Location and installation of Vintage Air gen II mini controls on 1972 240z

[jalexquijano]

Just ordered a Vintage Air Gen II mini rotary control pod to actívate a Gen II mini evaporator and Sanden 508 Compressor:

 

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/vta-49200-rha/overview/

 

I would like to know the following:

 

1. Where exactly is the best location to install this control pod under the dash?

 

2. How do i install it? It seems its made of plastic so i must fine a way to secure it to the plastic dashboard also.

 

Anyone has done this installation?

[zKars]

Z's don't have a good place to put a control pod like that underdash. I certainly would not try to attached it to foam dash material. I'd put it where the stock controls are above the radio. remove the stock control mechanism from the back of the heater control panel, then cut out a rectangle, create and mount a flat plate in the hole, then mount those four controls into that panel. Each one comes out of the VA panel. Take the knobs off, you'll see how they mount.

I respect your attempt to install Vintage Air in your Z given your multiple posts that suggest this process is a challange for you. I've done several, and they all take a huge amount of time and detail as EVERYTHING has to be created from scratch or fabricated into place. There is no "best way" to any of it, you just have to look at what you have and try to each step best you can. All the best in your efforts.

Edited September 6, 2015 by zKars

[jalexquijano]

Thanks ZKars. I would need to find a solution without damaging the stock heater control panel.

[psdenno]

Thanks ZKars. I would need to find a solution without damaging the stock heater control panel.

You might consider buying a reproduction heater control panel to use in place of your original. I know they sell "blemished" repros at a steep discount. You could get one, paint it, and install the AC control as other have mentioned doing. Just a suggestion.

Dennis

[jalexquijano]

Any pictures of this reproduction heater control panel?

[psdenno]

Why yes, yes there are. And here are the steps I followed to find them. You may find them useful in the future.

1. Find the little "Search" box in the upper right hand corner of this page.

2. Click on "This Topic" and select "Forums" from the drop down menu.

3. This is where it gets tricky....type a word or words related to what you're looking for into the "Search" box. Since you're looking for pictures of the REPRODUCTION heater control panel, type the word "reproduction" in the "Search" box.

4. Scroll down through the list of messages until you find the one that contains pictures of the repro panels. They're offered by forum member esprist. I think you can also find them on eBay.

To paraphrase something I read in the Bible, "Do an Internet search for a man and you remove his lack of knowledge but once. Teach a man to search and and you keep him from bugging you with search questions forever."

Dennis

Edited September 8, 2015 by psdenno

[djwarner]

As an alternative, you might preserve the OEM panel and replace it with a flat piece of aluminum.

[jalexquijano]

I really do not want to deal with opening any holes or damaging the heater control panel. I just want to find the best location and way to install the following pod controls:

 

http://www.summitrac...0-rha/overview/

 

Please advise!!!

Edited September 9, 2015 by jalexquijano

[djwarner]

Let us see.... No holes and preserve the original heater control panel.

 

You do not specify that the heater control panel must remain in the vehicle, just that it remain intact.

 

When you remove the OEM heater box, replacing it with the Vintage Air Gen II Mini, the controls will not be connected to anything.

 

You have been given two potential solutions. Both involve pulling the OEM heater control panel and preserving it with the OEM heater box. Buy a second control panel and cut it up.... Or fabricate a new panel from sheet aluminum and paint it flat black.

 

Quite frankly, I don't know what additional requirements you are demanding. Are you saying you want to preserve the original OEM appearance even though the levers and fan switch will be useless place holders?

 

What we have suggested allows you or any future owner to revert back to 100% OEM without adding any holes. 

 

Please be more specific.

[jalexquijano]

to be specific i want to know if i can keep the original heater control panel and heater box, leaving it intact and install the vintage air gen ii mini evaporator which will be operated with the above pictured controls.

[zKars]

There is no room under the dash to have both the original "heater box" and the Gen II mini. Either or. I'm assuming you mean "heater box" both the box that contains the heater core (dash center) and the fan/blower assembly on the right side of that.

You could, just saying, "could", use the stock fan/blower in place of the fan that comes with the GenII system. You would need to come up with some simple ducting between them. The GenII evap box would have to be slightly offset toward the driver. But the stock heater box and its ducting to the defroster outlets are lost.

BTW, the GenII stuff hides almost completely. You do see the bottom of the fan on the passenger side of course, but it cannot be hidden completely.

[zKars]

Perhaps I will take this opportunity to blow your mind on what the "right way" to use the Gen II system huge cold air output might look like!

and how those two eyeballs get air from the center Gen II outlet.

Somehow I think this is some kind of trap...

Edited September 10, 2015 by zKars