air conditioning Options

[pauldunn]

Do all these cars come factory with air conditioning? just wondering if mine is special. its a 72.

[Jeffs9146]

They are not "factory" systems!

They were dealer installed or subed out to AC-hackers!!

EDIT: Even the Dealer installed units are hack jobs!

[pauldunn]

nice. that makes me feel alot better.

[pauldunn]

it dont seem like it was a factory job. blower was just screwed to the bottom of the dash. if it were from the factory then it woulda been a lot prettier.

[Jeffs9146]

I had one on my 75 and have spent the last 2 months fixing the holes they cut in my car!

[Tom_T]

IMHO the AC was a nice addition in hot SoCal & the Southern tier of states (or northern in muggy summers for that matter) - especially when I was driving my non-AC'ed 73 914-2.0 to a meeting in a suit in 90+ degree weather! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

The Porsche factory didn't offer AC on either 911/912 nor 914 lines, but recognized that the US market demanded that it be available as an option. When the 914 was produced, Porsche had just stepped up from having their vaunted sports cars being sold in a corner of VW dealerships, to "graduating" to separate Porsche+Audi dealerships - gradumatation if you prefer! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Similarly, small volume auto producers like Porsche routinely contracted out for the optional equipment which they could not provide, then offered them as add-ons at their dealerships - this included such basics as Radios/Stereo Decks & AC. While some on here look at these dealer options with their noses in the air about them "not being factory" - the reality was that at that time almost all auto makers - including the Big 3 - sent far more "stripped" cars out of the factory than loaded ones, then allowed the dealers to equip them up at the showroom to meet the customers' desires & needs - than they sent out fully loaded cars.

In fact, Toyota broke marketing ground & expanded their foothold in the US market during the 70's by offering their cars as all essentially fully loaded, which forced the Big 3 & others to start better equipping their cars from the factory, and stop niggling the customer on all those options for extra cost. After all, the extra cost options were the dealers bred-n-butter by usually being sold at huge mark-ups of 100% or more. So dealers LOVED options & bemoaned their slow reduction with better equipped cars from the factory.

Today, many on here are either unaware or forget these facts of automotive history. As late as the late-80's VW was still selling "radio ready" Vanagons with dealers selling OP radios/decks (OP = Over Priced, not "Ocean Pacific" in this case); nor was the AC in them from the factoryt, but a later add-on. We bought our 88 Westy radio ready - got a great Sony AM/FM/Cassette unit for 1/2 the price of the POS dealer Becker unit, and it had AS added at & by the Westfalia Werk - not by VW itself (although a VW engineered & approved AC unit nontheless).

The funny thing is, that I don't hear the 911 folks complaining nor downgrading the dealer AC'ed 911 models, like the 914 guys seem to here. Yes, a shoddy installation is not a great thing, nor is adding more spots for rust to start on non-rust preventative treatment cars, but still ...... I'm just saying!! You don't see 911, 912, 930 nor 914 guys complaining about & ripping out their radios & antennas because most of them were dealer installed!<_<

That all said - yes, your 72 is indeed a special 914 for having the AC since most did not - particularly if it is one of the 2 dealer sold & Porsche factory approved AC systems (both designed by the same guy BTW). The VPC (Volkswagen Products Corp. division of VW of America - VoA was the Porsche importer & servicer in the early days back then), and DPD (don't recall what the initials stood for).

You can differentiate the 2 as follows:

VPC - rectangular evaporator unit in front trunk with spare on top requiring the tire board to sit higher, and the under dash fan/vent/control unit has the dials offset to the right of the stock air/heat slider controls in the center of the dash. On 73-76 914s with the shortened Center Console, the 3 gauges are flat mounted in a triangular pattern.

DPD - has a conical evaporator shroud over which the spare can fit inverted (i.e.: shiny side up - in non-ac 914s they sit shiny side down), with the under dash fan/vent/control unit's dials centered under the fresh air/heat dash sliders. On 73-76 914s with the shortened Center Console, the 3 gauges are angled to the driver mounted in a linear pattern.

If yours was so equipped by the selling dealer with one of those two, then IMHO you should keep it. If it's not currently functional, then you can either look into having it rebuilt, or look at one of the units designed by the VPC/DPD designer which AA sells, to see if it can be retrofitted into the original DPD or VPC in your 914, so you get the benefit of better performance due to a better compressor with less HP drain, running on R134 & gets colder (although the cockpit is a small box to cool to start with).


Here is a 72 MY dealer options & accessories catalog FYI - & I'm including the 911 section too, so you can see that both were treated equally in terms of AC & other dealer added options.


.... continued ....

[Tom_T]

72 MY Dealer Accsy. Brochure, cont. -



... continued ....

[Tom_T]

72 MY Dealer Accsy. Brochure, cont. -



.

And a 73 MY DPD AC brochure -



... continued ....

[Tom_T]

.... continued for 72 & 73 MY's VPC AC dealer brochures -



... continued ....

[Tom_T]

.... 72 & 73 MY's VPC AC dealer brochures - cont....



.

