Classic Retrofit: Lightweight Electric Air Conditioning

[MikeD930]

Originally Posted by gremlin

Question for those of you who have done the installs, with the hoses on the airbox did you point them to the front or the rear of the car, I was trying to figure out how to route out of the smugglers box this evening and to the blower and couldn't figure out if the fittings should open to the front or the back of the car, and where I was going to have to put the fillers. I looked through all the threads trying to see where folks had done it and there aren't too many pictures.

Also how much slack are you leaving to be able to move things if you have to without disconnecting? The airbox is probably not going into place until after the pieces are on, but the rest of the components can almost be done in place so I was thinking it would be minimal.

I'm one of the guys who did a DIY. Sorry for not taking many photos...the process installing this kit changed during installation especially since there's no installation guide for a 930. I suggest to temporally install the blower/evaporator box, A/C compressor and condenser first. Then mock up the lines (leave a little extra slack) going from one fitting to the next fitting without using provided clamps (so you can disconnect then reconnect when you are done mocking up the whole kit).

[PDKLOL]

Originally Posted by VFRPeter

no, just offered to help. Jonny’s been travelling and his inbox is always congested


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah he's at a show right now I think. Saw some posts from him that he had a display going somewhere from his Instagram account.

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by nathanbs

Anybody know the best way to reach Classic Retrofit as I’ve messaged Jonny here on pelican and tried through their contact portion on their website. I’ve waited patiently for 2-3 weeks with no response?

His Communication is usually pretty good but he's a pretty busy guy. I'm pretty sure he attends lit week in L.A. each year and no doubt that's a big time (and energy) drain.

[johndglynn]

Originally Posted by nathanbs

Anybody know the best way to reach Classic Retrofit as I’ve messaged Jonny here on pelican and tried through their contact portion on their website. I’ve waited patiently for 2-3 weeks with no response?

Sorry to hear this. Jonny's had a busy start to the year with a funeral, then building parts for Ruf for Geneva and launching some new products at Stuttgart Retro Classics this weekend, plus working on the final details of our 964/993 AC system. His inbox is rammed: tech emails from customers get answered at least once a week, other non critical stuff can take a while longer at this time of year as he is just one guy overseeing a lot of business. Feel free to drop me a PM if no reply yet - I may be able to help with some info.

[Jajohnsen]

He’s probably at retro classic stutgart, I’m sure he will get back to you as soon as possible.

https://www.retro-classics.de/en/

[Jonny H]

Hi guys. Yep, we have been at the Stuttgart show. February is very busy overseeing manufacturing ahead of the March madness.

Monday will be an email catchup day.

[hbrand]

1973 911,MFI, Electrocooler install.

After running the A/C on max, I noticed the fuse block getting hot. Reason was a not so perfect contact fuse to block.
After using washers, lock washer and all tight no more excess heat,

Greetings, Harold

[gremlin]

Any tips on getting the hoses in place for the air handling the short ones in particular have been super hard for me to fit in place?

[Duc Hunter]

Anyone here done a second condenser yet? I know a few have. I am about to embark on that process and wanted to bounce a few questions off someone who has done it already.

[hheine]

Curious if pre-impact bumper owners with the system installed could post pictures of how they’ve installed the condenser fan. I’m inbetween worlds as I’d like to minimize any drilling (and avoid cutting the battery box all together) but can’t get comfortable with having the condenser in the wheel well.

[hbrand]

Battery box needs to be removed which was easy with cutting tool.
Here are pictures.

[nathanbs]

Originally Posted by Duc Hunter

Anyone here done a second condenser yet? I know a few have. I am about to embark on that process and wanted to bounce a few questions off someone who has done it already.

Is one condenser proving to be not enough? This worries me slightly as I was going to stack the condenser in front of the one of the oil coolers

[hbrand]

One works well if you make sure that the hot air does not get sucked in from the fan like circulating in the wheel well.
That,s why I made the shroud so that the fan sucks in fresh air and hot air out into the wheel well.
I had 35 degree C inside with car parked in the sun, then drove the car and within 3 minutes colder air out of the vents going down to about 10 degree C less than inside the car.
I did set the cabin temperature at 23 because 21 was to cold for me.

Harold from Florida

[Duc Hunter]

Originally Posted by nathanbs

Is one condenser proving to be not enough? This worries me slightly as I was going to stack the condenser in front of the one of the oil coolers

