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Hello all..coming from a 996 gt3..looking at a non AC 1974 911 Targa here in south florida..gets hot! Any ideas on total cost to add a complete Griffiths system..or similar? I was hoping 2k or lower? Is that reasonable,?
thanks, Adam
I put the Retroaire system into my car (a coupe) and was pretty happy with it. He includes a new evaporator box and venting, so it was pretty good overall.
The install is extensive and took a lot of work and some fabrication as I needed to fit the condenser to a fibreglas ducktail plus I did not like the knee vents as supplied (I am 1.9m and they got in the way) so I did a pair of vents custom built into the centre console.
But this is true for any aftermarket install....these cars were not really meant for AC and there is a mountain of hose and parts to fit it. Having said all that, I could get the vent air temp down into the low 30's F and it did what was required, namely making the cabin bearable on a hot day.
I did an all out Griff's in 2008 - replaced everything and did the barrier hoses and went four condenser as I also lived in Florida. Dealer installed was $5k parts and labor. Best money I spent on my 88 911. Vent temps in the low 30s when outside temps in the high 90s. Oil temp stays below the 9 o'clock position and typically within a needle's width of 90C/194F. Keeps the car very cool inside...I even turn the temp **** down once cooled down. I do recommend the hurricane blower, that really is an improvement over the stock blower motor.
I could not get the wife into the car in summer as she complained about the heat....
It truly does not make sense to put it in due to the complexity, weight in the wrong places, ineffectual airflow, no friggin' place to put in condensers and on and on.....but without at least without somewhat bearable interior temperatures, the car becomes an occasional plaything for all the months where it is warm outside and that ain't right either.
Cloggie
PS - I did suggest that she strip naked if she was too hot...this was probably not one of my best marital suggestions....
Why not Classic Retrofit Electric AC- I think it lists for about $4k and fits totally in the smugglers box with one condenser in the wheel well...
The AC in my 77 was only good for jacking my oil temps up 20 degrees so the whole mess got deleted. I’m still waiting for a proper Chicago summer to determine if I need the AC or if I can go without.
If my wife doesn’t want to ride in the car due to no AC, I might have done something right!
Why not Classic Retrofit Electric AC- I think it lists for about $4k and fits totally in the smugglers box with one condenser in the wheel well...
The AC in my 77 was only good for jacking my oil temps up 20 degrees so the whole mess got deleted. I’m still waiting for a proper Chicago summer to determine if I need the AC or if I can go without.
If my wife doesn’t want to ride in the car due to no AC, I might have done something right!
I would definitely consider the Classic Retrofit system for this situation, but like any of them, you need to do the complete job including checking your alternator and such for proper sizing.
Having said that, my '89 restomod has the 964 condenser in the front drivers side fender, I modified the sheet metal to give it air flow, it has the external oil cooler (oil temps ARE an issue with AC). The component of the earlier cars I hated the most was putting the condenser in the engine lid, both adding weight in a bad spot as well as warming up the cooling air, neither of which are good...hence the 964 condenser in my new car and Classic Retrofit.