73s A/C originality?

[JCR]

I was told by the Early S Registry that someone here (Wayne) may be able to shed some light on my A/C inquiry - I will repeat the post below:

I am new here and new to early 911 ownership – currently in the process of purchasing a ’73 911s. I have a ’60 356b coupe that I have owned for 12 years – I’ve been an air cooled Porsche nut for a while now.

I have a question regarding my recently acquired silver s - hopefully you can help:
The car has air conditioning (doesn’t blow cold) is a US model and has A/C listed as a (factory?) option on the Kardex. I will attempt to attach pics below that show a dash pad with center vents and a tacked-on 2-knob fan/temp control on the lower IP where the ashtray goes. I was under the impression that 73 A/C vents were added as a separate unit below the IP, and that dash center vents were introduced around 1977. I have not seen a ’73 with this sort of a layout before. Could this be original? Is there a difference between factory installed and dealer installed. I suspect it’s a cobbled up aftermarket setup that I’ll have to correct. If so, why would someone go to all that trouble re-routing ducts and adding a new pad with vents? I will most likely pull the compressor anyway- but I would like some insight before I make any changes as I greatly appreciate originality.

Thanks,
Jared Rundell

[Jim Richards]

JCR (by the way, you stole my initials!), here's what it should like like:



It also looks like your dash has been covered by a dash cap. I wonder if the PO just used a cap from the wrong year car.

Regards,

[marc weintraub]

Hi Jared,

Your a/c is without question not for a 73. It is for a later model, as is the dash top. The original dash top does not have a/c vents in it, which is why it is so expensive to replace and most likely why the previous owner bought the one currently in your car.

Yes, there is a big difference between factory a/c and dealer installed a/c. Factory a/c fits under the knee guards wihtout removing them and is a row of 1 inch vents on both sides of the center. The hardware is also different from the dealer added. Dealer installed is generally larger and replaces the knee guards. This is the least of the differences, but they both function fairly well and the engine compartment looks the same as what you have.

I have the original factory a/c installation guide somewhere around my house. I will try to find it for you.

All The best,

Marc