral A/C used on 1968/72 F100/350's.

The whole tamale is illustrated here: 1964/72 Ford Truck Parts Catalog / Illustrations / Section 195 / Page 5.

1968/72: Both the factory installed integral A/C and the dealer installed A/C units bolted to the bottom of the dash.

I bought a brand new 1971 Ranger XLT with factory A/C. The second I looked at those pics, I thought WTF?

 

I thought the same thing.

My 1972 F-250 Explorer, had Factory A/C as well.

 

It's taken me about 4 months since I promised I would post these...wasn't easy to get to the truck...So here are the pics of the DELUXE A/C Unit!!

<a href="http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/?action=view&current=0920091552.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/0920091552.jpg" border="0" alt="Deluxe A/C"></a>
Full Unit Pic

<a href="http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/?action=view&current=0920091553a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/0920091553a.jpg" border="0" alt="Deluxe A/C"></a>

<a href="http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/?action=view&current=0920091553.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/0920091553.jpg" border="0" alt="Deluxe A/C"></a>

<a href="http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/?action=view&current=0920091552b.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/0920091552b.jpg" border="0" alt="Deluxe A/C"></a>

<a href="http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/?action=view&current=0920091552a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac167/78crewcab4x4/0920091552a.jpg" border="0" alt="Deluxe A/C"></a>

 

Fantastic.

It's missing the hang-on glove box.

 

Cool, but it is kinda "beastly" looking...

 

Wow, That is fugly!

 

That's pretty cool. But, I wouldn't give up my glove box for A/C. I'd rather have an underdash unit. Cool option though.

 

I've had the truck for about 20 years...I bought it for the engine...and other parts...(Frame is completely bent over in the front) So it's just been sitting mostly...when i first got it I thought it was quite weird.....not really fond of loosing the glove box either!! But you guys asked for the pics...now you finally get to see what it looks like...lol....I'm hoping numberdummy will get on the thread and reply!!!

 

The parts catalog pic of this same unit is in Post #17.

This is the Deluxe Ford Dealer installed A/C unit.

As Chad pointed out, the hang on glove box is MIA.

 

This is the only DELUXE unit I have ever seen...never seen any other ones...must have been kind of a rare one...

 

I've seen and sold dozens of these dealer installed kits.

Of course that was back then when these trucks were new to the market.

Considering what I did for 35 years, I've prolly seen more Ford trucks than anyone else here on FTE has.

 

I bet...Did this unit work very good...as far as cooling down the cab??? I want to install A/C in my 1978 Crew Cab...but not sure what the best way to do it would be...It's gotta work good!!! LOL

 

Did the deluxe system have an outlet on the driver's side above the headlight/wiper switches too? Also, is it still possible to get all the components for the deluxe setup or have they become obsolete?

 

This is the first I've seen of this thread. Very good info here. My dads 1979 F250 has the dealer economy air. I want AC on my 1977. It appears my truck had the dealer economy air at one point but now its gone. It has 2 holes in the fire wall which look like where AC lines once were. The holes are just open now, not even plugged. And my dash has been cut for passenger side and center vents. When I got the truck the vents were missing. I got a center vent from a factory AC system but the hole in my dash is too big. Just yesterday I won the center vent/**** assembly for economy dealer air for 99 cents! I am hoping it fits my dash- it looks like hell with a big hole or with a vent that doesnt fit properly. I mainly bought it for looks but I do want AC.
It seems the dealer like is gonna be hard for me to find but I was thinking of going with it just because my dash is already set up for it (I think) and I didnt' really want to cut that huge hole in my firewall.
I have a few doner trucks that I could get a factory system from but then I have to cut the hole in my firewall and I will need a new dash since my center vent hole is cut out too big for the factory center vent. Swapping the dash for one that is from a factory air truck might not be that big of a deal right now since the truck is getting painted and having a 2nd dash painted wouldnt be that big of a deal.
To people that have experience with this type of thing, what would you suggest I do? If I should go with factory air, now is the time to do it. And like I said I can get a doner truck so I'll have everything. I put a complete dash and interior form a 1989 Mustang GT into a 1986 GT, swaped the entire car harness. The factory AC conversion should be a walk in the park compared to that.
Here is my 99 cent center vent/control. Its exactly the same as my dads 1979.

@RIGINAL 1973 FORD F100 TRUCK DEALER ADD ON AC CONTROLS:eBay Motors (item 120485982159 end time Nov-03-09 17:30:44 PST)

 

1st I've seen of this thread too. Like you said - lots of good info.

I will add my share - which is pretty much posting a question that someone else asked that didn't get answered...

I'd like to use an aftermarket air system (don't want to punch the huge hole in the firewall for factory air even though I have the parts sitting here) because I think the new stuff might work better than the dealer add on IF I could even find one. Now I would like to run the thing with the dealer economy try switch pictures above (and many other times in this thread). Anyone see any issues with trying this?