Adding AC Vents on Dual-Pod Dash?

Ron,

like you I have also thought outboard vents would be an improvement to cabin cooling. With 2511 laid up for extensive collision repairs I decided to pursue that modification.

in short, using the original HVAC blower/evaporator case it simply cannot be done. Due to the layout of the flappers and the defrost and floor outlets in the stock HVAC case there is no satisfactory location to tap into the dash vent system. One might be able to tap in to the floor vents or the defrost vents to provide air to outboard dashboard vents, but that sort of messes things up from a airflow distribution viewpoint.

what you see in the photos was only possible because I used an aftermarket HVAC system. The outlets on that unit needed extensive modification to provide dash, defrost and floor outlets compatible with a Pantera. I constructed a very large plenum that enclosed all three center dash outlets and the LH/RH ends of that plenum provided locations for ducting that could feed outboard vents. 

I had to modify the glove box support structure to allow space for flex hose feeding the RH vent and had to relocate dash switches to provide space for the LH vent. There were also ...many... other obstacles that had to be overcome to bring this project to a satisfactory conclusion. 

I am unaware of any other owner that has added outboard vents, and I now understand why this is so. It is an unbelievably time consuming and problem-solving project. Installing and then removing the dashboard over 100 times was just one aspect of the project.

unless you are willing to undertake a huge project my suggestion to you is to add the third vent, which I also added to 2511. I was able to add that vent (and the outboard vents) without reupholstering the dashboard with some very careful layout and execution.

I will be happy to share my third vent modification should you decide to go that direction.

BTW - I have yet to test the system for efficient airflow and may well have to design and install some diverter plates inside the large center plenum to effectively direct airflow to the outboard vents. Quite frankly, that should be one of the easier aspects of the project.

Larry

Wow, Larry. Yeah, that's WAY more project than I want to get into. Maybe a third AC vent is as much as want to deal with at some point since I really don't use the AC that much anyway. I was checking if I could tap into the floor outputs when not needed for heat I rarely use except for maybe the first and last couple of cruise-ins of the diving season around here. Anyway, thanks for the feedback and good luck with your repair and HVAC projects. 

Ron

I found that my problem with the two pod dash not getting cold air into the car wasn't for lack of vents. The air can be blended to the floor and defroster vents to get better air flow distribution which does help if you run the fan on high. The best thing that I ever did for my air conditioning system was to move the condenser to the front of the radiator. I can leave the car out in 100 degree Arizona heat and it cools the car down just like a modern car and keeps it cool. Be warned that if you have a Pantera with a low speed cooling problem, then this modification will only make your water temperature higher. If your engine doesn't have a cooling problem and you have a high volume oil pump, the empty spot where your air conditioning condenser was can be used for an oil cooler. There are several oil coolers that are almost the same size as the condenser and they come with a shrouded electric sucker fan which can be controlled with an in line temperature sensor.