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Author Topic: Factory VS dealer ac  (Read 731 times)

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Offline r4pinto

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Factory VS dealer ac
« on: September 02, 2022, 08:57:34 AM »
Got a quick question.  I'm looking at a 78 wagon that appears to have dealer installed ac. Question I have is about functionality.  Was the dealer installed ac any better or worse than factory ac? It would be somewhat I'd want to get working if it already didn't. Were some parts interchangeabl e?

Thanks in advance!

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Matt Manter
1977 Pinto sedan- Named Harold II after the first Pinto(Harold) owned by my mom. R.I.P mom- 1980 parts provider & money machine for anything that won't fit the 80
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Offline 65ShelbyClone

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Re: Factory VS dealer ac
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2022, 07:27:10 PM »
Were some parts interchangeabl e?
Maybe the condenser, receiver-dryer, compressor, and its bracketry. The '77/78 parts car I had was equipped with dealer air and the fan/evaporator box looked very much like some typical aftermarket under-dash kits. I would think it could possibly work better than factory air because it doesn't share anything with the heater core. Maybe someone who has experienced both in good working order will respond.
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Offline PintoTim2

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Re: Factory VS dealer ac
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2022, 01:17:27 PM »
I had a Ford aftermarket installed AC on an '88 F150.  After it was in an accident (truck was parked, Focus ran into it) - I figured that the system was junk.  Not so per the local AC shop.  They said that Ford used alot of overbuild parts on the dealer units and used an evaporator sensor (temp based) controller to cycle the system which they felt was better.   They said the barbed fittings instead of the factory quick connects leaked less and were fixable by bulk AC hose and not custom one-off parts.  If it was a Ford aftermarket system, I would definetly try to get it going.  None of my Pintos have AC, which makes the wife sad....
I will probably try to put AC on my Pinto pickup (The Pintaroo) once I get the 2.3L turbo swapped into it.   Got that one down r4pinto's way several years ago (Dayton area).....

Offline TIGGER

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Re: Factory VS dealer ac
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2022, 07:03:53 PM »
My dad ordered his 79 Wagon how he wanted it.  He clicked and paid for the AC option but when the car came, it did not have AC.  Dealer gave him two choices, either to order another car and wait for another 6-8 weeks or they could install the dealer air.  He chose the dealer air and it was garbage from day 1.  It went back to the dealer multiple times when the car was under warranty and then my dad threw in the towel after the warranty expired.  It is still all in the car.  So as far as interchangeabi lity, everything seems different than factory AC.  AC box, hoses, engine brackets, belts etc.

Years ago, I had an 80 parts car that had factory AC that was 85% complete.  Just missing the engine brackets.  I saved all that for my dads wagon so I could make it as he ordered it but I let all that stuff go with my cruising wagon when I sold it as it was going to Arizona.  Did you buy the car?
79 4cyl Wagon
73 Turbo HB
78 Cruising Wagon (sold 8/6/11)