There are two firmly entrenched and opposing schools of thought when it comes to air conditioning: that less is best and A/C should never be intentionally added to a hot rod, and that power and comfort can coexist harmoniously. Thanks to the growing trend of bringing hot rods up to new-car specs for comfortable daily driving or long-distance road tripping (Power Tour(r), anyone?), that second group has been growing substantially, and the aftermarket has responded with a quality array of systems for almost every car.
There are basically seven major aftermarket A/C companies that cater specifically to hot rods: Vintage Air, Hot Rod Air, Classic Auto Air, and Southern Air (by Southern Rods and Parts), Old Air Products, Nostalgic Air Parts, and Air-Tique. We spoke with all of them to get a rundown of what you should know about air conditioning and how to put it in a car. Though there were some minor disagreements on some of the components, particularly regarding retrofitting an old system, the one thing that was consistent is that A/C is not rocket science; you can do this yourself.
We're not trying to persuade anyone to change their lose-everything-that-adds-weight ways, but next time you're stuck in traffic sitting in a puddle of sweat and pondering exactly what it would take to put some cool air in the cabin, you'll know where to go, what your options are, and what you're up against.
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