The XJS and the XJ sedans from 1995 to at least 2004 have the battery in the trunk. The 1992 Series III V12 cars also had the battery in the trunk. It's not a problem, they have a vented battery and run a small hose from the vent to outside the car. Typically it goes through a grommet like the fuel filler drain and out the trunk floor. The length of the cables isn't a problem even in winter weather. Of course in Florida where you are it doesn't get ever cold (relatively speaking).

 

it can get really freezing in Florida. bone cold in December and January, but the S type has an excellent heater.

A company in Tampa told me they can take my existing Heater box and convert it to both Heater and a/c using two matrix, one for each service.

I think there is already a company in UK doing it. That would be my preference.

 

Glyn efficient is one thing. Cooling the cabin is another. No idea which is more efficient but the rear air setup correctly installed and "aimed" correctly works very well. Also converted properly they will run off of R 12 or 134 --absolutely no idea about 1234rf or the others. The boot mount allows for a very large evaporator and when aimed correctly the diffusers flow cold air down the windscreen to the driver and passenger. It is not the blast of air in a modern car but those are built around the evaporators.

To Jose--you will need the space behind the grill for the condenser. The "original" used a special condenser and on the larger cars there was a primary and secondary condenser such as the MK10. Those cars can substitute for a meat locker on a trip for any time on the highway. Even in the hottest weather you simply can not keep them on "full". In any case the challenge with either system is the limited space between the radiator and engine/side engine walls.

 

Combo cores tend to compromise the efficiency. The S Type heater box is not large, I don't there is room for an effective evaporator. The other thing is the air then goes through cavities in the body, and when you have cold air in a humid environment you'll get condensation and potentially rust your body from the inside out. I had considered that approach to add AC to my S Type and rejected it after some measurements and looking inside the housing.

From a battery cable length degrading the cold cranking performance point of view, Florida doesn't get cold. Freezing (0C/32F) isn't cold, I'm talking about -40C sort of cold before it starts to make a difference. That being said, I have started a 1995 VDP that was sitting outside in -44C and it did start. The heater performance was abysmal, but that's a different matter.

 

I'm well aware of how the old originals work & elastomer mods etc required for modern refrigerants which have negative effects but unless you are an originality freak like me, fitting an antiquated inefficient lump like that to a car is nuts. As is fitting clutched & not swash plate compressors etc. etc. Auto HVAC has advanced hugely. Just take a look at a modern Benz as an example. Even tracks the direction of the sun & varies cooling of different areas of the car in accordance. Sensors with sniffer fans are mounted in places like the overhead console to monitor temperatures & make instant adjustments.

 

The heater box of an S Type would accommodate an adequate modern evapourator for cooling only & with the requisite condensate drains fitted. Both cooling & heating matrices in that space would be a compromise.

Modern flat plate coolers as fitted to portable camping fridges etc. can't be exposed to the inlet air for long enough to be effective. They work very well where a small trapped volume of air is continuously recirculated.

 

All this talk about A/C. I have said it before my 1968 S Type has windows for A/C but I do live in England. Open the window and let the breeze in soon cools us down and if that is still too hot I take off my Tweed flat cap, Tweed jacket and driving gloves. A gentleman would never take off his tweed waistcoat and tie though, no matter how hot it got. lol.

 

Glyn we too like to keep things in their orig. form. One thing about the heater box units --or worse the scuttle cut out ones (where the battery was) have all of the visual clues that the BORG developed it. Access to a lot of the engine compartment is restricted. One of the benefits of the "old "lump" is that the system can be isolated at the valves and the "lump" can be removed with little loss in gas. The development team in Texas with Jaguar rep. looked at many solutions at the time to include a front evaporator. In the end they settled for the rear unit which as I am sure you know continued through the first of the XJ6 cars. Again if properly installed and adjusted Cass3958 will have to put his cap back on and after a while a scarf!

 

I don't know, original when it comes to air conditioning is a difficult issue to sort. Even a modern a/c system is a pain.

I like the idea to modify the original Heater Box. The question is, will it work? Who knows, not many owners of MK-2 and S type do a/c. Very few actually.

I wrote to Mike Roddy in Australia, he does a/c for Jaguar MK-2 and S type.

