17 replies to this topic

[Gizzum]

Ladies & Gents,
Have searched for a mini ac unit and found they are rarer than rocking horse poo.... I know they were fitted as standard in the japanese minis but hey, try and find one!!! I am thinking bout stripping one out of a small hatch, say a clio or micra and DIYing all the brackets, pipes etc. As I am not an ac engineer can any one see any major problems (i.e. maybe I am going mad, overheating due to extra load on engine, blah, blah).
Basically asking if this would be poss???

Cheers my Badgers

[Xiao_Bin]

mines working really fine, but still havent found from where the parts come (im not in UK by the way)

[v8mini]

car builder solutions do air con kits for kit cars ect, might be possible to fit to a Mini

cbs web site
aircon kit

comes to about £800 for kit, inc compressor and condensing rad

[Gizzum]

Cheers Guys,

I want the install to look stock so am going to look into the scrapped clio/micra idea as that kit is v. expensive . Does any body know of anyone who has installed an ac unit from another vehicle???

[Bungle]

the rover japan minis came with air con if you can find the parts you might find someone breaking one in the uk if your lucky

Edited by bungle, 10 July 2006 - 12:23 PM.

[Dan]

Isn't that what he said in his first post?

Try Mega Parts For Minis (Formerly Mega Mini) for Japan spec AC units, they have lots of old ex-production line stuff. I'm not sure if they are still trading or not as there was a rumor they had closed down but they still seem to have an active website.

Other than that, Astro-Air sold a kit for the Mini in the past which replaced the original heater. It looked fairly OE, but the controls on them are not what you'd usually expect from AC (there's not just an AC switch). Having said that, the Rover Japan unit doesn't look all that original as it's seperate from the heater!

Or try Vintage-Air. An American company making AC evaporators for hot-rods. They do one I'm going to try to build into a Mini when I get the time (and inclination). Or there's Air-Tique or Hot Rod Air. Air-Tique do a system with very OE type controls.

[miniboo]

does the country you live in warrant getting AC?

if you live in the work i think it is a waste of time and money.

to be honest i used to live in cyprus with a car with no aircon and although getting in it after it had been in the sun all day was bad i never really missed not having the aircon.

Edited by miniboo, 10 July 2006 - 12:15 PM.

[Gizzum]

Dan,

Thanks, very helpful, Mega Part for minis are now know as Megamodz.com and have sent them an email. Astro-Air looks like they only sell the radiators for ac so no joy there. All the other places cost a fortune so I think I might go for the scrapper option! Will update you if I ever get it working!

Miniboo,

I live near portsmouth, doesn't warrant it most of the year I know but hey, I though I would throw the idea out and see what came back, been a bit warm latley down South!!!

By the way.....
I poke badgers with spoons!!!!
>

Thanks again guys

[Dan]

I think you found the wrong Astroair. You found the one in Jacksonville Texas right? The people who make radiators?

Try this mob:

Astroair

Considerably closer to home and the advert says it all. No info on the site but they will talk on the phone and in the past they posted me a copy of the fitting instructions for the kit and a parts manual when I didn't even buy anything.

[didipusrex]

Hey there,
I just bought myself an alternator and a/c compressor plus brackets from Japan. does your alternator bracket bolt on to the two cylinder head studs closest to the radiator? If so, are they a bit longer than the other cylinder head studs?
Thanks,
Karl

[minimarco]

i took mine off my car before i bought it. but as bungle said. there are alot of ac units fron jpn

P.S actually.. since we get quite a few japanese minis here, i might be able to find one for you.

Edited by minimarco, 08 February 2007 - 11:12 AM.

[Xiao_Bin]

Hey there,
I just bought myself an alternator and a/c compressor plus brackets from Japan. does your alternator bracket bolt on to the two cylinder head studs closest to the radiator? If so, are they a bit longer than the other cylinder head studs?
Thanks,
Karl

the cylinder head studs are not longer, the nut that holds the alternator bracket is almost flash with the end of the stud
I can take detailed pictures if you want

Edited by Xiao_Bin, 08 February 2007 - 10:52 AM.

[Bass Man]

My daughter asked me this for her Mini, I gave her the short answer

NO!!

[didipusrex]

Hey cool, I would be very grateful if you could. Thanks! Did you get the aircon and alternator already preinstalled or did you have to install it yourself? I'm looking at pulley alignments on mine and I think i have to adjust some forward or back.

the cylinder head studs are not longer, the nut that holds the alternator bracket is almost flash with the end of the stud
I can take detailed pictures if you want

[Xiao_Bin]

I bought the car like this... didnt had any automotive mechanichal knowledge before either
what kind of pictures are you after?