1990 Mazda Miata without an A/C installed

I just bought a 1990 Mazda Miata that the owner said came without an A/C installed, can anyone tell me if this is true and if so, can anyone point me in the right direction as to where I can pick an A/C unit up at, I live in Central Texas and it's 100+ down here and an a/C is mandatory.... Thanks for any suggestions you all may have... Trent

Reply to
Trent
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wuss... Real men love to sweat.

Reply to
frank

The car was bought for my wife and if I can find an A/C unit to install in the car. I enjoy driving the car with the top down but the wife likes the cool air....Trent

Reply to
Trent

Many were and still are sold w/o A/C. I don't know that adding A/C to a 15 year old car is going to be cost effective.

Reply to
Dano

I like the top down _and_ the cool air. If it's hot, turn on the A/C -- top up or down.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

I don't mind sweating, but being forced to drive for over two hours in

102 degree blazing sun heat ending at rush hour was about enough to do me in, and I handle warm weather much better than cold.

Miatas in Texas without A/C should have a glucose I.V. drip installed. Just plug 'er in and go.

Luckily, my "job" allows me to stay off of the road most of the time during the days in July and August. Night drives are still pleasant, and our best top-down driving is coming up in about a month and we will have many nice days until it heats up again.

72 degrees in December is not uncommon at all.

Pat

Reply to
pws

I don't know how anybody could reasonably be expected to know if some particular vehicle came without air. I can state that I had a '91 that had no AC so I will be wild and crazy and assume that a '90 might be the same.

As for finding an AC what you need is a junkyard (sorry "vehicle recycling center") containing a junked AC'd Miata of similar vintage (preferably with only rear-end damage) to act as a donor, a service manual to figure out the wiring and plumbing, and a good friend who runs a vehicle AC service center who is willing to figure out what needs to be done. IIRC, some of the required plumbing needed for the evaporator was pre-installed on my '91 so at least that part of the job should be easier.

I drove my '91 for 15 years and when I still lived in Alaska the lack of an AC was quite tolerable but after the move to Tennessee it became the bane of my existence. Having the '06 with AC is a true joy.

Reply to
John McGaw

"Trent" wrote

Find someone who is prepping a Spec Miata, those crazy people rip the A/C out of their Miatas so they can go racing. Search Miata.net classifieds for complete A/C systems. See:

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Reply to
Ken Lyons

John, I have been talking about it for years, but it looks like I will actually be able to move to the Eastern TN area withing the year. I stayed in Townsend & Pigeon Forge and loved it, but I would probably end up in Knoxville, at least at first.

Can you send any information about the area? What the "bad" part of town is, what the "no way in hell can you afford to live here" area is, etc?

If you don't have the time or inclination, I understand, but I have tried to get information and I am having trouble finding anything but "Come to Tennessee" websites. The discussion boards, including Craigslist, that I have seen for the area are not very active.

Thanks!

Pat

Reply to
pws

I would say that the only way to tell is to actually look yourself. It only takes a two or three days to get some ideas about an area this small. I flew down from Alaska and spent a week in ETN before deciding to retire here -- of course I did a lot of research beforehand. I just isn't possible for me to suggest a neighborhood -- what is a fine neighborhood to one person might be considered a horrible dump to another. I wound up buying at the very northern edge of town in an area called Fountain City and got a rather nice home with 1.25A for < $100K (after considerable searching and some luck, I'll admit). Yet there are homes within 1/2 mile of mine that you couldn't touch for $3 Mil. But go

1/2 mile in a different direction and there are homes I wouldn't wish on an enemy.
Reply to
John McGaw

I just want a nice log cabin on a hillside....... :-)

Thanks John, it sounds like you have a nice place. 1.25 acres is a lot of space to people who are used to living on about 1/4 to 1/3 that much yard area, assuming that they even have a yard.

Pat

Reply to
pws

Have we already come full circle in this thread? He can't, because the car has no A/C--that's why he's asking.

Reply to
tooloud

No, we haven't.

I was addressing his comment that implied he had no use for A/C because he drives with the top down. I was trying to tell him that IMO he'll like having A/C even with the top down.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

Oh, I also find A/C is awfully nice for when it's raining and the top is up.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

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