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Vintage Air Install Cost

vektro69

vektro69

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Been thinking about Vintage Air for my 69 Super Bee. Looks like about $1800 to buy, but how much is a fair deal for install? Got first quote, and he said around 40 hrs, about $3000. Seemed a bit high to me. I thought a guy who has done a bunch of these would be a bit faster. Any experience on this?
 
Wouldn’t you think they could do it in less than 40 hrs, whatever the rate. I have no idea how to do it, and think I could make it in 50hrs!
 
Why not ask Vintage Air how many hours it takes to install?
 
How handy are you? Perhaps you could do all the legwork (remove old heater box, install new, bolt on compressor etc and let the AC shop run the lines, electrical connections and charge system? Might save a couple of grand.
 
My friend is having vintage air installed in his 66 baracuda. Best price he could find was $3400. Shop has kept his car two weeks as they keep getting the wrong parts. He picks the car up Friday.
 
Wow, that is expensive. I’d just stick to the original air! Good’ol vent wings!
 
I bought the complete kit.. I could have done it myself when I was younger. Cost me about $1300-1500. we got the wrong Comp bracket and wasted some time trying to make the first one work. Surer didn't take no 40 hours, but he had installed a few of them before... Instructions are very good ... you can see the instructions in a pdf on line............................MO
 
I’d guess a day or so. Back when I worked in a shop I put a heater core in an s10 blazer. It was a chore. Pull the dash completely to the firewall. One bolt on the outside hides behind the RF fender. Yep. The fender has to come off. So the grill does. It wasn’t fun. Still maybe 10 hours labor. I would think two days at most. I’d look for a different shop or try to do as much as you can. Like mount the compressor. Mount the condenser. Runn the lines. Most heater boxes on old mopars come out pretty easily. If it was the type that just hangs under the dash that’s even easier. Yea. 8 maybe 10 hours.
 
Bobby Sixkiller said:
I’d guess a day or so. Back when I worked in a shop I put a heater core in an s10 blazer. It was a chore. Pull the dash completely to the firewall. One bolt on the outside hides behind the RF fender. Yep. The fender has to come off. So the grill does. It wasn’t fun. Still maybe 10 hours labor. I would think two days at most. I’d look for a different shop or try to do as much as you can. Like mount the compressor. Mount the condenser. Runn the lines. Most heater boxes on old mopars come out pretty easily. If it was the type that just hangs under the dash that’s even easier. Yea. 8 maybe 10 hours.
Click to expand...
You are really an optimist. How about the OP pays you 10 hours labor and when you are 4 days into it and still not done, you don't complain, you just forge ahead and finish?
 
LOL.. I've done dozens in the past few years...

Back in the 70's just out of HS & then again in the 80's after I got out of the Military.... I installed thousands.. Worked at an ARA Air specialty shop....

Old cars have their "Challenges".. Plus often I build custom parts cause I want my installs cleaner than using the parts supplied in a "Kit"...

Basic install, no custom work, no problems figure twelve hours...

Doing lots of one off stuff, Time & Materials.... Easily 25-30 hours & it could be more....
 
i am in the process of installing classic auto air after i saw kern dog i said cool good install post.i had help form 5.7 hemi as i wanted the compressor
myac2.jpg
myac2.jpg
on right lower side myac1.jpg
 
If the time/price quoted is too much for you, then its time for you to dive in and diy. Custom work like that is fairly straight forward but..... as others have found, there are no "bolt in kits/parts". For sure a lot of work has gone into them by the companies that make them but there are pretty much always issues you will find. Count your blessings if it does install with no pitfalls. Also for old cars, count on various items to get broken due to age. Old cars, like people, are not as supple/bendable/limber etc as when new/young. I always chuckle when someone gripes about what car work costs when they have no problem dropping $30+ on a steak when they could buy it at the store for less than $10. Or drop money on the latest bling phone, shoes etc. On my garage build project the roof portion of the low section is doubling as a deck. Got a quote of $35k to do 600 sq ft with redwood. This also connects onto the existing deck portions that were taken down for the build. I asked my friend for help, he gave me some pointers on what to do, put in the first posts and then said see you in a few weeks. I'm most of the way on it with some final and detail work to do. Is it perfect? Not by a long shot compared to a pro. Does it look pretty good? Hell yeah. Screw alignment is pretty good for no chalk line snapped. If there are issues later with it I know who to blame. I am not the person you want to do carpentry work. I'm a very accomplished wood butcher. Kern Dog knows what that is. But I saved a butt load of dough which helps offset what the original contractor hosed us for when this project started. See "lessons in patience to me" in the garage section for more on that. So what I'm getting at is if you don't want to shell out to get the air done, do it yourself. If you can't, get your checkbook out and move on.
 
With the help of a buddy, we are going to take the a833 out and install a TKO 600. Also, doing a disc brake conversion on the front. So, I do like to wrench around a bit, and save a little money here or there. Also, I don’t mind having someone do some other things that I have no experience doing, nor the desire to try. I just want a fair price.
I called another shop, by the way, in the same town of 12,000 or so, who said about 2 days labor, $50/ hr so about $800. His total unit and install estimate was $2200-$2400. He has installed several VA units and has been in business for 20 yrs.
Sounds like a very fair price, so I put down a $1000 deposit today, and may have do a few other things, as well.
Thanks for all the responses! Can find info on everything on here!!
 
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