LHD Air Conditioning in an RHD TD5

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Twinnie

Active Member
Posts
114
Location
Morocco
I have an RHD TD5 and I'd like to fit aircon in preparation for a trip to the Sahara later this year. I think I can find parts for an LHD TD5 out here on the second hand market but I'm not sure what else I'll need to fit it to my vehicle. I know there's that hole in the passenger footwell to let the pipe in. Am I correct in assuming that this is on the other side on an LHD?
I expect the extra piece of trim under the dashboard is RHD/LHD specific as well, do I even need this? Can I just sit there and have freezing cold air piping out of a hole in the footwell into the cabin. It was 45C the other day, I got my three year old daughter out of our Tiguan and she started crying, I don't think I'll be complaining if freezing air is piping into the cabin.
What about aftermarket options? When I was searching before this post I found something about other a/c units that would work somehow but it was an old post so the links were dead.
 
I live in Morocco. This is why I’m trying to bodge something together rather than get a full blown solution. I don’t suppose you know what the part under the dashboard does do you? I see from the pictures it’s got some kind of metal cylinders but I’m not sure if they just control the flow of cold air.
 
You can get universal kit car a/c kits, I did look a few years back, and was thinking one could fit in or under or both of the cubby box.

I think it can be as simple as a/c evaporator in front of the heater core in the heater box.
 
I found a few things like that but they were like £5000. I don’t want one of those evaporators that you fill with water just because we had one when our daughter was a baby and it didn’t seem to do anything. I was just searching for “12v ac”, are there better words I should be using?
 
I found a few things like that but they were like £5000. I don’t want one of those evaporators that you fill with water just because we had one when our daughter was a baby and it didn’t seem to do anything. I was just searching for “12v ac”, are there better words I should be using?

By evaporator I mean the real deal a/c, so you have a/c pump, a/c condensor rad, a/c drier, few pips and the evaporator rad mounted in the heater box right in front of the heater core (box will need modding I am sure) have you any scrap yards there? I bet you could build a system from 2nd hand parts, with maybe just new pipes.
The electrics are basically an on/off switch, and said switch activates a relay that only makes contact if there is pressure in the a/c system, remember many years ago cars did not have the low pressure switch, but when it ran low on pressure , and the pump seized it threw the belt off!

Search for universal a/c kits, kit car a/c kits
Ask @Stanleysteamer as he is into his kit cars
 
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Thanks, I’ll have a proper read through what you wrote later with some LR diagrams next to me. If everything between LHD and RHD is the same except the trim inside the cabin then I think I can get the bits and get something working. So it sounds like the stuff in the cabin is basically an on/off switch right? There’s plenty of Defenders out here and I assume they all had a/c fitted at factory. I’ve been told about a place in Casablanca that will almost certainly have second hand a/c, the trick is getting in and out without your car getting stolen. I’m definitely going to check this out.
 
I've just finished installing one of the Ministry Of Defender AC systems into my 1993 200 Tdi out here near the Mojave Desert close to Palm Springs. Yesterday it was 114 f and icy cold air was blasting out of the vents at 39 f ! Absolutely love it! Very straightforward to fit, I also installed their Puma style dash though the AC can be integrated with the standard dash easily enough!
 
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