A/C in my 73 Charger...Moving to AZ...any advice?

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I have a 73' Rallye' Charger A/C car. I Am moving to AZ in the next 2 months and this will be my driver. I am moving from NE,Ohio so I cant wait...selling everything but my Charger.

Looks like I have all the under hood parts, compressor,etc. My mechanic is going to try and get this working...I have a tight budget...


The problem is that I disconnected all the wires & the heater control cable was broke when I got the car There is a block with vacuum lines by the heater-A/C controls and I do not have an idea to start. My mechanic is not familiar with the heater control switches on these. He will try, he is a good mechanic but is into rat rods and such.

I put a 71' cluster in and took the heater ac control switches out and swapped them since the blower motor, etc works, now nothing is hooked up & I have no idea where to start....

Worst case...would I really need AC in AZ in the summer? Drive in the morning and when the sun goes down ? What did people do back in the day with no A/C in cars, try a swamp cooler?

Thanks guys, this is a fast move & I never though I would be leaving Ohio to AZ, so I never bothered with hooking my heater control switches up...it does suck with no defrost though...

[Carrnutt]

Oy! Well sorry that I don't have much information for you. Try starting here, there are some diagrams that should help...

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=23315.0


In the old days before A/C people carried hankies, but they also wore wool, so obviously they suffered lol  You always have the 2 by 60 A/C (2 windows down, 60 miles per hour

Best of luck in your new adventure! 

[adauto]

Was 81 in Phoenix today ..... you will need it 

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Man I can't wait for AZ, do you drive your Charger all year there?
Man I hope I get this A/C working.....

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

Arizona is a good place to have working A/C.

A factory service manual would be a big help in getting the vacuum lines and wiring squared away. That is going to be only one part of getting the A/C working again. If the system has been down for a long time other work will be needed. The system was originally an R-12 system and I would bet the R-12 is long gone. To get the system back to working you will need at least  a good vacuum pump and A/C gauge set. If the system has been empty for a long time at a minimum it will need a new receiver/drier and the oil in the compressor should be checked and changed. That is if you are going to keep it an R-12 system. R-12 is still available but you need a permit to buy it.

If you convert it to R-134 that is a more involved process. You will need to change the oil type in the compressor and put on a new receiver /drier. The R-12 oil and the receiver/drier are not compatible with R-134. Don't use those cheap R-134 conversion kits that you see at Wallmart. A/C professional call them Death Kits that are as likely to ruin your system as work.

The first thing I would do is hook up the vacuum pump and gauge set if the system is empty and pull a vacuum on it. Them close up the gauge set valves, turn off the pump and see if it holds a vacuum over night. I bet it won't.There is a very good possibility there is a leak that will need to be found and repaired.

I know you said your budget is tight, but good A/C work is something that can't be done on the cheap.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I am fortunate that my mechanic is fair at his pricing. He has the proper tools and the gauges, etc. I know he said it will cost. I just hope I can get away with a grand tops on the A/C.

I feel like if I can't get the A/C  working that I might as well think of selling her. I will need a driver in AZ & I have been told from family that lives there that in Summer I will not be driving in the day without A/C.


When we visited Paradise Valley a few months back, just outside of Phoenix, there was a awesome weekly car cruise & it just seems like heaven for me & my Mopar. My wife spied a 73' SE in the parking garage of the airport & since then I decided that since we are only taking two vehicles & that since my 01' Dakota is a rust nugget, that I had better get this A/C working and drive the Charger as my driver.

I planned on getting my Charger to y mechanic this past week. However, we just got nailed with more snow in NE,OH.

I thank you all for the help. 

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Oy! Well sorry that I don't have much information for you. Try starting here, there are some diagrams that should help...

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=23315.0


In the old days before A/C people carried hankies, but they also wore wool, so obviously they suffered lol  You always have the 2 by 60 A/C (2 windows down, 60 miles per hour

Best of luck in your new adventure! 

Hey man,thanks. Yeah, if no A/C I am going to make a portable swamp cooler

[Pete in NH]

I would think you should be able to get this project done for under a grand  even with labor rates being what they are. I would ask your mechanic what his plan is and if he will be keeping it an R-12 system or converting it to R-134. If he has his 609 certificate and can buy R-12, that would be less expensive than a R-134 conversion and give you the best A/C performance in summer time Arizona. If at all possible keep it an R-12 system.

Not too many people who do A/C work these days have experience with these old Chrysler RV-2 systems. I'll be glad to give you some assistance if you need it. It's always less expensive to get it right the first time around rather than have to go back and do something over again.

[AZMoparboy]

Hi, I live in Chandler AZ, have a 73 Charger also. I had a very small budget like you so I had nothing to loose so I just changed out all of the seals, the drier and oil, sucked it down to see if it had a leak. It held vac Then I put in 134. Don't know how long the compressor will last but its working, makes cold air, around 50F degrees. Here is the bad news, big blocks get hot here in the summer. In traffic not so good, out driving on the freeway is OK. My AC works good with the outside temp at about 100F degrees. Any more than that and my engine is up at 220 and that's not so good. One of these days I will have to change out the old compressor for new modern 134 compressor but for now I have very little in my system and it does work so, so This might not be for everyone but just my 

Steve

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Thanks guys for all the help.
Yeah, I hope the A/C gets working.

Hey, the member with a 73' in AZ, what part of Az are you from. I will be unpacking and getting used to thearea when we get there, mid June...I know what a time to move.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Sorry....you already said...Chandler.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I am so happy.....my A/C works, umps out nice & cold......we put a dye in to check for leaks and so far no leaks.


Man, life is gonna' be good in AZ.

I just have one problem, no heater.....I need a heater control cable.

[troy.70R/T]

You will be in a Charger so no matter how hot it is you will still be cool.

[Nacho-RT74]

**deleted*** wrong thread LOL

[ACUDANUT]

Why would you drive a 73 Charger everyday ?  Get a eco car with a/c and have fun on the weekends with the Charger. 

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Cause I can, WTF not? 

Why would you drive a 73 Charger everyday ?  Get a eco car with a/c and have fun on the weekends with the Charger.