Southern Air-anyone use them?

[Hafrod]

They offer a complete AC,Heat,Defrost kit for $829 for a 5,6,7. Sounds great but has anybody used their products?

[alans 55]

finishing up installing their system. had to modify it a little for my particular install. I used a billet bulkhead connector instead of the orig hose holes. I have a smoothed slick firewall. all in all pretty simple install. control panel completely replaces stock heater controls. looks ok. they use vacumn servos so your engine should have pretty good vacumn. I did not use the supplied condensor, as I used the matching one for the prc alum crossflo rad. mounted the heater valve on the inner fender down low instead of inside. if it ever had leak wanted it not in the car. so far it works fine.

seems to be a good system for the money.

alan

[MikeKy55]

Alan, could you post some pictures? I know some guys will want to see their system installed. Thanks

[Dale's57]

Wished I had ordered that kit.

I ordered a Hot Rod Air kit back in May and I still don't have it.:( Maybe I'll get it by this winter.:rolleyes:

[alans 55]

Alan, could you post some pictures? I know some guys will want to see their system installed. Thanks

the mrs. and I been trying to sell our house for several months so I have the 55 stored at my mother-in-laws. I'll try and get over there this weekend and take some pict of the install. living in the same place for over 23 years you sure do accumalate a lot of junk. realtor suggested I really clean up the garage so that had been a major project. :eek:

alan

[55NEWBIE]

Alan,

What kind of headers do you have installed? Looks like you have plenty of clearance with the steering box. Is the steering box stock?

Thanks,
Ed

[walrus]

Alan, I am looking to install an AC system in my 55 , thanks for the info on southern , I will look closely at them, What kind of radiator and condenser are you running,,,,,,,

[alans 55]

Alan, I am looking to install an AC system in my 55 , thanks for the info on southern , I will look closely at them, What kind of radiator and condenser are you running,,,,,,,

running an alum crossflo from PRC w/matching a/c condensor, dual spal fans and controller. got mine from street rod stuff http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/

lots of tri-5's are running that set up. I'd post some pict but haven't taken any since the install last year. will try and get some and post later. some of the others might jump and post theirs. just wished I'd had the funds to get the complete setup with the new core support, butttttt gotta do with what you can.

regards,

alan

[MikeKy55]

Has anyone used this bulkhead connector? If so will it fit over the fan motor hole on 55 or 56?

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/pics/2385_1.jpg

[Hafrod]

THAT's AN AWESOME IDEA!!! If that connector will cover that hole, that would be a time and back saver!

[Rick_L]

Mike, I don't know who makes the one that streetrodstuff sells, but VA sells a similar one that's not the best.

Let me explain. The VA one requires that you cut a hole in the firewall that's fairly precise, like 1/16" offset all around from the edge that you see. That's because it has a step on the backside 1/16" from that edge. So your hole needs to be big enough to clear that step, but not so big that it has a gap with the outer edge. Now, if you're good you can cut a hole that precise, but let's face it, even if you're good, it's going to take some care - so it's going to take some extra time.

Next thing, if the bulkhead is out in the middle of a panel, then I suppose that you can get all the hose fittings on it and oriented so that they go where you want them to go.

Ok, let's discuss a better solution. Billet Specialties and others sell a 4 way bulkhead that has the ports arranged in a diamond shape, and it doesn't require a rectangular hole with radiused corners. To mount it - you drill, holesaw, or punch 4 holes for the fittings. Even if you need to make them oversize due to not locating them perfectly - the edges of the holes end up a lot farther than 1/16" from the edge of the face plate. So you're doing 4 round holes rather than a rectangular hole with raduis corners. The other thing, with the diamond pattern, you can have 3 of the 4 hoses going one way, and the 4th one close to vertical. So the hose hookup is much better with the diamond pattern than the square pattern.

The other thing about the Billet Specialties bulkhead is that you can put the small port in whichever position you want. All the fitting holes in the plate are the same. With the other one (at least the version I've seen) the small fitting for the high pressure line is in a fixed position and can't be moved.

Now, as far as either one fitting over the old heater motor hole and covering it, they probably won't. Certainly the diamond pattern one I have won't.

The other thing, using a bulkhead in the heater motor hole location is going to make the hose/tube routing on the interior side of the firewall very tight.

Now, I'm sure there are square pattern bulkheads built like the Billet Specialties one I've described - but I think the diamond pattern is the only way to go anyway.

What I've done on my car is to mount a diamond shaped bulkhead as far to the passenger side and low as possible. This puts it 3-5" away from the old blower motor hole, which has now been covered with a piece of sheet metal and smoothed. Even with the bulkhead moved over, routing the hoses was pretty tight.

