MK1's with Aircon

[tamiyauk]

Can anyone tell me if any MK1's had Aircon as standard or was it an upgrade? I am looking for a tidy late MK1b but the one's I've seen so far haven't had it, am I likely to find any?
I know that some SC's have it.

Cheers,
Jon

[jimi]

I'm pretty sure its always been an option, not standard. It was available Stateside and JDM, not sure if it was ever a UK option
Jimi

[Lauren]

All SCs have it... but its standard on JDM cars.

No UK cars have it. Am pretty sure it was never an option.

So no you won't find any.

If you want aircon you'll realistically have to buy an SC and then its a lottery as to whether it works or not. re-gassing isn't overly simple either because MR2s used R12 which is illegal now, so there are issues with using other refrigerants.

[tamiyauk]

That's why I can't find any UK cars with it then
I'm looking for a red T-Bar MK1 but will probably have to wait forever for an SC to come along! I think I'll just have to make do without Aircon it's just that half of my journey to work involves sitting in Traffic and that's no fun when it's hot and there are 2 lanes of static traffic and their fumes!
Thanks Jimi and Lauren

[Chunky Monkey]

Its quite rare in the UK, I'm looking to retro fit it to mine, but its taking me ages to find anything.

[Lauren]

Its quite rare in the UK, I'm looking to retro fit it to mine, but its taking me ages to find anything.

Its not so much rare as unheard of in the UK. Unless you import a JDM car it won't have aircon.

Retro-fitting would be pretty complex. Nothing is impossible i guess but there would be a lot of parts ie you'd need a donor car plus you'd still have the hassle of changing all the seals etc to use a legal refrigerant.

[Chunky Monkey]

Yehthats right, its not a huge job for me, just fidderly, I am taking the engine, rad & fuel tank out when I restore my mr2 so I plan to fit it then. I also have a regassing company that will take care of that side of it for me.

[Lauren]

Yehthats right, its not a huge job for me, just fidderly, I am taking the engine, rad & fuel tank out when I restore my mr2 so I plan to fit it then. I also have a regassing company that will take care of that side of it for me.

Good luck. I've not known anyone to succesfully do this, so keep us posted. Really you'd need a written off SC/JDM shell so that you could strip all the parts.

[waynestoyotamr2]

Its quite rare in the UK, I'm looking to retro fit it to mine, but its taking me ages to find anything.

Are you crazy? You would probably be better advised finding a suitable Mk1 overseas for good money if you are dead-set on AC!

[tamiyauk]

Good Luck Chunky Monkey, let me know how you get on, if you develop a retro fit airconditioning system maybe you could sell it on!

[Chunky Monkey]

sorry maybe 'retro fit' was the wrong term. I am looking at fitting the factory air con system to my non aircon'd car.
I really fail to see why it would be such a pain in the ar$e. Yes it'll be time consuming, yes it'll be fidderly & yes I'll probably end up with no skin left on my knuckles but I rekon with all the parts & being able to get all the bolts out I could get it plumbed in a day (excluding doing the heater - dash out job) so say 2 days to do everything.
That'll just leave getting the system gassed
My main advantage is that both Engine & Fuel tank will not be in the car during restoration (this is when it'd be fitted) nor will be most of the trim or seats so no stress there.
The only downside with not being able to buy a scrapped 2 with aircon already fitted is making sure you have every last nut & bolt. And if you were buying it from someone hoping that they don't just cut out looms, but even that isn't the end of the world providing I have both ends.
But all that is down to research & preperation, I do plenty of that before I buy anything major, it can save big problems later on.

[tamiyauk]

Well if you feel like taking loads of photo's when your doing it I for one would be real grateful! Sounds like the kind of task I'd take on if I had half a clue to start with

[Chunky Monkey]

no problem, I just have to hunt down the bits first

[superchargedsam]

chunky its possible I may have an air con pump going spare at some point soon as fitting an SC14 to my spare SC motor soonfor track use so may ditch the pump, as to wiring you may find its already in the loom and not used but dont quote me on that as there are a few spare connecotrs floating round all over the place !

[Chunky Monkey]

yeh thats true, keep us posted with the aircon parts, I have a full set of non aircon bits if you or anyone wants to do some & cash swaps

[superchargedsam]

chunky when u doing your resto then and where you from as I may have an engine out of the sc later this year so you could have a close look at the whole setup as the engine makes way for something else so the bay will be empty but all the wiring will be intact !

[Chunky Monkey]

won't be for a while, I was hoping to start it this summer, but my other project has stalled over the winter.

[superchargedsam]

thats ok as this wont happen till end of the summer so offer is there as gonna take me 6 months to build the new engine setup for it !

[Tony jinxy froude]

Keep an eye out on ebay, last week there was a mk1 on there which went for peanuts ( £200 !!!!) which had air con on it, Jinxy

[ulysess1966]

This spring I'm definitely going to take the aircon out of my SC. There is a guy wanted it and I'll have to see if he still does, but if not you're welcome to it if you don't mind paying the shipping from Northern Ireland.

Removal isn't too difficult looking (time consuming as you said), except that I have heard horror stories of getting mustard gassed or fined by the Enviro-police if you let the gas out. I think most of the gas has long since leaked out of mine.