Installing a Vintage Air heating and air conditioning system in an 818S.

I’m over half way through installing a Vintage Air heating and air conditioning unit in my 818S, and think the hardest parts are done (hoses and electrical), so I thought it might be helpful to share my experience on the forum. This is my first car build and my first air conditioning build, so it’s offered only as one way to do it. It’s probably not the best, cheapest, or most elegant way, and some things may need to be corrected, but it seems to be working for me.

I am indebted to AZPete, the pioneer of 818 air conditioning, for sharing his document regarding the installation of an earlier version, and to Lsfourwheeler for his arrangement of controls and louvers in the dash, which I am shamelessly copying. There are many other good references to AC installs in other build threads, many of which I have read in the past and appreciated the helpful information, but they are too numerous and hard to find again to acknowledge specifically. AZPete has a pdf description of his installation which I highly recommend requesting from him and reading. Lsfourwheeler’s air conditioning build can be seen at https://www.818coupe.com/the-build/air-conditioning/.

Note: My design uses a 2006 Impreza NA donor. It may need adjusting for other donors, especially the electrical wiring. This information represents my progress to date. I have not installed the dash with louvers and controls, or charged and tested the system yet. I’ll add more information and photos as I complete those tasks.

The first question one might ask is why on earth should I put heat and AC in an open 818S roadster. The benefits in an 818C are obvious, and in an 818R are dubious. After polling my friends and acquaintances that have convertibles or know someone who does, they universally admitted running the AC with the top down when it was hot outside, or the heat when it was cool. It also seemed best to install it during the build just in case I added a soft top later. I didn’t opt for a defroster, as I don’t think it’s needed with an open roadster.

Going with a Vintage Air Mini Gen II was an easy call given the experience of others and the apparent absence of a simple alternative. To hold down costs, I decided to use the donor’s compressor and condenser, and to mount the evaporator under the dash without modifying the frame. Before starting, I borrowed an evaporator mockup from my local Vintage Air distributor, Raleigh Speed Shop, to verify the fit. There is some intrusion into the passenger’s footwell from the unit, and some more from the hoses, but it leaves plenty of room for their feet.

AC mockup 1.jpg

The evaporator doesn’t show much once the dash is in place.

AC mockup 2.jpg

Next came the donor compressor install. Mine needed a new idler pulley and hardware plus a new fan belt. Installation would have been much easier if I hadn’t removed the compressor in the first place, but it was pretty easy nonetheless.

Compressor install.jpg