 

Yes I suppose it is a choice of the positively antiquated & inefficient old lump that takes up too much space and is made even less efficient by modern refrigerants that it was not designed for & a modern aftermarket bodge job that tries to fit too many vehicles/applications.

I, like Cass, am quite happy to open the window in our mild climate. If you want a blast of air crank the quarterlight wide open.

 

ok just in case you guys don't understand the situation:

the redhead wants a/c

I told her "buy a Lexus"

she said "I want a/c in the S type".

ok. Case closed.I will see what can be done.
.

 

Let us know what you choose. Peace in the home is crucial.

 

I am totally undecided. Unless I can cut an opening and weld or bolt a battery box under the rear seat hollow, I really don't want to disturb the boot. The upholstery is original and pristine. Yes I know about XJ-S and XJ-40 batteries mounted in the boot. I never liked that arrangement.

As for me, I am happy with the car without a/c; Ventilation is fantastic, I can drive it with windows closed but with 4 vents and scuttle vent open and fan in Low, the heat from the engine does not interfere with the cabin, I cannot say the same about my XJ-6.

What I am going to do inmediately is to convert from Generator to Alternator using the retroair.com alternator kit with power steering adapter. The a/c system can wait.

While dismantling for engine removal I discovered the two power steering reservoir hoses to be totally deteriorated and discovered the leak is from them, not from the Steering box. They need replacing and SNG Barrat does not have them. Fortunately they are generic hoses clamped to the reservoir and elsewhere. No fittings.

 

That's low pressure hose. See if your local autoparts store has Goodyear emission hose in the appropriate size, it works: https://www.goodyearrubberproducts.c...s/page0031.pdf

Note that heater hose is not suitable. As a general rule, if a hose is good for water/glycol it is not good for oil/gasoline and the reverse is true. They are different types of rubber/elastomer.

 

many thanks for that. I will get the old hoses off and take them to the autoparts store. O'Reilly's Auto Parts should have them.

 

Should have married a brunette. Maybe next time when the redhead leaves you because you did not get A/C in the S Type.

 

she can do groceries in the XJ-6, it has a powerful a/c.

 

Jose ~ just giving this some thought overnight. Why don't you talk to a top automotive HVAC shop. Fit a modern efficient swash plate compressor in the traditional position & condenser with electric fan in front of the radiator designed to run on R134A or one of the modern refrigerant blends. Modern condensers are compact. (no need for the "chair" condenser). Still fit the evaporator in the boot/trunk. It will take up a fraction of the space (likely less than a quarter of the original) & put a neat cover over it. There are a number of removable metal panels in the rear parcel shelf for outlet vents/speakers etc. without butchering the car. A neat duct could be made up to connect them to the evapourator output that you would hardly see (or use a Mk2 front duct) & visible cold air outlet grills in the upholstered shelf just like original but not obtrusive. You could even use your genuine controller if you are happy with just temperature & fan speed settings. (and no stupid temperature control knobs in the middle of the rear parcel shelf like some had that the driver could not access). Remember the evapourator needs to draw in ambient air & blow out cold air.

The joys of a swash plate compressor is they rotate all the time from pumping zero refrigerant fully variably up to maximum output dependent on swash plate angle which is defined by your temperature control setting. No noisy clutching in & out & excessive messing with your idle speed.

This would give you a highly efficient modern system designed to run on modern refrigerant without any ugly mods or considerable negative effects on gas mileage.

Just a thought for consideration. Best of both worlds.

You could either use flat outlet vents in the parcel shelf that uses the rear window to deflect cold air over the dome or seek out a set/pair of these.


S Type Artic Kar.

 

Glass area may be a factor in how much a/c a car needs. Old cars have less glass that's more vertical. A small, efficient system may be more than sufficient in an S type or Mk2. There are some very compact systems available in the UK for the kit car market, but I've seen no reviews of how good they are.
https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/compac...nditioning-kit
https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/univer...ing-heater-kit

I think that with some hacking (like a new box) a series XJ Delanair might be forced into the space between the gearbox and the dash.

 

Rather than mess with the heater box, why not do like was done for dealer added AC when the cars were new with an underdash unit? That giver AC for her when she is a passenger and keeps the heater intact.

You can get the underdash units for less than $70USD. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...sn=296&jsn=296