What was your family's first and was it factory or add on? Does anyone have experience with early systems that ran the compressor all the time? The Chrysler Imperial collectors site has neat service manuals going back to '53.
Family's first airconditioned car
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appliguy
Well-known member
My families first car with factory A/C…..
was a 1968 Pontiac Tempest Custom Hardtop Coupe….PAT COFFEY
was a 1968 Pontiac Tempest Custom Hardtop Coupe….PAT COFFEY
twintubdexter
Well-known member
None of the family cars and pickups had air conditioning. The first car I can remember riding in that had air was the Frigidaire Factory Rep's 1964 Impala, furnished free of course courtesy of his employer. There were 3 dash vents, 2 ball and 1 rectangular in the center. You couldn't have been cooler if you were in Siberia. I realized right then and there that next to a car stereo, this was a must-have item.
Volkswagen 411
Our first car with air conditioning was the 1972 Volkswagen 411. This car is mostly forgotten today, but it was VW's attempt to modernize the old Beetle and make it acceptable to a modern buyer, since by the late 60s the writing was on the wall and the beetle was on borrowed time.
They were generally good cars, but had issues with the fuel injection, which could be cranky. The entire line of air cooled cars had to be scrapped when more stringent air standards came into effect, which an air cooled engine cannot possibly meet.
As for the air conditioning... we lived in Southern California where it was needed perhaps 5 days a year. I never remember it running.
Our first car with air conditioning was the 1972 Volkswagen 411. This car is mostly forgotten today, but it was VW's attempt to modernize the old Beetle and make it acceptable to a modern buyer, since by the late 60s the writing was on the wall and the beetle was on borrowed time.
They were generally good cars, but had issues with the fuel injection, which could be cranky. The entire line of air cooled cars had to be scrapped when more stringent air standards came into effect, which an air cooled engine cannot possibly meet.
As for the air conditioning... we lived in Southern California where it was needed perhaps 5 days a year. I never remember it running.
whirlcool
Well-known member
My mothers 1967 Chevy Caprice was the first car they had with factory air. It was cold too. That center vent at the top of the dash really put out the air.
I think it was 1966 when more cars were being sold with air conditioning than any time before that.
My first car with factory air was my 1970 Cougar XR-7. The air was not as cold as the air in my mothers car, but after awhile it cooled you down.
I think it was 1966 when more cars were being sold with air conditioning than any time before that.
My first car with factory air was my 1970 Cougar XR-7. The air was not as cold as the air in my mothers car, but after awhile it cooled you down.
You're right about the early fuel injection, scoots. We had a VW Squareback and at idle, in winter, it would rev up and down without anybody touching the throttle.
Our 1961 Mercedes 220S had add-on under dash AC. I remember my dad getting it off a junked '55 Chevy. The York compressor ran all the time. On long trips the coils would freeze over and you'd have to turn it off 30 minutes or so to defrost. Thus was in the mid-Sixties.
American cars had much better AC and heating than European ones in those days, and even well into the Seventies. [this post was last edited: 7/4/2014-16:42]
Our 1961 Mercedes 220S had add-on under dash AC. I remember my dad getting it off a junked '55 Chevy. The York compressor ran all the time. On long trips the coils would freeze over and you'd have to turn it off 30 minutes or so to defrost. Thus was in the mid-Sixties.
American cars had much better AC and heating than European ones in those days, and even well into the Seventies. [this post was last edited: 7/4/2014-16:42]
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Our first was a 1978 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon. After that, there was no going back. The next car purchased was a 1987 Dodge Dakota pick-up and I nearly fell off my chair when my father told me he wasn't going to buy another non-airconditioned car!
norgeway
Well-known member
66 Cutlass
It was cold as ice, Moms Sister had a 63 Super 88 and it was also cold as ice, that got Mom hooked on Oldsmobile.
It was cold as ice, Moms Sister had a 63 Super 88 and it was also cold as ice, that got Mom hooked on Oldsmobile.
polkanut
Well-known member
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 12pt;">Our first a/c car was a 1977 Chevy Impala w/ cruise control too. Only an AM radio though. Our 1981 Caprice was our first car to have an AM/FM radio, but no tape player.</span>
1965 Ford Galaxy
My Dad (who was on the road all week as a salesman) traded his 1965 Mustang (early production) for a 1965 Galaxy as he found the Mustang too small - especially the trunk. The 1965 Galaxy had what I think was dealer installed air - a Ford unit that hung under the dash with four "eyeball" vents. This was when we lived in Nebraska.
