Wondering how many out there have this A/C?

[DUDOK]

My car has the "Mark IV Custom" air setup in it. The compressor is long gone but the rest seems there. I have looked at a lot of pictures of other cars and have not seen one yet. It is probably a good thing as they cut a hell of a hole through the dash!

I thought some might like to see some photos of it as I took it out. The face plate just friction fits in the dash shelf area and I will need to put it back to hide the hole in the dash. I am thinking this is a good spot when I put in a hidden stereo system.

[Guest Anonymous]

Patch the hole and make a nice cover for the horizontal surface. There are better ways to hide a stereo.

[NickVyse]

interesting period piece, probably worth OK money to someone.

[Conserv]

I saw a few of these systems back in the early 1970s, along with the short-console Frigiking units, before Behr (and to a smaller extent, Clardy) seemed to take over the 2002 A/C market ca. 1974. Are there any date markings on it?

You're stuck with the dash hole. Why not use the A/C? You get to keep your console and it seems like it would have more effective air distribution than the Frigiking, Behr, and Clardy units. It could be driven by a Sanden compressor, new condenser, et al, as outlined elsewhere in FAQ. It would make for a unique period look: I'll bet it's original, or nearly original to the car!

Thanks for sharing.

Steve

[DUDOK]

Interesting that you are in Atlanta. The car was purchase new there with the air being installed by the dealer according to the p.o. who bought it used there in 1970 and owned it until a year or two ago. For me the air is not worth dealing with as AC time around here is the last two weeks of August. Just love driving with the windows down (something my wife does not like).

[Conserv]

Interesting that you are in Atlanta. The car was purchase new there with the air being installed by the dealer according to the p.o. who bought it used there in 1970 and owned it until a year or two ago. For me the air is not worth dealing with as AC time around here is the last two weeks of August. Just love driving with the windows down (something my wife does not like).

Sorry. I should have noted your "Green Bay" address! Wow, 40 years in the second owner's hands!

Regards,

Steve

[RayC911]

I bet you get some serious air from those vents when it was working. You almost have to sell the dash to go with the unit if you want to get rid of it.

[Guest Anonymous]

Actually, BMW or Behr sourced the early 70's a/c from a Dallas area manufacuturer accordingly from the original instructions.

There is an old tale of BMW sending over engineers to Texas, riding in a car with fixed windows in order to fix the problem.

Sometime after 75 or 76 Behr started using Bosch compressors.

Your install resolves one of the issues- air distribution.

[eurotrash]

I have that kit stashed in my garage attic. From a car I parted a few years back.

[Mike Self]

back in the early-mid 60s...including VW Beetles, early Toyotas and Datsuns, and even Renault R10s. Not sure what happened to the company; they were out of Dallas as the sticker says. Have only seen a few in 2002s--most of the early (pre- Behr) '02 A/C units were Fridgiking--and their earliest model was similar to the Mk IV--along the dash vs console.

A suggestion for yours: reinstall a working glovebox, then use the left air outlet to install extra gauges. The center and right ones can be plumbed into the heater box with some flexible ducting, to provide "eyeball" heat and ventilation, like E21s and E30s. Or use the second one for a stereo, and the right hand one--with a hinged lid, as a storage cubby.

cheers

mike

[eurotrash]

... Have only seen a few in 2002s--most of the early (pre- Behr) '02 A/C units were Fridgiking--and their earliest model was similar to the Mk IV--along the dash vs console.

Mine was removed from a 1971 rust bomb from Delaware.