Installing Vintage Air in my 78. VA doesn't make a control panel to replace my stock lever set up for 78-82, so need to make my own. Anyone with 78-82 that have created a custom panel or modifications post some pictures. The stock black knobs set up looks like it belongs on a lawn mower. I haven't decided on adapting a lever set up or knobs but going to have to modify my center console opening or make a plate of some kind.
Pictures of Vintage Air Control Knobs or Levers?
- Thread starter donnie_19
- Start date
68/70Vette
Well-known member
Maybe just try to hid the controls. Maybe buy some mini-switches and install them in a thin black painted stip of aluminum running under the passengers front panel dash. To get some professional miniswitches, you'll probably need to go to a "professional" electrical parts house. I use Waytech to buy OEM connectors and switches. Google for other sources. Also, inconvenient perhaps but completely hidden, mount the controls under the jack compartment behind the passengers seat. This is where I have my fuel pump controls: (1) power on/off to fuel pump speed controller and main fuel pump, (2) power to main pump with speed controller out of the circuit, (3) power to redundant fuel pump.
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I have a Classic Air unit in the 70. It uses the stock AC/heater controls, so there's no sign in the interior that the factory AC is gone.
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I have a Classic Air unit in the 70. It uses the stock AC/heater controls, so there's no sign in the interior that the factory AC is gone.
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GoVetteGo
Well-known member
Donnie - Which Vintage Air kit did you buy? I am planning on junking the original AC and installing VA in my 78. I would like to have as much under the dash to clean up the engine compartment.
John
John
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
IF not on here, I suspect all other pix are deleted over the years, and so to just describe my adaptations....
the stockish '72 stick shift console plate has a simple etched marker plate to the right of the now auto trans lever...with a R light telling me the backup lights are in fact ON.....
and the HVAC controls are a bunch of Mini Micro Switches toggle appearing up top....combined with various surplus other switches and shit....
it controls fan blower, only 2 speed, air position-3 locations, compressor on/off, heat valve on/off, cruise/lockup on/off cruise switch to engage and set speeds....Lockup via computer or straight shot...meaning all 3 upper gears....
a built in garage door opener, GOD, I'm lazy.....I know I have missed another couple of functions....
on the smoker's side, with cig lighter/ash tray...it's all lights....
two banks of 4 RED LEDS....firing in sequence of 18436572 as in engine order layed out....two blue LEDs do the FI banks.....two green ones forward of them are Fuel pump, and Service engine.....
I have not photographed this interior for a long time....so here goes...
:smash::surrender:
the stockish '72 stick shift console plate has a simple etched marker plate to the right of the now auto trans lever...with a R light telling me the backup lights are in fact ON.....
and the HVAC controls are a bunch of Mini Micro Switches toggle appearing up top....combined with various surplus other switches and shit....
it controls fan blower, only 2 speed, air position-3 locations, compressor on/off, heat valve on/off, cruise/lockup on/off cruise switch to engage and set speeds....Lockup via computer or straight shot...meaning all 3 upper gears....
a built in garage door opener, GOD, I'm lazy.....I know I have missed another couple of functions....
on the smoker's side, with cig lighter/ash tray...it's all lights....
two banks of 4 RED LEDS....firing in sequence of 18436572 as in engine order layed out....two blue LEDs do the FI banks.....two green ones forward of them are Fuel pump, and Service engine.....
I have not photographed this interior for a long time....so here goes...
:smash::surrender:
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68/70Vette
Well-known member
Impressive controls!!!! Shows what a imagination and skill can do. About adding controls in the interior, and going back to the original poster's question, I'd think you can get some electrical controls in that look better than what Vintage air is suggesting. I forget the details....but long ago back in my memory I read about someone who had a nitrous set up in his engine and didn't want it to be noticeable. The nitrous plumbing was all under the intake manifold so no one would see it. Nitrous/gasoline feed lines were at the back of the engine block. What I'm getting around too.......the controls for the nitrous system were the radio knobs!!!!!!! The nitrous system was controlled by the radio knobs.
I suggested a small strip under the passenger's dash panel with microswitchs/etc to control the AC. Also, putting the switches in the jack compartment. Another suggestion is a small panel on the floor immediately in front of the drivers seat.
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Wow, those do look cheezy.
Easiest alternative, buy the upgraded slide controls, adapt to console.
Cheapest alternative, use the current control potentiometers, buy new decent looking knobs, make your own faceplate. My home made 442 controls pic below.
"Funnest" alternative, get the 68-75 VA kit, adapt the slider pots to work with your controls. Note, the vette kit is one of the few that uses the multi-position switch for fan speed instead of the potentiometer control.
Easiest alternative, buy the upgraded slide controls, adapt to console.
Cheapest alternative, use the current control potentiometers, buy new decent looking knobs, make your own faceplate. My home made 442 controls pic below.
