Hello. I’m new to the forum but not to E Types. I did a ground up restoration of a 69 S2 roadster in the 90s and it was by far my favorite car. The restoration took 3 years and I drove it for another 3 before selling it. Fast forward to 2023 and many collector cars later and it’s time for another XKE.
My thinking this time around is for a S1 or S2 coupe. One of the coupes I’m looking at has AC. My gut tells me that could be a nice feature in a closed car but I ask the other members to please give me their thoughts.
My preference would be for an S1 because of the triple carbs and dash switches. They were always something I admired looking at the other cars in the shows.
if any one has a lead I’d also appreciate referrals for good cars. I don’t have the ambition to restore a car so ideally a finished car or an older quality restoration would be perfect for a car for good weather weekend drives and shows.
Thanks for thoughts and input.

 

Hi Mike,
There was a A/C system available for SERIES 1 3.8 and 4.2 cars but it is very rare, I would not install it in my car. Then I believe it was 1968 when the under dash system became available. There is a company that makes an A/C system that is similar to the Jaguar under dash A/C system. I've been told that it works well.

https://www.classicautoair.com/jagua...-conditioning/

They bought out Retro air that designed the system

A lot of the Series 3 cars came with factory A/C.

There are other suppliers but in my opinion they have problems with there designs.

 

I *really* dislike the dealer-installed and other aftermarket AC units that have that awful vent across the car beneath the dash.

zi chose to install this system, from Clayton classics

https://claytonclassics.co.uk/parts-...jaguar/e-type/

 

Thanks Bob and Mike.
Are coupes typically hot where AC is a useful accessory? Is the air conditioning bar that runs under the dash factory or an aftermarket unit? Mike

 

Hi Mike,
Yes, the coupes can get warm inside to the point that A/C is wanted/needed.
This is the factory A/C system for 1968 to the end of series 2



This is the series 3


Clayton has 3 systems, the under hood, console system and footwell system for long wheelbase vehicle.
The underhood system has a heat pickup issue, here is a quote from Clayton, "The under bonnet unit is primarily used as a demist facility. It is not capable of cooling the vehicle in hot climates, mainly because of the heat soak from the engine through the heater ducting, which causes a 10ºC to 12ºC increase in the temperature of the cooled air from the time it exits the evaporator to the time it is distributed into the vehicle cabin".
The console and footwear systems you have to relocate the radio.

I hope this helps

 

I've had my 69 with factory AC since 1989 and have never used it. Living in northcentral Wisconsin, if it's hot enough for AC, that old boy does not come out. I have a new alum radiator and fans (CoolCat) and new temp sender. The paint color is sable, so maybe not as hot inside as with black, navy or BRG. That said, I have left all the bits and pieces for the AC in place. If the coupe you're considering has broken/missing louvers, it is a fairly easy replacement. I found an incredible buy at the time, 5/$100. Wrote up the process, here's the link, scroll down a bit for the photos.

https://forums.jag-lovers.com/t/inst...es-2/393107/14

 

I saw this Thread and had to pose a comment/question:

As mentioned above, apparently there was a Factory A/C option available for the Series 1 cars. But any remaining examples are very rare.

Back in the 1970's I viewed a Series 1 Roadster that was fully restored. It was either a 63' or 64'. British Racing Green with a Champaign color interior. But I noticed something I had never seen before. Under the armrest pad, there were two vents. One on each side of the armrest tower. I was told those were the A/C vents for the Factory air. There was no vents that I recall under the dash. Don't recall where the controls were either. Too long ago. Seems like the A/C vents replaced any storage capacity under the armrest.

My question is: Could this description be accurate ? Or am I just getting old and crazy ? LOL

 

Not at all... every winter I re-read many of my E type 'historical' books, Porter, Clausager, Haddock, etc. and re-examine the photos. I do seem to remember seeing the AC setup you describe, but I don't recall that it was factory.

 

Hi Rickr,
Yes, you're getting old and crazy, just like the rest of us. LOL

I saw pictures of one of these systems on a car for sale 30 years ago. There are some pictures in the JCNA Air Conditioning Judges Guide". JCNA say it was factory system.

The evaporator was in the cubby behind the seats and the condenser were at the back of the car on either sides.

The distribution duct went over the console.

I tried to copy the pictures but wasn't able to,

 

Pictures from Judges guide:


The evaporator


Condensers on either side in back


Distribution duct


Production distribution duct

 

WOW!! Thanks Bob. That was a big help. I was able to access the information, photos, and drawings from the JCNA Link portion. So that answered my question. Nice to know I'm not "completely" crazy yet. LOL While the distribution ducts were a bit different than what my memory recalled, it was none the less in the location I remembered.
Thanks again.

Rick