These are pix of the 2 "modern" AC systems offered by AutoAtlanta & designed by the original VPC/DPD designer, but use a more efficient compressor & runs on R134 Freon. I couldn't get my link from AA's pdf catalog to go to the item on their website anymore (they must've changed their system & not the links), but try them online or by phone if this is of interest.



.

Credit where credit is due - all of these pix collected by me were from Jeff Bowlsby's excellent 914 website, and you should take time to peruse both his & the p914 websites for great 914 info.....

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/
http://www.p914.com/

.

I found them when I was researching putting AC into my 73 914-2.0 in the resto, but ultimately decided against since it wasn't originally equipped from the dealer that way (but I may change my mind at a later date). I prefer the balanced look of the DPD under dash unit in the cockpit, and the spare fitting over the conical evap. unit without losing space in the front trunk (as the VPC unit loses several inches in height). My plan was to retrofit a modern R134 unit into the DPD dash & front trunk housings/shrouds (or at least the vent/controls fascia unit) for the correct period look, with "modern" efficiency & cheaper & environmentally friendly R134, but I didn't go far enough to check that retrofit's feasibility yet.

So be proud of your unique 72 914 with AC, and tend to fixing any rust or poor workmanship issues with its installation, any operation problems, etc. - assuming it's a dealer installed VPC or DPD - or if you just like having AC in your 914 & like to cooly smile at your fellow Teeners sweating in their non-AC purist 914s on hot days! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

If I haven't said so elsewhere before ..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Tom_T]

PS - here's 2 good pix of the VPC AC in Steve G's/smg914's (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) 73 914-2.0 to show the short center console & triangular gauges layout.....



You can find more pix of this beautiful 914 in the Originality & History Forum, under the Nailed Topics: "The few, the rare...." topic.

[Spoke]

Tom,

Nice write-up about standard vs. optional equipment on cars of the 60's and 70's.

Back in the day, you had to specify everything on your car. My parents bought a 1968 Dodge Coronet and opted not to get the clock but the dash still had the clock dial face and hole for the time adjuster, just no clock.

[dflesburg]

airconditioning?

it has windows and a removable top.

[MoveQik]

airconditioning?

it has windows and a removable top.

That works great when it is 112 degrees here in AZ. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tom_T]

airconditioning?

it has windows and a removable top.

Yeah, yeah - the old "Sears 265 & 255 AC" - roll down 2 windows & drive 55 or 65 mph - depending on which "model" you got! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

As noted above - in 80-90+ heat & add your humidity back there - your either toast (top off), or a bag of sweat (top on) - either way, no fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

You obliviously only drive your 914 on cool days or in shorts! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

If it's a DD - as most were in their early lives, then the AC was greatly appreciated in the hot areas of the US.

But - I mean Ohio - you're probably either a Browns or Bengals fan - & what do they know!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)
... right Spoke! Go Steelers!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

[Tom_T]

Tom,

Nice write-up about standard vs. optional equipment on cars of the 60's and 70's.

Back in the day, you had to specify everything on your car. My parents bought a 1968 Dodge Coronet and opted not to get the clock but the dash still had the clock dial face and hole for the time adjuster, just no clock.

Thanx Jerry!

My Dad had to do the same thing when he bought our `63 Greenbriar Van (Corvair for the uninitiated) back there in Bridgeville or Dormont IIRC, & it had the "blank clock" too! He said: "Why should I pay extra for a clock - I have a perfectly good watch!" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Same deal in 67 out in San Diego when he bought the 3/4 ton Chevy pick-up - pick your options one by one, then either wait on the factory order, or adjust your list for what the dealer had on hand in stock on the lot & in the parts dept.! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Bad day in Dallas - eh!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Better Luck for our Steelers next year Bud!
... meanwhile watch some USA Eagles at the 2011 Rugby World Cup this summer/fall on your local NBC/Universal Sports & NBC affiliate!

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[RFoulds]

I have the DPD unit and a case of good ol' freon. I better sell the car before the freon runs out.

[steveherman]

i am getting ready to spend about 3000 to have a system put in.
my car has never had it.

[Tom_T]

I have the DPD unit and a case of good ol' freon. I better sell the car before the freon runs out.

R - you can possibly convert to R134 without much changed out at all, perhaps only the "new" compressor (rotary?) from AA. I converted our 88 Westy & 85 BMW 325e over the past few years, and did so when I had to have compressor work done anyway - so the net difference was under $100.

Hopefully your York compressor in the DPD will last as long as the case of Freon, then die, so you can effectively change over then at little difference in what it cost to do the repairs due by then anyway.

Also, old Freon can still be had, but last I heard it was up to $50-100 per can! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
4-5x of those per car in my 2 was a big reason to switch, and easily makes a new compressor pay for itself quickly! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Tom_T]

i am getting ready to spend about 3000 to have a system put in.
my car has never had it.

Steve - if you're doing one of the AA systems, I'd love to see a new topic in the Garage on how well that works out for you, pix of it installed, etc.

I may still hack into mine at some point after the resto to add one if I can't take the heat when I want to drive it, and my wife wants to come along!