When I bought my TP Magna new in 1991, I didn't have air-conditioning fitted as, although I could afford the car, I couldn't afford the extra for air-conditioning (which, if I recall correctly, was around $1,300).

The car does, as you would expect, get very hot in the summer. Opening the windows does improve things, but makes it rather draughty inside to say the least. Flow through ventilation is not too good - in fact I find that my Wolseley is much cooler than the Magna in the summer if I open the front and rear quarter light windows.

I realise that, if it can be done, it would probably cost about the same as what the car is worth, but would it be realistic to consider fitting air-conditioning to it now? Has anyone had this done recently to their car and can offer any comments? I would be looking to have the job done for me rather than tackling it myself.

Easy to do but cheapest would be find an old magna thats still got the aircon working so you know all the bits work and swap them to yours and then you are just up for a regas. Plenty around that have run out of rego and people are wrecking etc. Probably buy the complete system for $150 or less.....probably get a complete car for a bit more. Regas with r134a $250-$300. I thought Aircon was pretty much a standard thing on Magna's by the time they got to the TP. Was one of their selling gimmicks they had over other makes at the time. Vee

Sorry for the late response, but somehow I didn't notice it at the time. What you say sounds like the way to go, although whether I go ahead depends on whether I decide to keep the car or not, which is something I haven't decided yet.

I don't know if air-conditioning was standard on the Elite or not, but it was an option on the Executive, which is basically what the Grand Tourer was. When I bought the car from Killara Mitsubishi in 1991, I was asked if I wanted to have air-conditioning fitted, but the extra cost involved would have stretched my budget a bit too far. From memory I think it would have cost an extra $1,400.00 or $1,800.00, I can't remember which.

On a totally different note, the Magna was the first car I had ever driven with power steering and, when I drove it out of the yard, the steering wheel turned around so easily that I almost drove it onto the footpath! I drove down the Pacific Highway as far as St John's Avenue, Gordon, where I turned left and drove through the back streets until I got the feel of it and then I headed off for the Ryde Road and home.

the elite air conditioning had a climate control feature which is tricky

a basic air con system today would need a dryer / o rings and the new type of gas

the old tx valves gave trouble with the new type of gas in the system
so fit a new type just to save later problems
its behind the black box under the dash ..you get to it by removing the glove box
and has to be replaced before the system is regassed

the engine may have the bracket to hold the air con compressor
look below the inlet manifold on the passenger side towards the fire wall


and check the drive pully is able to run the aircon belt

the condenser and piping as well as all the auto electrical connections are hard to fit

be carefull if you intend to dismantal an old sealed system with gas in it

the gas can cause burns or eye damage

Thank you for your rather comprehensive reply, although this is beginning to sound like something I would rather not take on.....