One condenser should be enough for 99% of the people around the world for sure, as others have said. Keep in mind that I live in Florida in the USA, my car is currently painted black, and has absolutely no soundproofing or heat proofing in it right now. Also it had an entirely stripped interior when I bought it, so most of the rubber gaskets, and other accoutrements that prevent heat and air from getting from the frunk into the cabin we’re missing Here in Florida it is very common for me to see over 39°C in your terms, and at the same time have +70% humidity. The humidity is the real killer. I wrote up a very extensive review of the system when I initially got it installed and tested it which you should be able to fine with a quick search. My only challenge has been in the very heat of the summer here in Florida, after the car is been heat soak to a cabin air temperature well above 48c. At those times the frunk body paddle in the sun, measured right in front of the air vent is 64c. Under those circumstances it can take 5 to 10 minutes For me to get really cold evaporator and center event temperatures. The only reason I want to go to a second condenser is to test and see if I can get the evaporator to cool much more quickly under those circumstances. 99% of the globe does not have those circumstances. I also have a friend in Arizona with the same system. Because of the lack of humidity his system on one condenser works amazingly well. Again I’m just entertaining the second condenser to see if I can get my performance closer to his given the massive humidity I have in Florida. In my other car I have someone else’s modified factory air-conditioning system. It can get the evaporator called much more quickly than my Classic Retrofit, and that car has an all factory 1989 interior, and it’s painted silver. Even with it’s seemingly better ability to get the evaporator cold more quickly, Johnny’s system in my black and white car actually makes my body and my cabin much cooler much more quickly. I would say buy a system with a single condenser was total confidence, run it and enjoy it. If you live in the tropics like I do do the same, and drive it and see how it does. From there, if you want to try to improve its performance, as others have mentioned you must make sure you get no outside air leaking into the cabin or frunk. If your car has not had its interior completely stripped out at some point you’re probably fine other than one or two holes someone may have cut to run a stereo wiring harness through. However if your car been stripped to be a racecar, or similarly stripped, make sure you plug all of those holes. In my case this made a massive difference in my car‘s performance. By the way this also includes the doors and vapor barrier behind the door panels. My belief is that 99% of all people will be totally satisfied with the system as it’s sold, regardless of where they live. I hope that helps.

PS- my friends and I have a saying that I think applies here. We have to remind each other to stop “ Taking the fly **** out of the pepper!” I am as guilty as anyone of doing this when trying to make decisions on buying something like this air-conditioning system, and believe me I did on the system. Johnny system works wonderfully and I would not overthink it too much. I am also a tinkerer and as you can see from my other post I spent a lot of time working on the system, learning exactly how it works etc. By adding the second condenser is an exercise for my brain, and to see if I can contribute any improvement to the system that’s already fabulous. I also live in an environment that is very hard for Jonny and company to duplicate for testing. And throughout this process I’ve committed to try and help him test various things that he cannot test unless I do the testing, someone else in a climate like mine does the testing, or he creates a car up and brings it to somewhere near the equator that’s also stupidly humid.

[hbrand]

So where will you install the second condenser ?
Greetings Harold

[rmag911]

I'm deciding between a classic retrofit package and a Griffiths package. The former is about $1400 more. Does it take fewer hours to install? Trying to figure out if total cost ends up about the same once labor is factored in.

Also, the ads indicate the system drains less HP than the stock system. Does Classic Retrofit also drain less hp than griffiths? Overall, trying to find the sweet spot between cold air and performance.

[hheine]

Originally Posted by rmag911

I'm deciding between a classic retrofit package and a Griffiths package. The former is about $1400 more. Does it take fewer hours to install? Trying to figure out if total cost ends up about the same once labor is factored in.

Also, the ads indicate the system drains less HP than the stock system. Does Classic Retrofit also drain less hp than griffiths? Overall, trying to find the sweet spot between cold air and performance.

Based on the literature it will drain considerably less as it will run solely off of the alternator

Originally Posted by hbrand

Battery box needs to be removed which was easy with cutting tool.
Here are pictures.

Thanks for this. Cutting into the body is definitely not in the books for me. Will have to figure out an alternative in that case

[rmag911]

Originally Posted by hheine

Based on the literature it will drain considerably less as it will run solely off of the alternator

Thanks for the info.

On install time, the FAQ indicates 3-4 hours for cars presently without A/C. Is that also true for cars with A/C? Seems like 3-4 hours is severely underestimating. How long is it taking people to install?

[hbrand]

I kept the removed box just in case.
Regarding other A/C conversions:
The biggest negative is that they are using a compressor and lot more feet of hoses and they interfere with engine cooling.
Try to install a compressor on an MFI engine.
On my car the only thing you see is the original A/C vents inside the car.
Nothing in the engine compartment, nothing in front, all is hidden beneath the carpet.
Greetings, Harold

[gremlin]

The amount of time it took me to install was considerably bumped as I ended up getting into a bunch of "As long as", installing a secondary fuse panel to the right hand side battery for the radio, amp, sub, and A/C so that I wasn't tapping off the main panel with ugly inline fuses. Installing more sound deadening and then upgrading the stereo with better speakers and doors, fixing the rust I found on the floor pan.

Also as I have a '71 I had to mount the condenser in the back. I'd guess it could be done in a solid weekend at home with tools, so I'd say 8 hours for most home mechanics. An experienced mechanic who's done one before could likely do it in 4-5 in a later car I'd say no problem.

For me it took me more like 15 hours with everything else I was doing.