C3 Air Conditioning Parts Search

[Norm C.]

Have a 72 coupe with Factory A/C. After being in storage for a while, you guessed it,, Freon is gone. Have an appointment with the highly regarded Corvette shop. (He's booked almost 60 days out and just does Vettes)

He has given me a "heads up" to start looking for some of the key parts now, as he indicated when Freon is missing for a while it can create more than one problem. Can anyone share where to start looking for OEM or near OEM A/C parts?

Thanks in advance to those who have gone before me!!!!!

[Jim T.]

Re: C3 Air Conditioning Parts Search

Best air conditioning service I ever got on my 70 Corvette was a local Phillips 66 service station that did a lot of air conditioning work on cars and trucks. The technitions knew how to service air conditoners. The worst service I received was from the local Chevrolet dealer. I was away from home on business and my wife told me the air would not work on the 70. This was in 1988. Had not used the Phillips 66 place yet. Since the Chevrolet dealershop sponsored our Corvette club I told her to take it to the Chevrolet dealer. They told her it needed a new evaporator core and she gives the okay to replace it to get her air working again. The big tube on top going to the evaporator would not loosen, they drilled a hole in the nut, but not through the tube. They could not get the nut off and told her they could not do the job. I came home and got my service manual out and studied it. Checked the filter screen in the expansion valve just like the service manual showed me and the screen was clogged with desiccant from the dryer. Replaced the dryer, flushed the lines from the dryer to the expansion valve, cleaned the filter screen and then took the car to the Phillips 66 station to have vacuum pulled, oil checked and changed, and R12 installed. Still cooling today. Recommend finding the best air conditoning shop in town and have them recover any remaining R12, replace the dryer, disconnect the line to the expansion valve and check the filter screen, change the compressor oil, and charge it with R12. You can easily change the dryer and check the screen. You may even have a GM dealership that can do the service. One other thing that I remember about the Phillips 66 service performed was the rewrapping of the temp sensor tube insulation, that cork impregnated black stuff, still looks good today.

[David M.]

Re: C3 Air Conditioning Parts Search

Classic Auto Air(classicautoair.com) out of Florida. Thay are knowledgeable and have original and service replacement parts and up grade kits. They took the original fittings off my A/C lines and put new hoses on them so they are correct and look great. They cut open my original dryer,installed new dessecant and re-welded it like new. I changed to 134a cuz I didnt want to pay $100 a lb for R12. They offer a POA eliminator kit too.

[David M.]

Re: C3 Air Conditioning Parts Search

Jack, I must clarify here that this company has serviced many of my projects not just vettes(havent messed with an A/C vette yet). I have been known primarialy for Oldsmobile 442, W30s etc... and the dryer is not servicable on a 68 or 9 such as the one is on vettes. I have reciently dove into the wounderfull world of plastic fantastic. I have done several vettes in various stages of restoration and am learning and applying general knowledge of restorations to what I write here. So sometimes it may not apply directly to a vette but is usefull for the general info and vendor locations. The guys at Classic Auto Air would have corrected you if you said you wanted your dryer split and re-welded.