GMC Motorhome, dash AC project done

Mornin guys, I hope you Dads had a good one, I did.  Both sons, Ray & John, came in for the weekend….. 4 sets of feet on a cracker wooden floor…… it felt good.  That’s one thing about the floor of a “vintage” house…. you can feel every move on the floor.  Ray and I took a ride to the hardware store in John’s new Mercedes van.  Yep, his mind is at work now….. taking the tools and technology of today, I’m very interested in how he reasons out what is viable for today’s travel machine.  Yeah, you know he hates this but he too is fascinated as I was his age about machines to travel in.  I… well started a little lower in a Pinto station wagon hey, but I was thinking too but today… a Mercedes van, 4 cyl. turbo diesel, factory blue tooth I mean……  Hey youall, watch this……  If he allows I’ll keep you informed.

Another thing I wanted to share was the weekends work…. yep, is a part of things that make me happy and Janie is aware of that.  Oh yeah, I have to tell ya Fathers Day supper was special…. fresh rainbow trout and dirty rice…. thanks babe and another way I know she loves me….. last week I came home for lunch and I was greeted with SPAM sandwiches…. Yummmm, sliced thin and fried up to a overdone state…. heck that’s big ole pieces of concentrated bacon!!!!!  Now THAT’s southern cuisine!

Saturday was a good one for me… I got the time to do some things that is mine to do.  On John’s Dash AC repower in his 1973, 23′ coach… John has taken great care to not only have his coach in reliable condition he’s gone that extra step in refinishing, cleanliness and order like you would a driver vintage car.  You remember your first car…. how you would stare at the motor for hours seeing if there’s anything you could do to make it better or cooler looking.  Well, John has done this    One thing we all know does not work well in the original early design coaches is the dash AC system.  Guys…. there is reported 14 90 degree bends that each drops air pressure 50%.  The higher you turn the blower the more air block you create!  Yep those of us with 1973 & 74 coaches know very well about this.

So along with turning his original dash   “restomod”   he also wanted to get cold air from his dash.

The first thing was to be certain everything in the original dash AC system worked as needed to connect a second evaporator in.  .    Along with a double roller timing chain, this 120,000 mile original motor should light back up, we replaced the AC compressor, had new hoses custom made,   replaced the drier and expansion valve and while in the heater box, replaced the dead baffle gasket  so then Saturday, I cleaned up the parts to go back in like I would work on my Pinto, new sealant on the pipes, nor new but a cleaned original refinish and complete accurate install  .  The inside evaporator cabinet mounted …. John’s dash is complete

You may say…. what happened to the lower dash closeout?  His coach still has the original tucked dash panels in there….. very retro.  He can dress out that area and really create an eyecatcher.  No reason for me to do that stuff… John does a pretty good job of that level stuff, he brought the coach to us to do the things he wasn’t sure of. 

Guys, really… that’s the way to do it.  You want your hands in your coach… I dig that but.  I did that when I build Mopar cars.  Yes, I was proud “I did it all” but many other cars were better but the owner could still say “”I designed it and had it done myself”.  Hey… still there’s pride there but your work is your first attempt….. I remember when I learned about drilling carb jets when I took a drill bit to my Pinto carb.  It went fast but would not idle.  I learned but you don’t want the one you learned on… you want one that is not a first attempt and that’s why John brought his coach to us for those things. 

This is a good way to have what you want AND reliable. 

OK, my day is on….. have a good one.  It has been a challenge here in Orlando with all the things happening… I hope things will settle down…  See ya tomorrow….

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