Retrofitting an R2 with A/C

[63stick]

Can an R2 be retrofitted with A/C

[Dwight FitzSimons]

Yes, I have seen R2 Avantis fitted with AC.  I think people today generally use the Sanden compressor because of its compactness and efficiency.

Rogers Protofab advertises in Turning Wheels (SDC magazine) their kit to install the Sanden compressor on an R2 engine.  Google can probably find Rogers Protofab.

Studebaker mounted the evaporator and all the controls and vents in the console.  You would need that out of either a Studebaker Avanti or Avanti II.  Or, maybe there is another option for the evaporator & controls.

--Dwight

[sailingadventure]

It`s not easy to get everything under the dash, but I did it on mine. Buy the biggest condenser you can fit in front of your radiator. I made my own brackets and bought a larger amp. alternator. you have to move things around a bit and someone is advertising in the Studebaker magazine about brackets to do this, and they look nice and will save you a lot of work if you aren`t a fabricator.

Be sure your cooling system is in good shape. I just bought a NEW radiator on Ebay , It`s aluminum and fits like a glove. It brought my engine temperature down about 20 degrees. This is the first time I`ve ever seen any for sale, so if you are still using your original radiator I suggest you replace it with a new one.

[mfg]

Absolutely beautiful  engine & installation!!

Can you please post info on the aluminum radiator which you purchased?

[63stick]

It certainly is, looks like a factory install. Thank You

[63stick]

Can you post where you got the valley pan and valve covers?

[sailingadventure]

21 hours ago, mfg said:

Absolutely beautiful  engine & installation!!

Can you please post info on the aluminum radiator which you purchased?

I bought the radiator from Kool Radiators on E bay with free shipping it cost $263.35 

Kool Radiators

Zona Landess

156 Medina Hills Ct

Austin, Texas 78737

United States

[sailingadventure]

13 hours ago, 63stick said:

Can you post where you got the valley pan and valve covers?

I bought the valley pan cover from O`brien Truckers #508-248-1555 or www. obrientruckers.com I think the valve covers came from them also, but I can`t find the invoice for them. If you do buy these, expect to spend at least a full day with a grinder to make the valley cover clear the bottom of your intake manifold. You will also have to make some brackets to move your accelerator linkage and your ignition covers. It is a pretty big job but it can be done, you just have to have patience.

[sailingadventure]

I bought all of the A/C equipment from Vintage Air. This was in 2012 so they may have a complete kit that you can buy now . I had to make it up as I went along, and it took a lot of head scratching to make it all work. It was even harder than making the electric steering for the car, but that`s another story.

[Mark L]

2 hours ago, sailingadventure said:

I bought the radiator from Kool Radiators on E bay with free shipping it cost $263.35 

Kool Radiators

Zona Landess

156 Medina Hills Ct

Austin, Texas 78737

United States

Do they sell radiators specific to the Avanti, or did you have to pick one for a different car and make it work? What was the part number you ordered?

[64studeavanti]

Just thinking out loud, has anyone tried to adapt a/c from a hybrid or full EV car?

[sailingadventure]

15 hours ago, Mark L said:

Do they sell radiators specific to the Avanti, or did you have to pick one for a different car and make it work? What was the part number you ordered?

It was made for the Avanti. It also came with the cooler connections for the automatic transmission if you have one. It was a first class radiator.

[sailingadventure]

12 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

Just thinking out loud, has anyone tried to adapt a/c from a hybrid or full EV car?

If you did, you would need a 48 Volt system to run the compressor. But I think it`s a great idea if it could be worked out. I had even thought about it before In installed mine.

[Guy]

I tried to find an Avanti radiator on the kool radiator ebay site, no luck and no phone number to call, any suggestions? Guy

[sailingadventure]

3 hours ago, Guy said:

I tried to find an Avanti radiator on the kool radiator ebay site, no luck and no phone number to call, any suggestions? Guy

Try to contact them thru Ebay, If they don`t stock them, they may be able to get you one.

[R5335]

I'd like to know more about the electric steering. I too have an R2/R3 with AC. it was modified many years ago by a previous owner. However, my car utilizes a hydraulic power steering unit. SO the pump is driven by the engine. Therefore, my setup is very congested and one of the brackets rub up against the bottom of the hood. So as I noticed from your photos, you had the ability to move the alternator where the power steering pump was, leaving plenty of room on top for the AC unit. I am really unhappy with my power steering setup, it's another mod and has caused many other issues below, it's a rack and pinion unit but interferes with the exhaust and oil pan. So the electric steering looks like an opportunity to fix a lot of problems. 

[R3 Forward]

I installed a Vintage Air system on my car.  Removed the battery to give me room to install it on the drivers side and added an extension to the power steering pump reservoir to get it up and out of the way.

 

[John C]

            I recently rebuilt my R2 and added A/C to it. It had had the blower pulled years ago and an original A/C unit installed. I used the original evaporator and condenser  a Sanden rear exit compressor and new lines. It has a stock 4 speed radiator (automatic transmission) with a transmission cooler in front of the condenser. The alternator is stock but much modified. All of the brackets and supports were made in house. Works great and the engine temps have stayed well under 190 to date. Everything clears the hood by 3/16 inch. not much but that is what the stock carb bonnet clears by.

                                                                                                                                             John C.     The air cleaner is behind the headlight.