Hi,

Resently bought an 82 Firebird but it has no engine or transmission. It looks like someone tried to turn it into a stock car or something but failed. All the heating and cooling has been removed. The blower assembly, vents under the dash, interior dials, heater core, etc all gone. I called up a junk yard yesterday to order the neccesary bits. The guy said to me had the car air con originally as the blower assemblies are different. I have no idea if it had or not.

Is this true that the blower assemblies are different. The guy also said that by looking at the holes in the bulk head I sould know but still have no idea. The picture below show the holes and I have also included a picture from the inside of the car. There was a plate stuck on over where the heater core was. On the far left there are is a large block off with the holley sticker on it and three smaller holes around it. Can anyone tell if this had air conditioning or not.

Thanhks.

 

The big hole in the bulkhead means it had A/C as far as Im concerned. If not I can't imagine why there would be a big hole there. The heater core hoses route to behind the engine, not to that part of the bulkhead.... Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. As far as the blowers being different I'm not too sure, I cant see why they would be different but theres always a possibility. See if a local dealer can pull it up see if the part numbers for a/c and non a/c blowers are different.

 

Thanks for the reply. I know that the heater core is behind the engine but can't remember about the A/C. Does the blower assembly contain the A/C core or is it seperate.

 

The block off plate with Holley on it is where the blower motor is situated. The hole for AC.

The blower motors, between between AC and Non, are different.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cool...geable-ac.html

JamesC

 

Thanks James C, so the blower assemblies are different. From the holes in the bulkhead had this car A/C originally or not.

 

The non-AC air box may well fit over both holes. Check the following link:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...box-clean.html

The non-AC dash is different the the AC dash in that the non has manual vent pulls on each side of the steering column down low.

Pics here:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...gen-t-top.html

JamesC

 

AFAIK, all the cars had the same holes in the firewall regardless if it had AC or just heat. Either setup will work, but the non ac cars had different ductwork under the dash, so make sure you get everything from a AC car is you want AC

 

Thanks guys for your replys. Think I am sorted, it does't matter which type I get once I get everything.

One final question to to JamesC. I had a look at the links you posted but didn't see any pictures of the under Dash Part. When you said that the A/C under dash has non manual pulls on the vents would that be what is in the picture below. So would this mean the car originally had Air con.

Thanks.

 

Actually, yesterday I tried to find a pic of the manual vent pulls but failed. The reason I posted the pic of the non-AC dash is to show the AC delete plates. If the car has that dash with those plates, the car wouldn't have been equipped with AC.

The piece in the pic is part of the vac system.

JamesC

 

Some pics of the vent pulls from my manual.

JamesC

 

Okay I see. There are no pull controls low down on either side of the steering column so it must have been air conditioned. Would you happen to have a picture of these pull controls, would like to see what they look like.

Thanks for your help.

 

This is all I could find:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...dash-panel.jpg

JamesC

 

Thanks, just wondered what they looked like, definitely don't have that.

 

If you deside to not go with a/c , s10 blower box for non a/c will fit and you can find tons of s10's in scrap yards. fyi

 

gholian, your picture in post #8 is the the vacuum controlled cabin air recirculation door used only on A/C cars. That would be a sure sign your car originally had A/C.

Non-A/C cars used a fully mechanical cable operated header box that only supplied air to the windshield defroster vents, center dash vents, or the floor. The outer most dash vends were molded over on Camaros or had snap-in block off plates on Firebirds. There were two cable operated "Ram-vents" under the dash to provide cool outside air when the vehicle was moving. On the passenger side the same opening as the recirculation door on A/C cars was used. On the driver's side the inner cowl plenum stamping was slightly different to provide a hole and welded thread inserts for attaching the left side ram vent. A/C cars are just smooth metal in this area. The firewall holes in the engine compartment are the same between A/C and non-A/C.

Here are a few pictures from my factory heater-only '84 Trans Am parts car.

 

Thanks guys for your replys. Since there are no pull vents either side of the steering has to be an air con car.

 

gholian This Is What They Look Like

 

Guess what? Non-A/C cars used the SAME big hole in the bulkhead! We're talking 3rd-gens here. Not 1st or 2nd-gens which had noticeably difference openings in the firewall between A/C and non-A/C.

 

Thanks for the picture, never seen those before.