"Funnest" alternative, get the 68-75 VA kit, adapt the slider pots to work with your controls. Note, the vette kit is one of the few that uses the multi-position switch for fan speed instead of the potentiometer control.
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
:hissyfit:
Yeh, I admit that new panel there on the hanger, looks cheezy, question would be how the controls would look on your own install, similar concept to mine, and maybe find some other/better looking knobs at an electronics parts house...maybe even Radio Shack??
BTW, those mini switches, I have a coffee can full of them, if you need some, lemme know.....they were .mil surplus rescued from an old friend's house, when he died the family was just tossing stuff like that.....they are by microswitch, a top line maker.....
I went to a junkyard and found a few cars with electrically operated vacuum solenoids, so my switches allow the vacuum dash pots to be activated.....second off was grabbing a little servo motor with gear train that controls the temp flapper door, so the sideways flapper switch is center off, self returning.....so to cut the pot on the motor, and use it for a switch to light the yellow LED and red LED, which indicate full heat or full a/c-cold....
I tossed this that together about 18 years ago, except for a broken wire once in a blue moon, it's been fine......
:clobbered:
Yeh, I admit that new panel there on the hanger, looks cheezy, question would be how the controls would look on your own install, similar concept to mine, and maybe find some other/better looking knobs at an electronics parts house...maybe even Radio Shack??
BTW, those mini switches, I have a coffee can full of them, if you need some, lemme know.....they were .mil surplus rescued from an old friend's house, when he died the family was just tossing stuff like that.....they are by microswitch, a top line maker.....
I went to a junkyard and found a few cars with electrically operated vacuum solenoids, so my switches allow the vacuum dash pots to be activated.....second off was grabbing a little servo motor with gear train that controls the temp flapper door, so the sideways flapper switch is center off, self returning.....so to cut the pot on the motor, and use it for a switch to light the yellow LED and red LED, which indicate full heat or full a/c-cold....
I tossed this that together about 18 years ago, except for a broken wire once in a blue moon, it's been fine......
:clobbered:
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mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
NO, 8 RED LEDs flash in the pattern of the engine firing order....
the FI is batch fire, so two BLUE LED's just forward of the red batch they alternate flash back and forth.....the green ones furthest forward and Fuel pump and SES....Service Engine Soon....what they called back when the system was current....
The blue rotor switch is to direct airflow defrost/hvac/heat the large red button is a built in garage door opener......the rest are for trans lockup, cruise, and a couple other things....like fan speed, compressor, heat valve, etc.....
Most all my controls are easy to reach too, GOD, I"m Lazy.....:hissyfit:
I purchased the universal kit. GenIV. This is the pile of stock parts removed from the passenger side. Will start the installation this week. None of the kits come with a control panel.
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mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
There is a home brew electronics platform called Arduino that you might get a kick out of. When I mentioned what I was trying to build to Shawna, she told me to check it out. Arduino uses simple code and computers to drive displays, LEDs, etc and takes inputs from analog or digital devices. Pretty cool. I think that's what I'll try and use to make the display.
I hadn't thought of putting it on the dash board yet. That would be pretty slick.
The above from my son just now, talking of his LS project into a '57 chebby p/up.......and some instrumentation concepts/ideas.......:huh::nuts:
I hadn't thought of putting it on the dash board yet. That would be pretty slick.
The above from my son just now, talking of his LS project into a '57 chebby p/up.......and some instrumentation concepts/ideas.......:huh::nuts:
GoVetteGo
Well-known member
Thanks Donnie_19. Exactly what I needed. Universal GenIV kit. Did you have any issues mounting it?
I want to duplicate the pile of parts you have on the floor in your picture. :mobeer: :beer:
Tyancey00
Member
That is pretty cool...
I have had the box up temporary for a few days but need to have the compressor in place before completing the install. Thats going to take a couple more weeks. I did add some weld nuts to the back of the firewall mounting bracket so it won't take two people to mount. JB Welded in place.
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denpo
Carburated Nihilist
May I add that arduino accept ready-made "shields" that connect directly.
Some of these shields are "gaming" shield, it contains a screen, a joypad and some button (like this one : https://tindie.com/shops/logicalzero/gamby-arduino-retro-gaming-shield/)
Not that hooking up a screen and joypad and a couple of button is that hard, but you can save a lot of time with those.
For less than 40$ That would make a nice starting point.
You still need to roll your own code. Pretty easy to me but I'm biased.
DC3
Well-known member
When I installed VA in my '73, it was an original non AC car. I found an adapter at VA (part 625068) for a regular AC car but it was set up for two hoses so I didn't buy it. I wanted to run just the one hose and ended up fabricating a fiberglass adapter and integrating the cheesy one hose adapter they sent with my kit.
You won't find all parts in their catalog. Go to VA's website, click on Download on the left and you'll be able to download all of the various instruction manuals many of which have parts diagrams and part numbers. Maybe you can find something that will work for you.
DC