My first car - a 1974 Honda Civic (purchased new) had no air and I vowed I would never again have a car without air - especially here in California! Next car was a 1980 Honda Accord LX - with air!
My Dad (who was on the road all week as a salesman) traded his 1965 Mustang (early production) for a 1965 Galaxy as he found the Mustang too small - especially the trunk. The 1965 Galaxy had what I think was dealer installed air - a Ford unit that hung under the dash with four "eyeball" vents. This was when we lived in Nebraska.
My first car - a 1974 Honda Civic (purchased new) had no air and I vowed I would never again have a car without air - especially here in California! Next car was a 1980 Honda Accord LX - with air!
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I don't think any of our cars were A/C in the 50's and 60's ('56 Ford, '50 Chevy, '47 Plymouth), and my first car with AC was in 1997 with a Dodge Neon. Tell the truth, it's not really necessary most of the year around here, until one ventures into the eastern valleys. Nice to have to get condensation away from windshield, though. Since then the AC on the Neon has lived up to its built-to-a-price heritage, and the refrigerant seems to leak out every few months. Not a big deal since it's been parked waiting for a new rear main seal.
Ah yes
1966 Plymouth Sports Fury 2 door w/Torqueflite and the famous 383 Golden Commando 4 bbl carb. The RV2 compressor was and still is IMHO, the absolute finest, best performing, most durable underhood A/C compressor ever made. Bar none.
My first A/C car was a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba sans the fine Coreentheean leather. Came with a smog choked 360 but like the 66 above, had the RV2 compressor sitting high and proud in the V of the engine.
1966 Plymouth Sports Fury 2 door w/Torqueflite and the famous 383 Golden Commando 4 bbl carb. The RV2 compressor was and still is IMHO, the absolute finest, best performing, most durable underhood A/C compressor ever made. Bar none.
My first A/C car was a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba sans the fine Coreentheean leather. Came with a smog choked 360 but like the 66 above, had the RV2 compressor sitting high and proud in the V of the engine.
Always.
Near all of my family's cars have had AC as long as I have been around. I was brought home from the hospital in a nearly-new 1981 gray Volkswagen Rabbit LS Diesel with ice cold AC. We also had 2 1975 Lincoln Continental Towncars with ice cold AC that was remarkably quiet. My mother's 1974 Mercury Capri had no AC, but it was replaced in 1985 with a 1975 Volvo 244 DL with AC. The Volvo's AC died a few years later and wasn't fixed.
My 1987 Volvo 240 GL has AC and it works too. The heater will burn you alive, but the AC is hardly adequate. It's better than nothing, and I like saying I have a 27 year old car with working AC, but it just wasn't a well thought out system.
Dave
Near all of my family's cars have had AC as long as I have been around. I was brought home from the hospital in a nearly-new 1981 gray Volkswagen Rabbit LS Diesel with ice cold AC. We also had 2 1975 Lincoln Continental Towncars with ice cold AC that was remarkably quiet. My mother's 1974 Mercury Capri had no AC, but it was replaced in 1985 with a 1975 Volvo 244 DL with AC. The Volvo's AC died a few years later and wasn't fixed.
My 1987 Volvo 240 GL has AC and it works too. The heater will burn you alive, but the AC is hardly adequate. It's better than nothing, and I like saying I have a 27 year old car with working AC, but it just wasn't a well thought out system.
Dave
The first air-conditioned car that my family had was a 1965 Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop; light yellow with a light brown interior. Ford's first year for fully-integrated air conditioning with 4 outlets distributed across the instrument panel. It cooled very well and featured the flo-thru ventilation with a vacuum operated vent built into the parcel shelf below the rear window. I still love the styling of that car!
The first air-conditioned car that I personally owned was a 1964 Galaxie 500 4-door sedan; again, light yellow with tan interior. What a bomb of a car! It had a 352 engine with a 4 bbl carb and 3-speed automatic - terribly underpowered - and Ford's idea of "factory air-conditioning" in 1964 was still a below-the-dash unit.
The oldest air-conditioned car that I have owned was my 1961 Buick Invicta Custom 4-door hardtop; silver with black, full-leather interior. Fabulous car.
