Installing Air Conditioning in a 1930 Model A Town Sedan

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As I mentioned in an earlier article I converted the electrical system in my 1930 Model A Town Sedan from a 6 Volt system to a 12 Volt system in anticipation of installing an air conditioner in the car. 

Now that I have successfully completed the air conditioner installation I am writing this article to describe the process:

1. I purchased the complete custom designed system kit from Ken Davis who can be reached by phone at 817-540-1513 or via email at modelamaniac@sbcglobal.net 

2. Although most of the components and hoses are made by Old Air Products in Fort Worth, Texas they are made to the specifications designed by Ken Davis and the actual mounting hardware and detailed installation instructions are prepared by Ken Davis.

3. The components of the kit include the following:

(a) Evaporator unit that mounts under the dash with hardware custom made by Ken Davis.

(b) Compressor unit components that mount in the engine compartment.

(c) Condenser unit that mounts above the differential under the rear floor plate of the car. 

(d) Custom made high pressure hoses and fittings that connect the various units together.

(e) Electrical wiring and harnesses used to power the complete system.

4. Before you begin the installation process you must first replace the portion of the fuel line coming from the fuel cutoff valve under the dash with a new fuel line that includes a ball valve close to the point where the fuel line goes through the firewall. Once the new line is installed you must remove the old fuel valve lever so it does not interfere with the evaporator installation.

5. The next step requires the installation of insulation material on the firewall and floorboards to minimize the loss of cold air from heat transferring from the engine compartment and muffler. I first installed Hush Mat peel and stick insulation sheets on the inside of the firewall and then I installed silver lined bubble wrap over the Hush Mat sheets using a spray adhesive. I also installed Hush Mat peel and stick insulation sheets on both sides of the wooden floorboards to minimize the heat exposure generated by the muffler. I insulated the rest of the floor with silver bubble wrap held in place with spray adhesive.

6. At this point it is best to remove the two bolts holding the emergency brake lever to the transmission and let it lean back as far as it will go to allow for the installation of the evaporator brackets. After the system is installed you will need to re-attach the emergency brake lever using an extension plate provided in the kit. In order to do so you will need to use a 3’8” x 3” bolt to extend the shaft onto which the brake actuator rod attaches. The extension bolt allows the emergency brake handle to operate freely without interference from the brake handle assembly. Please note that the use of an extension bolt is not covered in the installation instructions so I had to improvise with this “work around” to allow the emergency brake handle to operate without interference from the under dash evaporator unit. You will most likely have to also adjust the length of the emergency brake rods to effectuate the smooth and effective operation of the emergency brakes.

7. After the installation is complete you will need to have the system charged and tested by an experienced air conditioning technician. I used a highly recommended local auto repair facility with a mechanic that was experienced in working on Model A’s.

8. For your convenience attached are several pictures that I took of the completed installation:

Photo of the under dash evaporator unit

Photo of the engine compartment

Photo of the emergency brake handle extension bolt work around

9. Happy Cool Driving!