I'm getting ready to swap a great running chevette 1.6 4 banger into my wifes 57 nash metro this summer. the car is to be a weekend cruiser not a tire frier so I think it will get down the road just fine. I want to put air cond. in it at some point and bought a very cool looking old underdash unit that I hope to use. does anyone know what compressor, if any would be the most efficient RE. power drain on the engine? I had planned on a v-6 for this car but the 4 cyl. with automatic trans. presented itself and I just don't want it to be undrivably slow with the air on.
I think it will be terribly slow with AC on. I'd recommend a switch on the throttle that cuts AC off when you are close to open throttle. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Save yourself a lot of trouble and call the tech support at Vintage Air. They can tell you anything you need to know to get the A/C installed and correct. Might cost a few bucks but in the end you will be money ahead.
Mustang under dash unit...Find a Chevette with a/c and get the brackets, Sanden compressors have very little drag.
A small Sanden will have low drag and will work fine. I don't know the exact numbering, but it goes 5XX or 7XX or something like that. 5 or 7 means 5 or 7 pistons, the XX is the capacity, so get the 5 series with less capacity. Check with Sanden or a seller and they can figure out the details, don't rely on my memory........
If it were me and I was concerned about engine drag I would probably just get a high output alternator and a remote unit out of a van.
any unit out of a newer 4 cyl FWd car should work .. but your going to have to make the brackets , as you are not having alot of space to cool down , it shouldn't cycle that much , but you might want to put a idle kicker selinoid on the carb ( was on the late 70's cars) for when its Idling so when the unit cycles it gives it a little more fuel so the motor doesn't struggle .
A/C will rob a bunch of power from those motors,back in the 80s I worked at a Chevy dealer checking in the new cars and the car haulers hated them. In the summer months they would try to run the a/c but would not have enough power to get up the ramps,I would try to find a motor with a little more torque then that one if you want a/c.
I baught a Chevette for my daughters back in the day, it had A/C and auto trans. With the air on, we had to pull over until it cooled the car, then drive until it got warm inside, then pull over, etc etc.........in other words, don't do it if you want to drive it.....
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