I am currently breaking up my '73 142 and before pulling the drivetrain , the AC worked great!! If this ac unit under dash is not too massive or tied up w/heater like a 200 series,would be great to slip this unit under 445 dash with those big round vents.
I have not yanked the dash yet to peruse the unit. Anyone ever done or contemplated doing this? If no leaks unit should be reliable.
Comments, thoughts appreciated. Got some 140 bits left--tell yo' 140 Buddys!!!

Kayo in HOT , Sunny Fla

It would be a lot easier and probably even less costly in the long run to get an aftermarket unit.

These systems are completely different, and a '73 doesn't have any under dash AC parts that will move into your Duett.

The short answer is "No, it won't work."
--
http://dylans544.blogspot.com

Can be done, but you will need 12 volts.

http://www.hukebasart.nl/huke/en/?Airconditioning

Well, I will be peeling the 142 dash to look over the A/C unit in the next week or so, and even if close, I would have to move the battery box at a minimum.

The under dash 1800 A/C units sound tasty. got a $$ figure on those?

I have seen these in 554s,mounted way over under glove box side to clear shifter. Works fine. My '71 Suburban has 2 of these type units side by side blowing from rear ceiling thru a factory duct toward front.
If you require a modern all new solution, pick up a "Street Rod" Magazine and look at the ads for A/C kits for the rods. There are compact units. The hardest part to source is probably the B20 double crank pulley for Compressor.

Regards from Hot and Sunny Florida-- Kayo

I searched the archives for info on fitting the 1800 {Frigiking?} unit into a stock 544, preferably with pics, but came up short. Lots of info on brackets, pulleys, compressors and fans etc. but nothing on the control panel.
I would like to know if it can be done neatly, in spite of the long shifter and needing access to the hood latch and glovebox. Also can you make a neat job of getting the necessary hoses thru the firewall?

And not to forget a "Better" radiator along with a secondary shrouded electric fan. The problems start when you are in city traffic or stopped in construction zones with little if any airflow through the stock radiator. I also question the clearance of the gear shift lever and relocation of the hood release lever. In my opinion a truly functional A/C unit would both ruin the integrity of the 544 along with the tremendous amount of modifications needed both under the hood as well as in the passenger cabin. Combine this with about a 10% decrease in Horse Power when you turn the damned thing on and one wonders just why one insists on driving a PV544 or Duett to start with.

It's been many years since being under the dash of a '73 so I may be wrong on this but I think the system is very integrated into the heater matrix unlike '72 and earlier 140 series cars that had a dealer or port installed unit added. If you find your system unusable for transfer---I have a couple of under dash A/C units available from 1800 models--self contained with evaporator/fan/vents/switches ---CHEAP. -- Dave

Wait. I have a '59 445. It's 6V. I can put a self-contained a/c in my 445?