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[RacerX1166]

Half of this question should probably be in the Marketplace Forum the other belongs here so...

Now that my divorce is final (should have the papers this week) and I didn't lose the Porsche, I'm debating what to do with it. It's a 1989 Carrera coupe in Baltic Blue with 69k miles on it. The car's in excellent condition and all original.

I was living in PA when I bought it but have since relocated to Richmond, VA. The summers here are hot and super humid. As a result, I find that my window to drive the car without roasting is somewhat narrow.

Therefore, I'm pondering two potential options that I believe would cost about the same $4-5k. One would be to swap to a similar condition 964 or 993; cars that have useable a/c. The other avenue would be to have a high quality aftermarket a/c system to my existing car.

Two questions: First, am I about right on the cost differential in both cases? Second, would installing a new a/c system (probably the kind with additional vent outlets would be required) have a negative impact on the vehicle's value, considering its originality?

I appreciate input from those more knowledgeable than me.

[oalvarez]

i personally would keep the car as original as possible, but it's obviously not my car. what is wrong with the a/c in your car now? i've read a few threads on the subject and it seems like there are many items that can be improved upon without it costing too much (new hoses, freon, rebuilt compressor, etc.). learning as i go along......

nice car by the way!

[RacerX1166]

A/C on these cars flat out sucks. Even with a full charge of R134 (it was converted right before I bought it), you run out of comfort at anything past 82 degrees.

The biggest problem (for me at least) is that the fan circulating the cold air lacks in output capability. I get very reasonable vent temps even at 90 degrees but there's not enough cold air being blown into the cabin to make the car comfy.

Sure, adding more efficient condensers will lower vent temps even more but that only solves half the problem.

[pavegeno]

Your cost estimate for a modern a/c system is right for an installed system. I did the full Griffith's a few years back and just installed the Keuhl hurricane high-output evaporator fan a few weeks back and it made a great aftermarket system even better. The only non-stock visible item is the center vent add-on that installs under the ash tray and the variable fan speed knob on the control panel. I am running two additional condensers with electric fans in the left rear wheel well.

The a/c kept me comfortable in Florida/Virginia in the upper 90s with high humidity. I did have some problems with the evap freezing up after about a half hour but that was due to incorrect placement of the probe that monitors evap core temp that signals when to cycle the compressor.

When I updated the evap fan a few weeks ago, I corrected the probe placement and haven't had the problem since. Here in Hawaii in the 80s I am getting vent temps in the mid 30s and a high volume of air. I typically run the system with about 50% fan speed and about 60% cold setting on the thermometer.

Picture is from my cross country drive last summer from Virginia to Dallas. It was hot, but not inside my car.

Good luck!