The first air-conditioned car that I personally owned was a 1964 Galaxie 500 4-door sedan; again, light yellow with tan interior. What a bomb of a car! It had a 352 engine with a 4 bbl carb and 3-speed automatic - terribly underpowered - and Ford's idea of "factory air-conditioning" in 1964 was still a below-the-dash unit.
The oldest air-conditioned car that I have owned was my 1961 Buick Invicta Custom 4-door hardtop; silver with black, full-leather interior. Fabulous car.
whirlcool
Well-known member
You are right about Chrysler products of the 60's having the coldest air. My Dad rented a 1964 Dodge Monaco while his car was in the shop for something. We did a few family outings in it and it didn't take long before everyone was asking him to turn the a/c down as we all were freezing, even in the back seat. I noticed at a gas station stop the compressor said "Chrysler AirTemp" on it.
Now my 2005 X5 has some pretty darned cold air in it. It'll cool you down in only a few blocks. And I have never had a single repair done to it, so it's very reliable. I had a 1994 Ford Explorer Sport that had horrible air. The air came out of the vents pretty cold, but the vents were very small and the fan did not blow as hard as some other cars I owned. Then it had to deal with the huge cargo area that would build up heat. I think if Ford had made the vents larger and put in a stronger fan it would have been much better.
Now my 2005 X5 has some pretty darned cold air in it. It'll cool you down in only a few blocks. And I have never had a single repair done to it, so it's very reliable. I had a 1994 Ford Explorer Sport that had horrible air. The air came out of the vents pretty cold, but the vents were very small and the fan did not blow as hard as some other cars I owned. Then it had to deal with the huge cargo area that would build up heat. I think if Ford had made the vents larger and put in a stronger fan it would have been much better.
First air conditioned car
My grandmothers 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88. They bought this in December of 1960. I have owned it since July of 1978. The air conditioning is wonderful in this car. It has the original Frigidaire A-5 compressor. I replaced all the rubber o rings in the lines, rebuilt the hot gas bypass valve, and replaced the receiver dryer, then had it evacuated and recharged with R12 just this year. Cool as a mountain top! Just drove home in it about an hour ago, with the A/C on of course..
My grandmothers 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88. They bought this in December of 1960. I have owned it since July of 1978. The air conditioning is wonderful in this car. It has the original Frigidaire A-5 compressor. I replaced all the rubber o rings in the lines, rebuilt the hot gas bypass valve, and replaced the receiver dryer, then had it evacuated and recharged with R12 just this year. Cool as a mountain top! Just drove home in it about an hour ago, with the A/C on of course..
toploader55
Well-known member
1968 Olds '98
Fridgidaire Compressor .
We did have a add on A/C on our 1966 Ford Fairlane Station Wagon. Thermo King. It was provided by a auto supply store in our area.
Ice Cold Air, but taxed the crap out of the front end and the 318 motor. But like I said Ice Cold Air. On 1966 what the hell ???
Fridgidaire Compressor .
We did have a add on A/C on our 1966 Ford Fairlane Station Wagon. Thermo King. It was provided by a auto supply store in our area.
Ice Cold Air, but taxed the crap out of the front end and the 318 motor. But like I said Ice Cold Air. On 1966 what the hell ???
toploader55
Well-known member
Oh, My Dear Darlin' Baby Jesus....
Rick,
My Dad's friend had the same Olds. With Ice Cold Air. Good God , What a Beautiful Car.
Keep that beauty for ever
Rick,
My Dad's friend had the same Olds. With Ice Cold Air. Good God , What a Beautiful Car.
Keep that beauty for ever
My dad was an aerospace engineer and his very best friend an a/c guy for Carrier but both loved to mess around with cars on weekends. Logically this would have led to us having great, well maintained car a/c but nothing could be further from the truth; my father hates being cold and doesn’t mind being hot. He also rarely bought new cars so the usual drill was he’d buy a used car and once the a/c gave any tiny hiccup he’d disconnect it. I remember this happening with a ‘61 Galaxie 500 and then a ‘67 Citroen ID19. In his defense, the big-block Galaxie was prone to vapor lock so extra underhood heat was the last thing it needed. Oddly enough my grandmother’s very similar ‘64 Ford wagon with the Thunderbird 390 had pretty decent a/c and never vapor locked, that a/c still worked in ‘97 when she died. I think the first car my parents had with good a/c was an ‘83 Peugeot 505S my mother bought nearly new and forbid him to touch, that system had a new blower motor at some point but nothing else and still worked at 180,000 miles.
