The 56 is coming along...Fat Man Fab front stub is installed, and starting to clean the firewall up.

Anyways, I have a question about the A/C and heater. I have been looking at Hot Rod Air, but am wondering how much customization is required? I don't mind cutting holes in the dash for the vents, but i don't want to lose the flip up vent door either. I really don't want an under dash unit if I can keep from it, but if I have to have one that is fine too.

If I have to do underdash, will they cool and heat a 4 door effectively?

Thoughts, inputs, or has anyone done this style of car?

Thanks.

Never done a 56, but used classic auto air's universal set up on a 65 convertible.
Heats and cools fine as long as the top is up.
So it should work fine on a 4dr.

I took out my old heater core and had a bracket fabed up so that the new a/c core would bolt up to the bracket and the bracket bolted up to the firewall at the same spots the heater core used to bolt up.

Ran some ducts under the dash and was done. I used the electronic controled unit instead of the vacuume and cable on that requires you to uses a heater control setup in the car. Much cleaner imo.

I checked into Classic Air, and the problem I am having is all the boxes are too long to fit under the dash. Since the Coronet has the cowl vent, all the boxes hit the passenger side cowl vent mechanism. I didn't want to have to cut into the firewall/cowl vent area if I didn't have to, but it looks like I may have to.

Vintage air had some smaller units, but they said it wouldn't cool this size of car, and it was still too big.

I may just have to go with the underdash aftermarket A/C unit.

Thoughts anyone?

how much room do you have. I can go measure mine, but I remember being suprised at how small it was. The 65 heater box is about half the size of the standard 66 and up a/c boxes, and it was smaller than that.

I only have about 14". The fresh air cowl vents block all the rest of the room.

I talked to a local custom shop here in town and friend of mine and he said just weld up the cowl vents since they leak most of the time anyways. Plenty of room after I do away with that system for the 24" heat and A/C boxes.

If AC is the main concern, how about mounting the unit in the trunk? I've never done it myself, but, some Chryslers and Imperials from the '50's and '60's did it from the factory.

Just a thought.

Yeah, I thought about that. Guess I am still at the planning stages.

Thanks.