Air Conditioning in your 73-79 Ford Truck

Throughout the years of us doing AC on all our vintage truck builds at Fat Fender, we've found that the typical way of doing air conditioning on a 73-79 Ford truck is way too complicated. We've developed our own system using the Restomod Air conditioning system that allows you to take the Vapir 2 or Vapir 3 Compact Air Conditioning kit and easily install the EVAP box and condenser to your firewall. We love Restomod Air for their top-of-the-line quality and unending innovation, which we believe are two of the most important attributes when building these trucks. Watch the vid to check out everything that comes in our kit. This works flawlessly with our H-Pipe kit, and the two combined make the process that much easier.
1973-1979 FORD TRUCK A/C KIT:
www.fatfendergarage.com/produ...
Visit fatfendergarage.com/ to order parts for your trucks, and feel free to email Jason anytime if you have questions! // [e-mail]
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[@austinlushbaugh5511]

Heck yes! This is going to be such a time saver putting restro mod heat and ac in my 74 highboy. Great job Fat Fender!!

[@SirImran]

The way you have put up all your efforts on this work deserves every bit of appreciation. You will be rewarded for your work! Well done.

[@valeriepickens2533]

For anyone interested,...yes, Ford did install air conditioning in the F350 before 1972. My bone stock 1969 Ford F350 c class motorhome, came with air conditioning, and front disc brakes!

[@stevestrout3437]

I sure did!!! But I grafted a 78 shell and rear body down over a 2011 F150. Didn’t take much work to make it fit either!!! Never touched anything under the hood, it’s the look of old, but the ride of new!!!! Kept the original dash, seats, floorboards, and drivetrain. Rides as of it was a modern truck, because it is! People scratch their heads at car shows when they walk by and notice the independent suspension in the front end, then start asking questions!! chip Foose who??

[@PaulJersey]

My 77 highboy had factory a/c and it worked great.

[@bobhilly546312156332]

Lucky

[@3katd]

(Ik this is an old comment) But my dads 78 is completely loaded for the xlt ranger and its extended cab except it doesn’t have AC (because its from up north brought to michigan) and it has the rare 400 instead of the 460

[@stevestrout3437]

I’m about to do something that may or may not work. I want the ride of a new truck with modern conveniences like AC cruise control, and push button 4 WD. Gonna try putting a 78 shell down over a 2012 F150 fully loaded 5.0. Cut it so all that’s left of the 2012 is he firewall and floorboards, then mate the cab and body to the frame. Truck cab is same width, so I can use the 2012 dash, seats, and accessories. We shall see.

[@RandomPerson-ob1hk]

Did ya do it

[@bradfordcustoms7588]

Does the box hand down below the dash any with that mounting location?

[@Polack-ml9fh]

This may be a dumb question, but does this unit get rid of the stock compressor?

[@AmethystSpark]

Been trying to find out how to add Air conditioning to my 1957 Ford ranchero

[@docmac249]

Are there any ac kits for the 1981 F100 4.9l 6 cylinder that was only fitted with heat?

[@familyfirstmaconga.1942]

I just purchased a 72 F100, but it has a 351w motor with no ac. Do you make a kit to add ac to it?

[@rickjames6948]

Show us some peak summer in cab temps. Not some you have to peel the body off the frame just to install it kit mess. And cut the firewall all up. No sale.

[@RandomPerson-ob1hk]

Is the thing gonna be different if yours came with factory or dealer installed? My truck has a big blower in the engine bay with both the air conditioner and heater radiators inside it but as of now all i have is heat. The heat uses the engine coolant to heat the car running it through the radiator at the passengers feet. But will i need a different compressor for the factory option or is there anything wrong with getting a used one from a junkyard My truck is 1977 f100 with factory ac and heat and the i6 engine but the previous owner put a 1985 302 engine in it from some truck

[@chestermeeks4321]

Do you use brass copper radiator if so where do you buy them

[@niwachien]

It would be nice if you could finish the ecoboost Ranger before we all die of old age.... what's it been now about 5 years? Are all your customers willing to wait forever?

[@FatFenderGarage]

That's the truck we're working hardest on right now.. Much much much more involved than we thought.

[@3katd]

My dads 1978 f250 extended cab 4x4 xlt ranger doesn’t have it because its from up north lol

[@theelements2225]

Jason, will this application work for an 1981? If not do you make another product or know of a good one? thank you.

[@Hugh_Mungis]

Yeah I have the same year as well. Would be cool if I had o e for my year.

[@bobwise1347]

What was the name of the ac system. I couldn’t make out what he said

[@FatFenderGarage]

Restomod AC

[@RockyTopSplash]

What's the price for the kit??

[@nick.v4218]

can i wire it into my stock AC controls?

[@speedandmarine9066]

No. The stock controls (in 67-79 trucks) are mostly vacuum and cable operated besides the blower motor and clutch power. With most aftermarket kits like this one you need to run their controls as they are generally either fully cable or stepper motor controlled. There are 2 outfits that make dentside AC/Heat kits and at least one of them will modify your stock controls to work with their cable operated evap boxes. They work, but they are loud and I don't feel they cool as well as the Restomod kit, but to be fair the Restomod kit I have is in a regular cab and the cable operated evap box is in a crewcab so it's not a direct comparison. The FFG kit is very nice. If the firewall in the crewcab allowed it, I would have switched to their kit in it as well.

[@justinsimpson3104]

Would this kit work for a 79 bronco?

[@FatFenderGarage]

We have one for a 79 Bronco.

[@josephbrand3808]

I have a dumb question. How hard is it to drive a truck? I drive a 1996 ford explorer xlt.

[@niwachien]

It's nearly impossible for all but a select few. Maybe 1 in 100 are capable and it takes years of training. 🙂

[@FatFenderGarage]

@@niwachien 🤣🤣

[@AdamSwensonRealtor]

where are you at?

[@FatFenderGarage]

Arizona

[@chrisduhaime5689]

73 - 79 pu had factory air options the York compressor was not that great a lot of trucks were northern ship just had heat . There was the 2 vent under dash add on for older trucks . But was not that good . But back before EPA R12 refrigent was a very good gas with small space coils . 134a needs larger condenser coil with manifold and headers because it's less efficient plus silicon base barrier 2 hose for the synthetic oil . for some insane reson the industry is pushing flammable gas = propane . 1234 your not working on it anymore.

[@nicklewis7291]

Swapping engines like that in older trucks is about as silly as Chevy people doing LS swaps. Learn to tune a carburetor, it's not that hard.

[@FatFenderGarage]

You just need to ride in it. It’s powerful

[@Iwildcat79]

Then there are guys like me throwing carbs on efi engines so that I don't need a computer to tune it

[@nicklewis7291]

@@Iwildcat79 In the mid 80s and early 90s, EFI was garbage. After just a few years, they would develop problems. We saw several people do that.

[@rickjames6948]

So tired of all these turbos. Everyone has them now. Just like LS motors........ So lame.

[@rickjames6948]

That rustomod system won't cool anything. Take it to south Texas and tell us how it works LOL LOL

[@williambonecher4858]

Sorry, my opinion only. I have had several old ford trucks and I would never hack new into old. Not classic.