Happy New Year,
I thought that I would share my own experience in converting the 911 Carrera A/C system to something more acceptable.
I live in an area that suffers from periods of high heat and high humidity in the summer and about eleven years ago I embarked on a mission to improve the a/c to an acceptable level.
I did look at the various aftermarket systems out there and in particular those that place the condenser in the rear wheel well. My personal opinion has always been that you should strive to get the condenser as close to the evaporator as possible and that the condenser should stay away as much as possible from artificial heat, i.e. the motor, particularly a turbo like mine.
I replaced the compressor with a used one from a 993 (currently $200-300) (see pic). I also removed the rear deck condenser and installed a new one (currently $220 after market) which I installed in the Left front fender (see pic). It hangs from the bottom of the headlight bucket and has a 11” stabilizer arm (see pic) arm attached to the front torsion bar pickup point. I kept the OEM front condenser as it was newish but would not bother to do the same next time. I purchased the largest shallow fan (11” dia. X 3” thick) I could fit (currently $120) and installed it on the 993 condenser and set it up to engage every time the compressor came on. I added a center vent under the dash (see pic). I did replace all the lines as they were original and suffered from some pin-hole leaks. Finally, I did the necessary conversion to R134a refrigerant.
The unit has worked flawlessly for nine years. We have travelled to various PCA events in the southeast in the dead of summer heat and humidity and we have always stayed cool. In fact, the unit has rarely been turned on to full blast. As a result of an unfortunate crash at Mosport in 2009, it is currently being moved over to my new project car without any changes.
If you or anybody else would like any more information or pics, just PM me.
Cheers
