What exactly goes into a 944 AC system?
 

I'm in the market for NA model, and the only thing making me wary about buying one (very well maintained and clean) model is the fact that AC was deleted.

I live in TX, and although I won't require AC (not my DD) I would like to have it installed. I know which parts I need, but I don't know how much I can expect to pay for them, nor do I know what kind of labor will be going into this project.

With that said, let's say I can track down an AC system from someone who converted their 944 for track day use. What's a reasonable domain for the pricing? I would suspect a few hundred $$$. As for the installation, is it pretty straightforward, or would a novice mechanic best leave it to the pros? I haven't worked too much on cars, but know how to follow a tutorial and use common sense.

I would really like to keep the whole affair below $1000 USD. Thanks!

How much was deleted? Just the compressor and hoses? What about the condenser (behind the radiator) and the evaporator (in the dash)? The compressor will be the most expensive part, while the evaporator and condenser will be cheap used but a lot of labor to install.

+1 you need to do a bit of research and find out exactly what is there and what is missing.

Did the current or previous owner delete the AC or did it come from the factory without AC?

If the po deleted it, you might be lucky and the evaporator and hard lines might still be there and it's an easier and cheaper restore to fit a condenser, compressor, bracket and flex lines back in.

If the evaporator is missing it becomes very labor intensive. It almost seems that they built these cars around the heater core and evaporator.

I'm pretty sure it was all removed. If not, I'll go with that assumption until I've been informed otherwise. I've sourced all the parts for ~$500 shipped (being conservative) but am still concerned about labor. Given the worst case scenario of having to install an evap unit, is this job practically out of the question for a novice? I would love a good project to better acquaint myself with the car, but not if it leads to a waste of money due to a botched job on the AC system.

I'd look for another 944 if AC was something I wanted.