Ford Festiva - NO AC - Would installing it be cost prohibitive?

[ktrent]

There is a 1990 Ford Festiva for sale in my area with around 130k miles on it for around $1300. But it doesn't have AC or power steering. I think the lack of power steering I can live with, but the AC is another matter. Even though I live in the northern half of the country, we still get pretty hot summers in June and July, so I always try and buy vehicles with at least the AC installed (even if it doesn't work I can always get it fixed). But this Festiva doesn't have it at all. Would it be cost prohibitive for me to have someone install it, whether the parts come new from an auto parts store, or used from a local junkyard?

[Larry Hampton]

I bought an A/C system for my Festy for $100, but haven't installed it yet. You can install it yourself, just replace all the O-rings before you do and flush the lines as well. Try to buy it as a closed system off a.parts car if you can. You'll need to purchase a new dryer as well. Some autoparts stores will loan you a vacuum pump.

[ktrent]

I bought an A/C system for my Festy for $100, but haven't installed it yet. You can install it yourself, just replace all the O-rings before you do and flush the lines as well. Try to buy it as a closed system off a.parts car if you can. You'll need to purchase a new dryer as well. Some autoparts stores will loan you a vacuum pump.

It would seem like a lot of work for me to do it myself, as I have never installed an AC system before. How many hours worth of work are involved?

[Pu241]

Since you were so specific with your location!
I'm not sure there is anyone near you who might be experienced with such an install.
So until you can bring yourself to post a better location in your profile, I would say let someone else have the $1,300 festiva and keep looking.

[georgeb]

I don't have a/c in my Festivas here in MD and it gets pretty nasty. I have a clip-on oscillating fan that gets me through the couple extreme months.

[FestYboy]

It would seem like a lot of work for me to do it myself, as I have never installed an AC system before. How many hours worth of work are involved?

don't...

a/c installation is a PITA and NOT for a beginer.

i've been thinking about using a Mini Space Saver from VintageAir as a potential fix to non-AC cars. it's small, easy to install (for those with experiance) and can replace the factory HVAC box.

[neanderpaul]

I installed ac on a non ac car. It was the most challenging car job I've ever done. It took 2.5 days and 150 or so texts with pics from Htchbk to pull it off. I won't do that again. There are however some guys here who can do it in 6 hours.