This ’72 corvette was an original...
This ’72 corvette was an original LT1/four-speed equipped, non-air car. The LT1 was long gone when Editor Campisano purchased the car a couple of years ago, so a built small block was dropped in between the fenders. With only 240 factory air LT1 Corvettes built in ’72, it’s rare to find one so equipped.
It’s easy to forget that cars without air conditioning were more common than cars with air back in the day. And while it was just as hot then as it is today, because A/C wasn’t as common in cars, people just dealt with it. Today it’s a different story. Everyone’s used to climbing into just about any car and cranking up the air conditioning on a hot summer day to cool off. Driving down the road with that cool refreshing air blowing in your face is great, unless you happen to be in a vintage car with no A/C.
Seeing the demand for retrofit A/C for old Bow Ties, the cooling experts at Vintage Air have come up with direct fit air condition systems that put ice cold air in cars that never had it from the factory, along with kits for factory air cars as well. In most cases, the new A/C units offer superior cooling and comfort than the factory system, especially on the Corvette.
After a few rides in the hot Florida summer in Editor Campisano’s ’72 Corvette, we knew that this car was a perfect candidate for one of Vintage Air’s kits. The car is an original LT1 steed, but the original engine was long gone when our Don purchased the car a couple of years ago. An interesting fact about the ’72 was it was the first and only year a buyer could get factory A/C with the LT1 engine in a Corvette. Research shows only 240 cars left the factory so equipped, but this one wasn’t in that rare group.
For our install we went to the local air conditioning experts at Mark’s Air Inc. unless you’re very mechanically inclined and/or your car is already torn apart for restoration, this type of install is best done by a professional. In business for over 30 years, Mark’s Air has been specializing in A/C installs in a variety of vehicles, from vintage non-A/C classic cars and street rods to heavy duty industrial vehicles such as semis, garbage trucks, and school busses.
Follow along as we give this ’72 Corvette a cooler interior.
 The first order of business...  The first order of business is to get the hood removed and out of the way to make working in the engine compartment easier. Even though it’s made out of fiberglass, this hood is still pretty bulky, so get a friend or two to help remove it. |  After draining the radiator...  After draining the radiator and all the coolant we could, the first step was to remove the washer fluid reservoir, then the factory blower motor, then the blower motor/heater core engine compartment cover. |  To provide access for the...  To provide access for the removal of the old parts and install of the new A/C system, most of the dash needs to be disassembled. First to come out is the bezel that houses the wiper switch (replaced later with a directional air vent like on factory air cars), the center column gauge console, then the passenger side dash panel. |
 With everything out of the...  With everything out of the way, it’s just a matter of a few bolts and the factory heater core box and air ducting comes out. To make this part a little less messy, cap off the heater core pipes in the engine compartment before removal, so you don’t spill coolant all over the interior. |  Next, this rusty bracket has...  Next, this rusty bracket has to be removed. The Vintage Air kit caps off the factory Astro Ventilation ports and factory outside air ducts. After this bracket is removed, the included caps are press fit over the vent tube to seal the duct off. |  Next up, the factory blower...  Next up, the factory blower motor firewall hole is capped off using this included block off plate. A bead of silicon sealer is used around the edge to help seal the plate so moisture and dirt can’t get into the interior, along with hot air form the Corvette’s cramped engine compartment. |
 After attaching the mounting...  After attaching the mounting brackets to the new condenser, it’s lowered into place and mounted in front of the radiator using the factory core support and the holes already there. The Vintage Air condenser is much larger than the factory condenser, increasing cooling capacity and efficiency of the A/C system. |  With the condenser installed,...  With the condenser installed, it’s time to drill the holes for the A/C tubing through the core support using the including drilling template. This is where you’ll need a small hole saw and to take some care since you’ll be right next to the body and don’t want to mess up your paint or damage anything. |  Another template is used to...  Another template is used to drill the holes on the back side of the core support t run the A/C lines through. For this part a right-angle head drill will make drilling a lot easier because of the tight quarters. |