Hopefully that gives you some food for thought and questions to ask and answer as you shop for a bulkhead and think about how to install it. Obviously there's more ways to do it than mine.

[MikeKy55]

Excellent info Rick, thanks. The problem I have is failing to plan ahead during the build up. I don't cherrish the thought of pulling the front end to back track :eek: At the risk of calling someones child ugly, I really don't like the looks of the plastic piece I have seen used by at least VA.
I'm not too concerned with cutting the firewall as precise as you mentioned. I really think I can do that. But you did give me pause with what you said about the fit inside the car. I will think it thru more.

This is the backside of this piece.

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/pics/2385_2.jpg

[Rick_L]

Well the good news is that it's not like the one I badmouthed - looks like it only needs the 4 round holes. And you can put the small port in any of the 4 corners. (I really didn't describe that part correctly.)

Here's a photo of what I did on the interior side.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL552/2971253/8144506/110832294.jpg

As you can see everything's pretty tight in there. The evaporator unit is a VA.

That's just the mockup. Obviously I'll get some new heater hose and clamps.

By the way, the welded heater hose fittings came from VA too. The a/c hoses I had made up at a local shop. None of this part will be readily visible when the car is finished.

[MikeKy55]

That does look tight. It appears yours is about 3 inches to the right and 3 or so inches lower the fan motor hole?
How difficult do you see the hoses being if they actually went to the spot where the fan motor was?
I have a close friend that works at an AC shop here in town that might help with the lines. They just set up a line building dept. Lots of line, fittings etc.. He was excited to show me everything when I was there, so I can hardly imagine how excited he would be making me some lines :D

[henrys57wagon]

I bought the Southern air system. Here are some pic's of the dryer and heater valve install on my 57. The A/C lines go through a plate that blocks the heater opening and the heater hoses through the air intake on the pass side. Good day, Henry.
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1054/6190841/17122090/265394226.jpg
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1054/6190841/17122090/265394223.jpg
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1054/6190841/17122090/265394221.jpg

[alans 55]

here's a pict of the billet connector I used at the beginning of my install and before the prc rad install. I made the mistake of installing it before the evap was installed. I have it a little close to the evap so the lines are tight. if I had moved it outboard a little then no problems at all. guess you live and learn.:rolleyes:

alan

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL97/467416/5861121/118792661.jpg

[Rick_L]

"It appears yours is about 3 inches to the right and 3 or so inches lower the fan motor hole?"

At least 3" to the right, maybe more. And definitely down a bit, maybe not quite 3". The low pressure a/c hose is about 8" long, and the high pressure one is maybe 12". And you can see how short the heater hoses are.

I think it would be very difficult to put a bulkhead at the heater motor hole. The hoses or tubes would just be too short. You'd be more like to be able to do it with tubing - but still rather difficult.

The VA kit comes with that plastic thing that covers the hole. The hoses just pass through grommets.

[56-210sedan]

Ok, let's discuss a better solution. Billet Specialties and others sell a 4 way bulkhead that has the ports arranged in a diamond shape, and it doesn't require a rectangular hole with radiused corners. To mount it - you drill, holesaw, or punch 4 holes for the fittings. Even if you need to make them oversize due to not locating them perfectly - the edges of the holes end up a lot farther than 1/16" from the edge of the face plate. So you're doing 4 round holes rather than a rectangular hole with raduis corners. The other thing, with the diamond pattern, you can have 3 of the 4 hoses going one way, and the 4th one close to vertical. So the hose hookup is much better with the diamond pattern than the square pattern.

I am not sure if this is the same one Rick is speaking of but i bought this one from Coyote Rodders Supply, this is made by Billet specialties. they also offer some other configurations.
http://www.billetspecialties.com/assets/500/0000000188-prod.jpg

[Rick_L]

That's the one. :)

[DoubleNickel]

Alan,

I ordered my PRC system yesterday from Daytona Street. Got the whole shootin' match (A/C, Auto Tranny cooler, overflow) set up for LS1 conversion. Only I didn't get it polished. Since I plan on a daily driver I figured I'd shoot it with POR 15 Clear and that'll keep it nice.

That A/C system by Southern Air sure has my interest peaked. Can some one post some under the dash pictures and what controls are you using with it?

John

[Rick_L]

Mike, I had a look on the location of my bulkhead - I was going from memory earlier. Looks like it's 4" to the passenger side and the center of the diamond is 1" down, both from the center of the blower motor hole.

Also the top portion of my cowl support braces have been removed - the bulkhead sits right over where the right side one used to be.

[MikeKy55]

Thanks for that Rick. I'm going to have to be creative when doing this and think it thru.