72 Zs with AC

[Az-Fairlady]

Somewhat curious,

aprox what % of 70-73 Zs came with factory

dealer installed A/C ?

[sblake01]

Tough question. You said 'factory dealer installed'. 70-73 Zs never came with factory installed AC. Factory air began in 74 with the advent of the 260Z. Dealer installed air was available on the earlier cars. Since it was 'dealer installed' which actually meant that it was sent out to a local AC shop, it would be hard to place a number on how many cars had this done since it was a random kind of thing.

I'm going to add this edit here: My information is based on what I have learned about the USA market cars. If someone knows different about the non-USA cars please chime in.

[theianmonster]

Well, my 1972 240Z doesn't have air conditioning, but my 1973 parts car does.

[sblake01]

Does your 73 have an add on type system (with barrier type hoses over barbs with clamps) or a factory type system with finished type hoses with fittings with machine crimped ends and hard lines to the evap, rec/drier, condedser etc.?

[cremmenga]

I have two 72 240z's and both had a/c and both were alittle different from one another, and it didn't look that good, kinda a cluttered hodge podge of crap. I'd say not dealer installed.

[sblake01]

The look would depend on the shop that installed them. Do they have the upright type "Yorx" compressor? (Chris and Ian)

[Az-Fairlady]

looks like "dealer installed" AC..

whats really interesting is my Radiator in that

car has a FoMoCo stamp on it, but it looks like

it was made for the car. Fits and mounts just like

stock. Guess its possible they used Mustang or some

other Ford OE radiator for AC cars maybe to keep

from running warm or overheating.

[sblake01]

looks like "dealer installed" AC..

whats really interesting is my Radiator in that

car has a FoMoCo stamp on it, but it looks like

it was made for the car. Fits and mounts just like

stock. Guess its possible they used Mustang or some

other Ford OE radiator for AC cars maybe to keep

from running warm or overheating.

I've never heard of that before. Is that on your 240 or the Fairlady?

[Az-Fairlady]

I've never heard of that before. Is that on your 240 or the Fairlady?

thats on this car, my blue 72 240 US car...

[bg240]

I have a 72 Z that I thought had "Factory Air" until I read this thread. It is a York system and the switch to turn it on is located to the left of the gear shift (4 speed). It is a very professional installation and the switch says "Factory Air". I always that it was installed by Nissan until I read this. I have owned this car since 1980 and I never really looked at the paperwork concerning the A/C until this evening. The system was installed by Palm Beach Datsun, Palm Beach FL. Factory Air Conditioning Corporation from San Antonio, Texas made the system. They did an excellent job except for one little problem. All the basic maintenance I have done to my 240 over the years has been easy to reach except for my fuel pump. I now know why I need to unbolt the compresser frame just to replace a new fuel pump - the guys at Factory Air didn't care about replacing the fuel pump. I have done this job twice and it takes two people. One to hold the unbolted frame & compresser and the other to put on the new fuel pump. The radiator is Nissan and not Ford.

[Az-Fairlady]

I have a 72 Z that I thought had "Factory Air" until I read this thread. It is a York system and the switch to turn it on is located to the left of the gear shift (4 speed). It is a very professional installation and the switch says "Factory Air". I always that it was installed by Nissan until I read this. I have owned this car since 1980 and I never really looked at the paperwork concerning the A/C until this evening. The system was installed by Palm Beach Datsun, Palm Beach FL. Factory Air Conditioning Corporation from San Antonio, Texas made the system. They did an excellent job except for one little problem. All the basic maintenance I have done to my 240 over the years has been easy to reach except for my fuel pump. I now know why I need to unbolt the compresser frame just to replace a new fuel pump - the guys at Factory Air didn't care about replacing the fuel pump. I have done this job twice and it takes two people. One to hold the unbolted frame & compresser and the other to put on the new fuel pump. The radiator is Nissan and not Ford.

Post a pic of your engine compartment and on that side, I want to see how it differs from my car, (and others for that matter...) maybe the interior switch too

[sblake01]

As an HVAC tech, I've been trying to find info on S30 ac systems. This is great! The interior switch is another indication that it is not factory air. That function would be controlled by the air lever on the heater/ventilator control panel in a car w/factory air. There would also be a position marked 'AC' on that panel. Typically the switch will have a thermostat with a capillary tupe that runs from the rear of the swithch to an area between the fins of the evaporator. I'ts function is to disengage the compressor clutch if the evaporator temp gets too low. It seems that the Yorx unit was the compressor of choice for the non factory systems until 74 when the factory systems appeared. Nissan must have specified that particular system for the early cars (70-73). Everyone I have seen has had the Yorx compressor with slight variations on the other components dependending on the company that actually did the install. Some were sent out to have the systems installed, some were installed by the Datsun dealership technicians as bg240 attests to. I have been unable to find any technical information on the systems used in the 70-73 cars. From 74 up the factory systems are described in the various service manuals. Datsun also seems to have continued to have non factory installs done on the 74-78 cars that didn't come with factory air, although they used a different system with a Sankyo compressor mounted on the drivers side of the engine. My 78 has that system. Although Sankyo has since been taken over by Sanden, that compressor is still available to this day. I would be curious to see pictures of the system on theianmonster's 73 parts car to see if my info is correct that the factory systems began in 74 with the 260 or did they actually sneak a few of them out in 73.