914-6 air conditioning, Advice on compressor choise Options

[mepstein]

I bought an electric compressor for under $1000. https://benling.coowor.com/shop/product-det...09087VFAMP1.htm That and a small evaporator in the console and I’m good to go. I already installed an aftermarket condenser behind the GT cooler.
Except for the evaporator all the parts will be in the front trunk. No hoses to the rear of the car.
I bought all the parts last year, but rustoration and repaint has pushed this project out for awhile.

I already have heat via Ben's 1 5/8" heat exchangers.

Well I sure would like to see what our doing. If I could do electric a/c for a third of the premade kit price, I'm in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

Well I sure would like to see what our doing. If I could do electric a/c for a third of the premade kit price, I'm in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

+1

Stoddard or Ben HEs plus this could be pretty interesting, and adding the weight low at the front might be more appealing than adding more weight at the rear of the car. Have to think on that some, but short line runs is VERY appealing.

Exciting to see new thinking applied to this idea, and the photo of the alternator-driven compressor is pretty nifty, too...

[Steve]

@Steve Give me a holler when you get ready to plumb that AC system Steve. We can do it in a day if your willing to drive out here.

@76-914 I will definitely take you up on that offer!! After the WCR, I will be working on this project.

[76-914]

I just saw the McMark installed A/C in a 914-3.2 at Hershey. Owner said it worked well and it looked like a clean install. I thought Mark was going to make kits but then changed his mind.

We've (the shop I work at part time) installed a couple Classic retrofit electric a/c kits in 911's. I've talked to the owner about a 914-6 kit and they have a 914 in the shop to work from. It would work great in a 914 but I think it's low on the priority list for the company. He also has an uprated alternator to retrofit in engines smaller than 3.2 to handle the current needed for the electric compressor. It's $900 and his a/c kits are $4K so it's not for the faint of wallet.

At some point, if the 914 version isn't made, I will buy the 911 version and modify an airbox to work. Call me a wimp but once the heat and humidity get above xxx, I don't want to be in a non-a/c car.

^ Very interesting. Would love to see more of Mark's setup...curious why he abandoned the project, but suspect complexity or similar was a reason?

Truth is, weather is too often the determinant in whether I take my 914 out...and the car is pretty nice with the roof on and windows up. Will be adding Stoddard heater boxes at some point to get heat again, but the thought of A/C means long trips and summer use would be a lot more attractive. Would be curious about weight and complexity. Porsche got it down to 35~ pounds in the 987, but I am guessing that is a pipe dream in this case!

I would really love AC in my Six.....I just don't see it ever being made so it will never happen. Where we live it gets over 100 in the summer so having A/C would be a dream. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

When you get your car up and running, we gotta grab lunch. We think very, very similarly. And I sure am digging your current build... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

The electric a/c is 30lbs. I've talked to the owner about install and he suggested mounting the compressor under the trunk above the right axle and the condenser in the right rear fender, opposite the oil tank. So unlike a regular a/c install, much of the electric unit is hidden and pretty low in the car. The only sticking point is the custom blower box. I would have to fab one that would fit the 914 and then stuff the insides from the electric 911 unit into the box.

A/C is one of the main reasons I'm doing a Suby swap on another car. It's already hacked up from a previous h20 conversion so adding a/c won't really change much. I just want it to be a driver. Summer, rain, road salt, whatever.

I wonder how many reading this will get understand the value of your statement, Mark? 4-5K for AC! Unless you have a "rare 914" that money won't be coming back. That's about the cost to convert to a nice 2.5 or 3.0 Subie which would come equipped with a rotary compressor. I'm not suggesting anyone yank out the old air sucker and do an H20 conversion just for the pleasure of having AC. Just pointing out that these cars weren't designed with AC in mind. That being said, yes you can add AC to a go-cart if you want but how much are you willing to spend in time and/or $$$. I hadn't planned on AC when I did my conversion but the compressor was part of the Subie package and that made AC an easy option, for me, to implement. As mentioned above, these cars weren't designed for AC so the insulation sucks. On a hot day I turn it on "Full Cold" until the interior is cooled down. Within 10 mins I lower the temp to it's warmest setting as the cabin is so small. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[76-914]

@Steve Give me a holler when you get ready to plumb that AC system Steve. We can do it in a day if your willing to drive out here.

@76-914 I will definitely take you up on that offer!! After the WCR, I will be working on this project.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

I wonder how many reading this will get understand the value of your statement, Mark? 4-5K for AC! Unless you have a "rare 914" that money won't be coming back. That's about the cost to convert to a nice 2.5 or 3.0 Subie which would come equipped with a rotary compressor. I'm not suggesting anyone yank out the old air sucker and do an H20 conversion just for the pleasure of having AC. Just pointing out that these cars weren't designed with AC in mind. That being said, yes you can add AC to a go-cart if you want but how much are you willing to spend in time and/or $$$. I hadn't planned on AC when I did my conversion but the compressor was part of the Subie package and that made AC an easy option, for me, to implement. As mentioned above, these cars weren't designed for AC so the insulation sucks. On a hot day I turn it on "Full Cold" until the interior is cooled down. Within 10 mins I lower the temp to it's warmest setting as the cabin is so small. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

^ There is this logic, of course. It's hard to fault, and a good foil to this conversation. Should be weighed by anyone thinking about adding A/C to a 914.

