Who Had Both Air Grabber and A/C?

[Dibbons]

When my parents special ordered a new '71 Road Runner, they asked the dealer for A/C. The dealer had a local shop add an aftermarket A/C before delivery.

The A/C used to shoot water droplets out of the under dash vents sometimes. I know the drain went out through the floorboard, so I don't know what that was all about.

One day parked outside Mcdonalds restaurant waiting, Mom had the A/C on, the vehicle in drive, and her foot on the brake. The engine overheated. That really scared us.

With the above problems, Dad decided the vehicle was not equipped for A/C in the first place and had the local shop remove the A/C components. When the vehicle was sold a couple of years later, the A/C components were in the trunk.

Looking back on it, I wonder why the added A/C did not work out, but I have a few ideas. The factory A/C system may have had modifications to accommodate the A/C that my parents car did not have. Perhaps tinted glass, water pump impeller change, fan, fan shroud, radiator, pulley differences. Could be a number of things. I am trying to remember the name of the company that built the aftermarket system, but having trouble with my recall, may have been "ARA". The outlet vents fit perfectly with the curve of the factory dash, so I know the plastic outlets were custom fit to the Satellite/Road Runner vehicles.

I assume the A/C option was not a factory option because the high-mounting location of the compressor would interfere with the air grabber assembly and/or air cleaner. I just wondered how it has worked out for any forum members who have experienced an A/C upgrade to their Air Grabber equipped vehicles?

https://www.airah.org.au/Content_Files/HVACRNation/2008/June2008/HVACRNation_2008-06-F02.pdf

 

[moparmarks]

I've done a/c with a Shaker hood on E bodies.

 

[69b3rt]

If the car had add on a/c, the car would have most likely only had the 22" radiator. You do need additional radiator capacity when you have a hot a/c condensor in front of radiator.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

is not just the bigger radiator but also a smaller water pump pulley to make it spin faster and 6 vanes water pump for A/C, where non A/C got bigger pulley and 8 vanes water pump. Also 7 blades fan, where non A/C are 5 blades... heavy duty fan clutch while standard duty fan clutch on non A/C.

what of everything of these parts that car really got ?

 

[biomedtechguy]

I have a Cold Case radiator for my Roadrunner and for my wife's GTO, from one of our awesome forum sponsors!
We are adding A/C to BOTH cars via a WRAPTOR serpentine belt and accessory system + Vintage Air. The Wraptor includes a water pump, and we are using the A/C compressor that is part of the Wraptor system.
Living in South Louisiana and Mississippi, and racing in the same, the design of the Cold Case radiators should really keep things cool, including when we are running the A/C in 96° + 98% humidity weather...in stop and go traffic...