Fresh Air Vents on a Chevelle - Lateral-g Forums

HEEP · #1 07-02-2012, 06:56 PM

Not real sure where this goes, but I was out in the garage pulling apart my Chevelle, again, and the fresh air venting system was still intact, so I removed all of it.
My question, do I need it with today's A/C systems? How do the new systems pull in fresh air? Do I need to clean this thing up to reinstall? It has a door on the passenger side, a door in the top of the cowl, and a vacuum pod mounted in the cowl with a hose running to the interior.

Thanks, in advance for your help,
HEEP

preston · #2 07-03-2012, 01:18 AM

I wouldn't recommend it. The vintage air systems really don't have a provision for fresh air inlet, the fan is "open" to the car interior so they are always in recirc mode, unless you fab up a plenum yourself and route it to outside air.

Not having a fresh air inlet to the HVAC is a compromise IMO, that's why all factory systems have fresh air, and then allow you to choose recirc for maximum cooling. I don't have an A/C system, but in every car I've built if you don't have a good fresh air supply into the cabin (and something the OEM takes care of you but most people don't think about, a way for the air to get out, for example the door jam vents on Camaros), the interior gets "stagnant". Its hard to describe, its not really that it will get hot, but just "stuffy".

I would highly recommend you attempt to save the OEM fresh air system unless you have a good reason to pull it out. You see a lot of these built cars where all that has been removed and they just run vintage air, but I don't think the cars are as comfortable without it, and a lot of these rigs are usually run with the windows down or the A/C always cranked. Not sure how it will work with the vintage air A/C box, but if you buy one of their repro boxes it should bolt right up like stock, and that's the best deal going.

HEEP · #3 07-03-2012, 05:17 AM

hanks for the replies guys. I was thinking that the fresh air would be needed. I will have togo out to figure how this thing worked so I can keep it working.

I'm not sure if the controls from the original will have to be used. I worked off vacuum so the controls may have worked it.

HEEP