classic e type air conditioning

[gipogeoff1]

I have a 1963 etype FHC which i am about to strip for my restoration project. It is a US import. It has a very age related air con system. Looks very proffessional and has radiator in front and two under the rear boot floor. Has special box system and venting inside the car.
My questions are.
1) Did Jaguar do any air con options in 1963 etypes
2) if so is it a value to keep it as i was looking to rip it out and go standard.
3) would i de value the car without it if i lose it with n trace.

any advise or commenst appreciated

thanks

geoff

[MarkE]

Hi Geoff and welcome.
I'm pretty sure that no factory fitted A/C system was available until the S2 in about 1968. My '65 Coupe came over from Los Angeles and was also fitted with an aftermarket system, with appropriate hacked in holes and plumbing whuich looked like a bad tempered drunk had a hand in it!

In all the components weighed about 35 kilos, and there were quite a few bits missing. I was very pleased to remove the whole lot.

[gipogeoff1]

Thanks Mark.

[andy303]

There is a JCNA Judging Guide for A/C that covers some of the non-factory add-ons by dealers: http://www.jcna.com/agm/2008/airconguide.pdf

[Heuer]

Lanes Cars have a S1 modified with air con at the moment. Looks like quite a neat installation:




http://lanescars.co.uk

[Joe Burghard]

Geoff,

I bought a '63 FHC from a fellow who lived it in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the original owner, and it was fitted with an A/C system similar to the one you describe. One condenser under each rear flank in a fiberglass housing, an evaporator behind the seats, and a great, honking Tecumseh compressor under the bonnet. I was told it was installed by a Southern California Jag dealer in 1964, probably state-of-the-art for the time.

Joe