 Is adding an aftermarket repro AC worth it? |
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| carcus |
 Aug 28 2016, 11:39 PM
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#1
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Member  Group: Members Posts: 223 Joined: 16-March 16 From: Colorado Springs Member No.: 19,760 Region Association: Rocky Mountains  |
I see they make several kits and I know they made some for the VW bug also back in the day. Do these things actually cool the car down or just slow it down and are a waste of money? I see the kits are kind of expensive and I am sure the install costs some money also. I would think I could get an engine rebuilt or the syncros in the transaxle rebuilt for about the same price. I have never been in a 914 or seen one with AC in it. What are your opinions on getting one installed? If they do not really cool the car with cold air or bog the engine down......or just waste of money. This is for a future project.
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| PancakePorsche |
Aug 29 2016, 12:42 AM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 29-July 11 From: Southern California Member No.: 13,373 Region Association: None |
Upgraded A/C will contain late model, much more compact and efficient compressor like a Sankyo or Denso. The original York unit was a big beast and a dead dog.
I would absolutely love a nice 2.0 with air. I plan to consider using a electric compressor from a plug-in or hybrid car. |
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| porschetub |
Aug 29 2016, 01:57 AM
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#3
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 4,696 Joined: 25-July 15 From: New Zealand Member No.: 18,995 Region Association: None |
Robs power from the engine ,expensive to fit,I don't really like A/C and happy to wind the window down ,and yes it gets hot in my part of the world.
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| JawjaPorsche |
Aug 29 2016, 03:40 AM
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#4
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,463 Joined: 23-July 11 From: Clayton, Georgia Member No.: 13,351 Region Association: South East States |
Our 914's were not meant to have AC. Our tops come off. AC robs engine power. My two cents.
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| dlee6204 |
Aug 29 2016, 06:00 AM
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#5
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Howdy Group: Members Posts: 2,162 Joined: 30-April 06 From: Burnsville, NC Member No.: 5,956 |
Depends on where you live and how you drive. If you drive it everyday in a hot environment then it would be worth it IMO. If you drive it only a few weekends out of the year then it probably doesn't make sense.
Driving 95+ heat here in the south in the middle of summer is no fun specially when you drive it daily which is why I added it to my car. I then moved to the mountains and no longer have a need for AC. |
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| Amphicar770 |
Aug 29 2016, 07:06 AM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,188 Joined: 20-April 10 From: PA, USA Member No.: 11,639 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region 
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The "real feel" temp around here was well over 100 for many days this summer. I would not have been driving the 914 on those days if mine did not have air.
I have the dpd system but replaced compressor with a rotary and hoses with modern barrier hose. Kept it R12. It gets ice cold fast on hottest days. With the rotary compressor, the horsepower loss is negligible. |
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| McMark |
Aug 29 2016, 08:04 AM
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#7
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914 Freak! Group: Retired Admin Posts: 20,179 Joined: 13-March 03 From: Grand Rapids, MI Member No.: 419 Region Association: None |
Modern A/C compressors don't rob HP. They're so efficient now that the effect on the engine is negligible.
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| GeorgeRud |
Aug 29 2016, 11:37 AM
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#8
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,725 Joined: 27-July 05 From: Chicagoland Member No.: 4,482 Region Association: Upper MidWest |
I had a friend with AC back in the 70s, and it was quite nice. With the small passenger compartment, it does cool just fine.
As with all aircooled Porsches, the compressor location and hoses are more complicated than front engined cars. |
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| Elliot Cannon |
Aug 29 2016, 11:45 AM
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#9
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914 Guru Group: Retired Members Posts: 8,487 Joined: 29-December 06 From: Paso Robles Ca. (Central coast) Member No.: 7,407 Region Association: None 
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AC in a car is kind of like heated seats. Many can criticize it as not needed. Until they have it in their car, then it becomes totally necessary. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
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| zambezi |
Aug 29 2016, 11:50 AM
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#10
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 711 Joined: 14-April 08 From: Lafayette, LA Member No.: 8,920 Region Association: South East States |
QUOTE(Elliot Cannon @ Aug 29 2016, 12:45 PM)  AC in a car is kind of like heated seats. Many can criticize it as not needed. Until they have it in their car, then it becomes totally necessary. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I agree, which is why I am doing both in my 914. |
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| mepstein |
Aug 29 2016, 12:00 PM
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#11
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,220 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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I'm doing a 6 cylinder suby swap. It will have heat and a/c. I don't care how many hoses, holes and wires it takes to make work. It's a must have in at least one of my 914's.
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| 76-914 |
Aug 29 2016, 03:25 PM
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#12
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Repeat Offender & Resident Subaru Antagonist Group: Members Posts: 13,483 Joined: 23-January 09 From: Temecula, CA Member No.: 9,964 Region Association: Southern California
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QUOTE(mepstein @ Aug 29 2016, 11:00 AM) I'm doing a 6 cylinder suby swap. It will have heat and a/c. I don't care how many hoses, holes and wires it takes to make work. It's a must have in at least one of my 914's. Smart man. Especially if your wife or kids are part of the scene. My wife ( who always feels a draft (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif) ) was one Happy Camper @ Rt 66 this year. It was 29F the first nite and 97 on the return trip. The first nite she sat in the car with the heater and the heated seats turned on until the Motel room warmed up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) |
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| carcus |
Aug 30 2016, 01:33 PM
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#13
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Member Group: Members Posts: 223 Joined: 16-March 16 From: Colorado Springs Member No.: 19,760 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
Thanks all for the input. Much appreciated.
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| Dave_Darling |
Aug 30 2016, 03:59 PM
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#14
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 14,980 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California
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Fitting everything in can be a challenge. Mounting the compressor where you can get a belt to run it, while keeping it out of the way of the other critical components, can be a challenge. The dealer-installed AC hacked up the right side of the engine tin and the engine shelf, which allowed re-ingestion of heated cooling air, which isn't so great.
The bits that actually cool the air down (evaporator and fan and such) are also a bit challenging to fit. The dealer kits put the whole shebang under the dash, which makes life hard for people with big feet. Or medium-size feet, for that matter. All that said, AC is something which a lot of us don't want to live without. I tolerate it in my 914, but not in my other cars. --DD |
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