1967 Ford Mustang Air-Conditioning Installation

Classic Mustangs are cool--unless you're stuck driving a non-A/C car in heavy, rush-hour traffic in July. As perspiration runs down your temples, it's easy to consider dumping that old Mustang (as one-time Ford boss Lee Iacocca would say). But dumping a prized vintage ride just isn't done by anyone who has any class, so we need to find a better solution for our hot-weather woes.

We decided air conditioning was necessary while sitting in traffic in a '65 Mustang on a Los Angeles freeway last summer. While L.A. summers are certainly no match for the heat and humidity of Atlanta, Houston, or Tampa, it does yield its share of discomfort when the mercury rises above 100. Our point? Unless you live in Alaska, you need air conditioning for your early Mustang.

Classic Auto Air has been designing and creating high-quality climate control systems for vintage Mustangs for more than two decades, offering either quality-restored, factory A/C systems or new aftermarket ones. For our '67 Mustang restomod project, we ordered the '67-'68 factory in-dash climate-control system.

Classic Auto Air's Al Sedita recommended the Sanden rotary/piston compressor for our installation because it weighs less than the factory York and Tecumseh piston units. What's more, it uses less power and saves fuel. CAA supplies a conversion kit with the Sanden compressor, which includes two '67-'68-style pressure hoses with Sanden-specific fittings, drivebelt, adapter, and all of the hardware needed for this bolt-on swap.

Installing '67-'68 factory in-dash A/C is challenging because of the limited space behind the instrument panel. It's a tough fit no matter how small your hands are. You must pay close attention to detail throughout the installation. You'll need to drill and bore holes that didn't exist with the standard heater system.

Electrically, you'll need to get power to the A/C system from a 20-amp circuit breaker. Power can originate at the ignition switch via the circuit breaker. If you're doing a '68, power can come from the accessory fuse terminal. Never power the climate-control system unprotected--always use a fuse or circuit breaker.

When it comes to refrigerants, you have two choices--R12 or R134a--especially with the Sanden compressor. R12 was the traditional refrigerant used in new vehicles until 1993, when it was phased out in favor of R134a, a newer refrigerant that is allegedly more environmentally friendly (ozone-safe) and definitely a whole lot cheaper to purchase these days at the local parts stores. R134a mandates a larger condenser, specific hoses and oil, and different seals, expansion valve, and compressor, so if you're installing a new Classic Auto Air air-conditioning system, we suggest the use of R134a as these systems were designed for this refrigerant. It's less expensive and readily available.

We're tackling a '67 Mustang that is on the home stretch of a restoration. As a result, we won't be showing you how to remove the heater assembly. But heater removal is easy. Drain the cooling system and cut the heater hoses on the engine side of the firewall. Remove the heater controls and disconnect the control cables. Remove the defroster outlets and hoses. Disconnect the blower motor in the engine compartment. Remove all of the heater attachment nuts on the engine side of the firewall. Remove the sheetmetal screw that secures the heater to the right-hand cowl-vent opening. The heater assembly is easily removed at this point.