About A/C in a '71

[cachanilla86]

The 240 i bought yesterday has a kind of Air Conditioning system that looks kinda "factory", sadly i forgot to took pictures of the A/C control that is down the ignition key cylinder...its small, black and has a knob wich reads COLDER towards one side.

The regular controls look fairly normal to me. The A/C compressor isn't the big square one because teh engine was replaced with a newer one from a S130 and the A/C compressor looks more "modern".

Look on the left side, the corner of that little black box can be seen

What system is that? Is a Aftermarket unit? Or a Dealer installed one?

Thanks everybody, im VERY interested in making the A/C operative, here where i live is hot city and can reach temperatures over 120°F any day on summer.

[psdenno]

It's after market. No early Zs came with factory air. If it had the original dealer installed A/C, it would have a large York compressor unit under the hood. It sounds like you have a smaller rotary compressor from either the later car that your motor came from or a more recent add on.

The control box with the "Colder" knob is the temperature control and probably the On/Off switch if there is no other switch on the box. If the system is working properly, it will cool the interior of the Z. My '71 with A/C is in the same climate zone. A set of rear window louvers also helps by blocking the sun that turns the interior into a "greenhouse" environment.

Dennis

[cachanilla86]

This is the control box

[d240zx2]

Dennis has it right. I have a similar set-up on my '70 and with no window tint, it just cuts the heat a fraction, no where near the point of being comfortable. A couple of months ago, I had the windows tinted as legally dark as allowed to improve the unit's efficiency. We'll see in another couple of months if the tint helps any.

[upbeatppl]

yeah i'd def agree, if it has the York compressor than it's factory A/C (luckly for me, my 70 does have York compressor and i bought the a/c rebuilt kit from Napa

[steve91tt]

Tint helps as does using a sun shade when parked in direct sun. I have a similar system in my 240Z here in Houston. Once I got the system sealed up and blowing hard (Honda blower motor upgrade) it is quite comfortable in the summer. Not as good as a modern luxury car but good enough that the Infinity stays parked I daily drive my Z year round.

[sblake01]

yeah i'd def agree, if it has the York compressor than it's factory A/C (luckly for me, my 70 does have York compressor and i bought the a/c rebuilt kit from Napa

He say the York has been replaced with a compressor from an S130 so it's likely a Hitachi. That will make the system work a little better that the York. You could also use the condenser from an S130 as it's a little bigger than the ones they used with the York system. The 'Honda blower motor upgrade' also helps these systems. The major drawback of the York system is where the evaporator is mounted which is in the passenger footwell area. It will never be as efficient as a system with a center mounted evaporator.

[herbsteiner]

I have the AC with the York compressor, the round knob under the driver's dash and the evaporator by the passenger's feet. The PO told me it was a dealer add-on at the time.

It does okay for what it is, but in no way are we in danger of hypothermia in my car, especially in summertime Texas. And there's usually moisture condensation on the evaporator hose.

[24 Ounces]

My '72 had a dealer installed Frigiking A/C system (according to a sticker on the main unit) that had the same goofy control that your car has. The dealer in Calif. charged the orig. owner $575 for the system, and the bottom of the bill-of-sale says "Note: A/C is warranted through selling dealer only for 2 yrs or 24k miles, whichever comes first." I pulled the system out since it is sheer dead weight and non-original in my opinion. I have an extra accumulator, some of the original hose mounting clamps, and the cheesy control that I will mail to you if you want them.

[kinfish]

I agree with "psdenno" that the 240Z's did not have a factory air conditioning opton.

You could order AC but it was installed by the "dealer" from whom you bought the car.

I am an original owner and paid $4,143 plus tax for my '71 240Z with two options: dealer installed A/C and Ziebart undercoating

My A/C system did have the York compressor and it would have a tough time cooling the interior even if you turned it on in downtown Anchorage in mid December.

"upbeatppl" should digest these words and periodically quiz himself for retention ....... nothing factory about York

York compressors were useful for on purpose only ............ boat anchors.

My dealer had about 6 opportuinties to make it work and failed each time.

The system was removed and deposited in a dumpster in the Mojave Desert in ealy 1974 ....... not many boats in the high desert.

Interior was cooler with the windows open.