My first car, a ‘69 Citroen ID19, did not have a/c but my second car did, a much loved ‘70 Citroen DS21 Pallas. However the DS had over 100k very hard miles when I got it and in deference to the timing chain I never used the a/c since it still had the original York compressor. Those put out well but have high cyclical loads when the compressor engages. My next car, a ‘77 Fiat X1/9, had factory air with a tiny Italian built Tecumseh compressor that worked OK for being on only a 1300; it didn’t cool too well at idle but did fine on the highway. Funny thing, that car would run 93 mph flat out regardless of whether or not the a/c was on. The first car I had with really good a/c was a ‘79 Alfa GTV. Mine had the German Behr system with a Sankyo/Sanden compressor. IIRC that compressor was actually designed in Texas but built in Japan. It popped up in lots of places including the Peugeot and my next two X1/9s and has been retrofitted to many old cars due to its small size, smooth operation and reliability. It’s probably not as good as the old Frigidaires but those compressors are monsters best suited for large engines where they’re hard to beat.
My first car, a ‘69 Citroen ID19, did not have a/c but my second car did, a much loved ‘70 Citroen DS21 Pallas. However the DS had over 100k very hard miles when I got it and in deference to the timing chain I never used the a/c since it still had the original York compressor. Those put out well but have high cyclical loads when the compressor engages. My next car, a ‘77 Fiat X1/9, had factory air with a tiny Italian built Tecumseh compressor that worked OK for being on only a 1300; it didn’t cool too well at idle but did fine on the highway. Funny thing, that car would run 93 mph flat out regardless of whether or not the a/c was on. The first car I had with really good a/c was a ‘79 Alfa GTV. Mine had the German Behr system with a Sankyo/Sanden compressor. IIRC that compressor was actually designed in Texas but built in Japan. It popped up in lots of places including the Peugeot and my next two X1/9s and has been retrofitted to many old cars due to its small size, smooth operation and reliability. It’s probably not as good as the old Frigidaires but those compressors are monsters best suited for large engines where they’re hard to beat.
Our first was a 1955 Chrysler Imperial. The outlets were in the back behind the back seat two big vets on each side that flipped up and a stationary one in the middle. It would get so cold it would spit ice out an down out necks. The in early 60's the Chryslers started having the same thing only in the front on the top of the dashboard.
We were in Needles California on a trip and was night time and dad pulled us over to get gas. The attendant started filling us up and went to clean the windows and where the vents had been pushed down to keep the air from blowing so hard on all of us in the car. Anyway her saw the big spot on the window and kept wiping it to clean off. It stayed. He asked dad what is it. Dad reached over and the glass was frosted. It was cold cold air.
We were in Needles California on a trip and was night time and dad pulled us over to get gas. The attendant started filling us up and went to clean the windows and where the vents had been pushed down to keep the air from blowing so hard on all of us in the car. Anyway her saw the big spot on the window and kept wiping it to clean off. It stayed. He asked dad what is it. Dad reached over and the glass was frosted. It was cold cold air.
Our first car with air conditioning was a 1965 Buick Electra 225.
Rick
LOVE that Olds styling! Yours looks like it's been extremely well-maintained.
lawrence
LOVE that Olds styling! Yours looks like it's been extremely well-maintained.
lawrence
My Dad got a new 1957 Ford--I don't remember if it was a Custom 300 or a Fiarlane--I know it wasn't a Fairlane 500. The A/C vents were up on the dash near the windshield. They were angled to blow up and over the front passengers. I don't remember if there were any other vents. It was not a 2-tone car color. It was kind of like a celery green--the same green color as pictured in the Country Squire Station Wagon that's not the fake wood grain.
maytagbear
Well-known member
New 1970 Chevrolet Caprice.......
Ma added the air conditioning for resale value, but it took her a little longer longer to fall in love with the air conditioning than it took my sister and me.
The only thing I can remember about the guts is a big thing in the engine compartment that said "Harrison?" on it. If I had seen anything labeled Frigidaire, I sure as heck would have remembered it!
All subsequent cars, up to and including the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim had air conditioning.