On the other hand, "not on hot days" or "not in this heat" is a subconscious thought that has passed through my head (probably more often than I'd like to admit) since being spoiled by my first car with working A/C, an Xerati. Much later, a 986 really made the 914 a tough sell in summer heat. My 911 SC with a black interior A/C delete was just plain awful as a daily, and didn't stick around long. It was faster than my 914 (in a straight line, anyway), but offered little else in terms of upgrades other than power windows. Felt no newer, really, and no more useable. Sold it and bought my first new car, a 2003 WRX.

Living in the Bay Area, I'd have to think long and hard about the value of A/C vs its cost, weight, and complexity in a car I cherish for its simplicity. But what is the price of owning something you're less likely to use as often? The price of the memories you skipped making, consciously or subconsciously? Lately, my 914 has been driving so well that I've come to realize that I'm not sure if I need a modern Porsche...and what part of my enjoyment in a modern Porsche boils down to a power window on the passenger side and...A/C. Yes, they do everything better, but…a well-sorted 914 is a magical thing.

How much more would I weigh all of the above if I lived in a place where a significant portion of the driving season was hot and/or humid? Would I pay $5k to increase my time in the car each season, maybe thinking of it at $1k per season over five years? Hmm... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

And if A/C can be added for $1-2k?

[mepstein]

I just saw the McMark installed A/C in a 914-3.2 at Hershey. Owner said it worked well and it looked like a clean install. I thought Mark was going to make kits but then changed his mind.

We've (the shop I work at part time) installed a couple Classic retrofit electric a/c kits in 911's. I've talked to the owner about a 914-6 kit and they have a 914 in the shop to work from. It would work great in a 914 but I think it's low on the priority list for the company. He also has an uprated alternator to retrofit in engines smaller than 3.2 to handle the current needed for the electric compressor. It's $900 and his a/c kits are $4K so it's not for the faint of wallet.

At some point, if the 914 version isn't made, I will buy the 911 version and modify an airbox to work. Call me a wimp but once the heat and humidity get above xxx, I don't want to be in a non-a/c car.

^ Very interesting. Would love to see more of Mark's setup...curious why he abandoned the project, but suspect complexity or similar was a reason?

Truth is, weather is too often the determinant in whether I take my 914 out...and the car is pretty nice with the roof on and windows up. Will be adding Stoddard heater boxes at some point to get heat again, but the thought of A/C means long trips and summer use would be a lot more attractive. Would be curious about weight and complexity. Porsche got it down to 35~ pounds in the 987, but I am guessing that is a pipe dream in this case!

I would really love AC in my Six.....I just don't see it ever being made so it will never happen. Where we live it gets over 100 in the summer so having A/C would be a dream. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

When you get your car up and running, we gotta grab lunch. We think very, very similarly. And I sure am digging your current build... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

The electric a/c is 30lbs. I've talked to the owner about install and he suggested mounting the compressor under the trunk above the right axle and the condenser in the right rear fender, opposite the oil tank. So unlike a regular a/c install, much of the electric unit is hidden and pretty low in the car. The only sticking point is the custom blower box. I would have to fab one that would fit the 914 and then stuff the insides from the electric 911 unit into the box.

A/C is one of the main reasons I'm doing a Suby swap on another car. It's already hacked up from a previous h20 conversion so adding a/c won't really change much. I just want it to be a driver. Summer, rain, road salt, whatever.

I wonder how many reading this will get understand the value of your statement, Mark? 4-5K for AC! Unless you have a "rare 914" that money won't be coming back. That's about the cost to convert to a nice 2.5 or 3.0 Subie which would come equipped with a rotary compressor. I'm not suggesting anyone yank out the old air sucker and do an H20 conversion just for the pleasure of having AC. Just pointing out that these cars weren't designed with AC in mind. That being said, yes you can add AC to a go-cart if you want but how much are you willing to spend in time and/or $$$. I hadn't planned on AC when I did my conversion but the compressor was part of the Subie package and that made AC an easy option, for me, to implement. As mentioned above, these cars weren't designed for AC so the insulation sucks. On a hot day I turn it on "Full Cold" until the interior is cooled down. Within 10 mins I lower the temp to it's warmest setting as the cabin is so small. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

PO cut out the entire engine shelf, trunk bulkhead and installed a crap roll cage. I cut out the rollcage and Amerson is going to weld back in the trunk bulkhead but this car is so far from original that I don't have to care about extra hoses or a pretty engine bay. But I'm hoping for a "no excuses" car, i.e. drive it to the supermarket in the rain, enjoy it when the "nice" cars are in bed, kind of car. But I agree, working with an engine that's already set up for a/c should be a lot easier.

[Dave_Darling]

I wonder how many reading this will get understand the value of your statement, Mark? 4-5K for AC! Unless you have a "rare 914" that money won't be coming back.

I think you're applying logic to a fundamentally emotional decision, here... While you do have a point, this is a situation where that point very often doesn't matter. If we all made rational car-buying decisions we likely wouldn't have sports cars in the first place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

--DD

[swalshaw]

VPC A/C unit adapted to 914-6...38 degrees at the vent and worth every $$$, and time spent on the install!

[914forme]

@swalshaw Are you using the VPC dash unit?

And any more pictures of the mount? Was it sourced from a kit?

Example Classic Auto Air sells a kit for early 1969-1989 LHD 911s