Im looking at purchasing a 1987 fc.

its a sweet car, but it doesn't have ac. seems to have come from the factory this way, since i can't find any ac line wholes.

Im planning on making a move to arizona, and the car needs to have ac. what would all be involved with putting ac in the car?

Im trying to do as much research on the car as possible, does any one know if the na from 1987 came with no ac?

thanks in advance for any help that you all give me trying to figure out this awesome car.

 

Easy way to tell...
Look under the dash on the passenger side.
On the far right is the HVAC blower motor and on the trans tunnel is the main distribution box w/heater core.
In the middle- connecting the other two assemblies- is where the AC evaporator/condensor(unsure of terminology) would go and it's enclosure would be basically box shaped. A true factory AC delete car will have a tube connecting the fan to the core instead of the larger, boxy AC part.

 

Clokker, it's an evaporator.

atl1234, you can very well live in arizona without AC., easily.

As you live in Atlanta, you can relate somewhat to how Texas is. Here, the shade is broken, 100* feels like 115* and it is so humid, your sweat glands can't work.

I was in Tuscon one time and it 105* and I couldn't believe it because it felt like 85* Texas temperature.

 

Honestly, you would be better off starting with a factory AC car. These cars came equipped with R12 refrigerant, which is obsolete, so you would need to convert an existing system if it was dry.

There are many custom ways to assemble and get the system cobbled in, but you would need the entire AC system off a factory AC car. Then you would need to removed the blower case and install the evaporator case. The wiring harnesses for the AC and non AC cars might be different. I know on my car, I swapped from a AT to a MT harness and the harnesses were different, so unless you have a deep understanding of wiring circuits, it is not a job for the uninitiated. You would also need to install the compressor, the condenser, fans, and electronics to control it. I know that the AC harness is a subharness off the main body loom, but I do not know if your car has the provisions.

Honestly, it's a huge pain to go through an AC retrofit. Just to get all of the parts, you will be into it several hundred dollars. You need all of the o-rings and seals, a NEW receiver drier, and potentially a new compressor.

R12 is not compatible with R134a, so you are retrofitting anyway. There are conversion chemicals you can buy at a parts store, but they are blended refrigerants. If you had to take your car to a shop to do an AC service, they will turn you away because blended mixes will contaminate the shops extremely expensive AC equipment. I never recommend blended refrigerants because they are not serviceable once installed. And, it's a federal crime to discharge refrigerant to the atmosphere, so now you have a contaminated system that can not be discharged.


Let's put it this way. I work in a shop for a living and I do tons of AC repairs and retrofits, when needed. Most R12 cars are no longer on the road and I work in an affluent area. The average cost of almost ANY A/C repair, is about $1200. That's just for a general repair. Compressor, evaporator, a line section, etc.

For warranty, our suppliers require us to replace the receiver drier/suction accumulator on any and every compressor install. Many driers are built into the condenser these days, so now the bumper comes off and more time is invested. On average, a simple AC recharge service at a shop is between $150-250.


If you need a car with AC, buy a car with AC. Period. A retrofit will cost far more than it's worth and you can probably find an RX7 with AC that works that has already been refitted, for a little more purchase price.

I considered refitting a car I used to have. I just ended up rolling down the windows and driving around like that.

 

wait until you move then buy the car, you will get one with ac and wont have to deal with transporting from atlanta to nevada