I'm fairly OK with heat, but humidity makes me very unhappy.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Ma added the air conditioning for resale value, but it took her a little longer longer to fall in love with the air conditioning than it took my sister and me.
The only thing I can remember about the guts is a big thing in the engine compartment that said "Harrison?" on it. If I had seen anything labeled Frigidaire, I sure as heck would have remembered it!
All subsequent cars, up to and including the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim had air conditioning.
I'm fairly OK with heat, but humidity makes me very unhappy.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
1959 Olds Super 88 with factory air, two ball turrets and one rectangular vent in the middle.
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
First car with a/c was the 1974 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. Dad did buy a '77 Malibu w/out a/c but regretted it immediately. All subsequent cars had a/c, including a '78(?) Plymouth Horizon (VW engine and transmission) w/dealer added a/c. The compressor didn't cycle so we had to do it w/a manual switch.
My first car was an '81 VW Rabbit. No a/c and that was my last car w/out a/c! Since then if there was no a/c, I wasn't interested.
My first car was an '81 VW Rabbit. No a/c and that was my last car w/out a/c! Since then if there was no a/c, I wasn't interested.
whirlcool
Well-known member
On my Mom's 67' Chevy Caprice it said "Frigidaire" and GM on the compressor, but "Harrison" on the box containing the evaporator.
Ours was a 70 Ford Country Squire wagon. That baby was loaded (for that time). With AM/FM Stereo and 8 track, tilt, cruise, plus the dual facing 3rd row seats. Loved the retractible headlights. My 81 Corvette says GM/Harrison on the compressor.
philr
Well-known member
GM rebadged it's Frigidaire A-6 compressors as "Delco Air" around 1976, my 1975 Electra that was built in March of 1975 has a Frigidaire compressor and my former 1976 Electra which was built late in the model year (June 1976) had the same compressor badged as Delco Air. Around that time, GM also started to use their crappy R-4 compressors. The rest of the A/C systems were tagged as "Harrison" like the radiators. Usually, there's a "Harrison" sticker on the A/C box or on the VIR units of mid-1970s cars. The early trunk-mounted a/c units of 1953-55 were badged as Frigidaire but later in-dash units were badged as Harrison.
Around where I live, a/c wasn't very popular until the mid-eighties. My parent's oldest car with a/c was a 1986 Jetta GL Turbo Diesel. I have seen many late 1960s and even early 1970s luxury cars like Cadillacs without a/c.
My current 1965 Buick Wildcat lacks A/C and my former 1974 LeSabre and 1968 Wildcat also lacked it. I also had a 1989 Jeep Cherokee and 3 1990-93 Toyota pickups with no a/c. The 1993 Toyota pickup I currently have has a/c but it was originally sold in the US and most of those that were sold in Canada didn't have it.
Now, most cars sold here have a/c but some economy cars still lack it.
A friend of mine has a black 2007 Honda Civic that lacks a/c. It has power windows but that's all (it does not even have power door locks...). He got it used for cheap two years ago probably because not many wanted a black car without a/c! He's quite rich but doesn't care much about that as he mostly uses his 5$ bicycle on nice days and so does his girlfriend who's now 8 months pregnant! They live in a small single bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building that they own (no a/c there of course!) and they don't plan moving soon...
Around where I live, a/c wasn't very popular until the mid-eighties. My parent's oldest car with a/c was a 1986 Jetta GL Turbo Diesel. I have seen many late 1960s and even early 1970s luxury cars like Cadillacs without a/c.
My current 1965 Buick Wildcat lacks A/C and my former 1974 LeSabre and 1968 Wildcat also lacked it. I also had a 1989 Jeep Cherokee and 3 1990-93 Toyota pickups with no a/c. The 1993 Toyota pickup I currently have has a/c but it was originally sold in the US and most of those that were sold in Canada didn't have it.
Now, most cars sold here have a/c but some economy cars still lack it.
A friend of mine has a black 2007 Honda Civic that lacks a/c. It has power windows but that's all (it does not even have power door locks...). He got it used for cheap two years ago probably because not many wanted a black car without a/c! He's quite rich but doesn't care much about that as he mostly uses his 5$ bicycle on nice days and so does his girlfriend who's now 8 months pregnant! They live in a small single bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building that they own (no a/c there of course!) and they don't plan moving soon...
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