Vintage Air install help needed!
 

I bought a Gen II Vintage Air kit for my 68 Camaro from my local dealer, and since it's not the Sure Fit kit I have a few questions. I have installed the evaporator, but now it seems the glove box won't fit back in, is this common? Also, they sent me some round plastic duct fittings that are for the Astro vents but no explination on how they work, do you still use the black plastic elbow that has the flapper door in it? You must since it's what retains the ball in the vent? Ok, now for the defrost vents, do you guys actually use these 'camaro' vents and if so how do you mount them? I'm a little worried they wont look good viewed threw the windshield since they don't fit the dash opening perfectly and are on the shinny side.

Also, I used the DSE bracket to mount the evaporator, fit perfectly! In hind site I should have bought the whole VA package from DSE and not my local dealer since they only deal with 'restorations' and have never dealt with anything other than the Sure Fit kits. At least DSE would have sent the right install manual and had all the answers if I still had questions!

Thanks in advance!

Hi Tony, I am having the same problem as you.

Forget the glovebox it will not have any room, maybe a really short one that can fit a thin wallet maybe.

The defroster ducts that comes with the kit are not going to fit any good. I will fabricate new ones from sheetmetal that will fit the holes in the dash better.

I removed the black elbows and doors that goes thru the cowl and will cover those holes. The '69 has other vents and I will do some adapters for them to fit the VA hose.

Lot of fabrication to make it fit but it will be good. I made my own bracket for the unit and it will move the unit more to the center of the car. It will infact be room for a glovebox about a third in size.

Good Luck


Jan

Vintage Air
 

I ordered the stuff from Kyle at DSE and he sent some defrost outlets that are made for a first gen. I will be installing them tomorrow. As for the Astro vent adapters, I have the same question as you. It seems as though they are too small to fit to any of the combination of ducts that are inside the Astro vents. I planned to call DSE on Monday.

Go here and look at page 23, it explaines what to do to get the astro vents to work. There is also info on a two piece glove box that VA supplies in the Sure Fit kit...would you please ask DSE if they know of it and what they recommend we do about this issue.

Here is a picture of the defrost vents. The univeral ones come with the kit and I assume that the bottom ones are part of the sure fit kit.

yeah the top ones are the universile and the bottom are the first gen vents, I have those and decided to use them. The drivers side worked better than the passenger side, for that one I had to make a bracket.

VA install
 

I am in the process of installing a surefit kit in my 68. Unfortunately the S&P brackets will not be here in time, so I wiil be doing the Power Tour without air. The VA defrost vents (designed for camaros) fit OK. Basically you have to fit them as close as you can and then mount them with a sheetmetal screw.
I saw you had a question for the center vent. I am assuming you want to use 67/68 style factory one. There are a few pieces to it. There are-
1. center vent (directs air out of it).
2. Trim that retains center vent to factory air housing.
3. Factory air housing (black ductwork) that the air hose hooks to.
4. VA factory air housing hose adapter
5. 2 small pieces of felt that fit on the rollers in the center vent. They keep "tension" on the center vent so it will hold a certain position.

I can email you some pictures if needed. One of the recent mags just featured a LS2 install in a green 68 (was a series) showed the install of the same kit you have. Will have to find it. BTW, if anyone needs a 67/68 center vent VA factory hose adapter let me know, I have an extra. Pay shipping and it is yours.

So do the pieces of felt just fit into the slots after the vent is installed into the bezel? Yeah a pic of this would answer a lot of questions...thanks!!

Did your kit come with the 2 piece glove box?

Yeah, the "felt" pieces fit in between the vent roller (on the studs on end) and the part it fits into. I read somewhere else that you could also use velcro: http://www.camaros.net/forums/showth...ter+vent+loose Yes, I got the two piece glove box with mine, but didn't use it. I ended up sandwiching my PCM and a fuse panel in there. I am still waiting for my new engine brackets so I just have the heater stuff hooked up right now. Will finish it when I get back. I put it all together today so I can leave on Thursday for the Power Tour. I hope this answers your questions, let me know if you have anymore and I will try to help.

Thanks, that's what I needed to know!!

Are you looking to sell the glove box??