I'm not sure where I saw this, but I thought I read that there are plate/fin-style condensers available for our cars and Mustangs. Does anyone know if that's true? If they ARE available, does anyone know where I can get one? If you're wondering, I'm going to run R-12 in this car, just like I'm running in my other Bird.
The stock one cools my car just fine, even with a transmission cooler almost as big as the condenser in front.
After searching high and low, I found a place called getallparts.com that has condensers for our cars for $74. Even if it's a tube and fin style condenser, that's not a bad price at all.
Not sure if this helps, I copied it from Rockauto. Im not sure what serpentine contruction is??
VISTA-PRO Part # 1057 {#471057}
W/Factory Installed AC; Tube and Fin Construction (Only 1 Remaining)
$89.79
Add Part
VISTA-PRO Part # 1046
W/Factory Installed AC; Serpentine Construction (Only 2 Remaining
Well, that condenser showed up today. It actually IS a plate and fin style condenser. Unlike a tube and fin condenser, which moves the freon in series, this plate and fin design moves the freon in parallel. That's a more efficient way to move the freon. This is why plate and fin tranny coolers are more efficient than tube and fin tranny coolers of the same size.
For UNDER $73.37 plus shipping, I got a great condenser that will be a much more efficient heat exchanger than the OEM tube and fin style condenser this car came from the factory with. Not bad!
Here's a link to the place I bought it from. http://getallparts.com/parts/1988/ford/thunderbird/radiator__and__ac__condenser/ac__condensers/cnd35540/product-detail.aspx
Let us know how it works. If it's a high quality piece than it might be a good upgrade for those who have converted to R134A.
It sure looks like a quality piece. I can't see how this thing won't out do an OEM style condenser. It's even painted black which is a nice touch. After I've had time to put it through it's paces this summer, I'll let you know how it's doing. :)
Seems like it'd make a good tranny cooler too...
It would. It would be able to cool any tranny.
If the new one I purchased isn't enough in the July heat (it better be it's pretty big and rated for 26000 GVWR), I may just try this out.....
I have one of those on the Sport. It's been great, and it gets blazing hot in the summer here.....and hotter (last summer was a record setting season, and people were, at times, actually bursting into flames as they walked down the sidewalk). The price was right, and I figured since I was adding all new A/C to the car, may as well try it.
I was looking at replacing my SN95 condenser with a drop-in condenser and found a true parallel flow that is a drop-in. Downside is it is quite $$$ at $279. Although that's what I paid for my SN95 condenser. :wtf: It is made by Classic Auto Air, however, it isn't in their catalog. Classic Auto Air sells it for $299.
http://www.npdlink.com/store/products/mustang_condenser_a_c_parallel_flow-169523-6267.html
(http://www.npdlink.com/store/images/products/m-19712-4c.jpg)
You can still get 6mm piccolo condensers from O'Reilly. $114
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MHT0/1046/02669.oap?year=1987&make=Ford&model=Thunderbird&vi=1140220&ck=Search_condenser_1140220_1314&keyword=condenser
(http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/mht/vpro-1046.jpg)
As a general rule of thumb, 6mm piccolo is 15% better than the stock tube/fin. Parallel flow is 33% better than stock tube/fin.
6mm piccolo uses tubes similar to the 3/8" tube/fin, except they're smaller (~1/4" instead of 3/8") and it uses header volumes on both sides of the fins.
Parallel flow uses flat tubing similar to a single core radiator with headers on each side.
I'm pretty sure the condenser 88 Blackbird 5.0 purchased was 6mm piccolo, not parallel flow.