GOskamp

The A/C in my '77 911 is abysmal. Whenever it gets hot, I must turn the A/C off in order to keep my engine temp in check. Is this just the nature of the beast or are there fixes?

My understanding is that later models have A/C which actually cools the driver/passenger. At what year did Porsche begin making A/C's which worked? Should I sell my '77 and buy a later year? Which year?

Garry

JackOlsen

Does your car have an external cooler in the front fender? You could upgrade to a Carrera cooler and see a big improvement.

There were some incremental improvements made with AC, but they were minor. It didn't really get better until the 964 model, in 1990.

Jastx

Depnds where you live, but by Dallas heat standards (and like Jack said above) Porsche didn't make A/C that worked well until the 964.

That being said there are a few vendors out there from whom you can buy latest-tech components to upgrade your ancient A/C technology. I upgraded mine and get 33 degrees out of the center vent now. I have no complaints with my A/C anymore (except my evaporator blower fan is starting to squeak and I may have to replace it ).

You can see my installation with a few pics here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/911-turbo-930-forum/267009-a-c-upgrade-project-completed-it-works-long-w-pics.html

It was basically a bolt-in job replacing the hoses, evaporator, condenser, and drier. I did that part but I also strongly believe the fellow who charged my system for me, who really knew what he was doing, contibuted a great deal to how well the system now works.

Edgy01

I had a 77 and had the a/c retrofitted,--being from California I didn't think I needed it,--until I was in OKC! The problem with that year car is air flow. The squirrel cage in the hash stash area can't really move enough air to make the 77 cockpit bearable. One thing I did was to open up a direct shot from the blower into the area beneath the dash which helped a bit. Porsche made bigger air ducts in the 1985 models which helped, somewhat, but by the time the 964 was designed and fielded they realized that a/c was going to have to be an integral part of the 911 design in the future.

Good luck. It's miserable in the midwest with a weak a/c.

DGaunt

Iput a 'rotary' compressoron mine, had it converted to R134 (which is worse than R12 for cooling) and had the system cleaned. workd pretty well now. Don't befooled by my location. It gets well into the 90's here and high humidity in july. Where I find that it falls down is cooling a car afterparking in the sun. it just never seems to catch up.

But, for US$5,000 or so you can fix it to freeze your **** out of the carin the desert.

But, you really need to add the carrera coller mentioned above. i finaly did that when my temps became unresonable even on the highway, let alone the track!

So, you see? As with anything porche,if weigh and $$$$ are not an issue all things are possible,except exceeding the speed of light.

hope this helps

GOskamp

Hello Dave,

Thanks for your response. You have given me a couple of thoughts to explore. I really like my little '77, but the pitiful A/C has caused me much concern. If I'm going to a meeting and it's a hot day, I really don't feel I can take the Porsche because I'll wind up soaked with persperation when I get there, and I might damage the engine in the process. I shall investigate your suggestions.
Warmly,
Garry

GOskamp

Hi Dan,
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my inquiry...especially since you're an EX-77' owner. This is exactly the issue I'm addressing now: Do I retrofit my '77 to make it bearable or sell it and buy a '90 or later model? I really like the little '77, but A/C became an issue when my wife and I sold our property in Palos Verdes and bought a 5-acre gentleman's ranch about 60 miles inland. Going inland makes a BIG difference, and the A/C is now an issue.
Warmly,
Garry

GOskamp

Hello John,
GREAT PICS! Your '89 is beautiful. I spent about a dozen years in the Big "D" and I know how hot it can get there. If you say your A/C problem is solved, I believe it's possible for my '77. The person doing the job is, as you say, crucial to the success the project.
The information I'm gaining through responses like yours is splendid. I just need to analyze the posts I'm getting back and then determine the best course of action for me...jury's still out just now!
Thanks,
Garry

GOskamp

Hello Jack,
Thank you for your time and effort to respond to my inquiry about how poor the A/C is in my '77. You were the first person to respond to me, and I thank you for that.
My vehicle is stock;it has no additional cooling improvements. That is really the issue I'm addressing now: do I put dollars into improvements in the belief that the A/C will come up to, at least, bearable cooling of the driver/passenger compartment, or do I chuck the idea, and sell and then purchase a '90 or later 964?
Warmly,
Garry