i think i already know what the answer is (and i've searched on here too and couldn't find anything), but...

does anyone know if an air conditioning kit for an 87 Defender County (yes the diesel) actually exists? i guess i'm relying more on a/c as i'm getting older

 

Rovers North?

ARA shop (I had an under dash unit installed in a Dodge pickup)?

260 model form the old days? (Roll down two windows and go sixty!)

Does the vehicle have enough power for the extra engine load and heat load on the cooling system?

 

thanks SB. i already checked rn (i knew they had kits for the D90 NAS), but unfortunately they do not have kits for the county.

you're probably right about the cooling which is why they don't offer a kit in the first place. that would have to be the next area to get upgraded if indeed something were to get installed. i guess windows and 60mph will have to do for now...

but if anyone has seen a kit i'd still be interested in at least looking at it

 

The ARA people have been making AC parts and systems since 1948, and they have a dealer network. Mine looked like a black box with two *****. Here's a pix of another install, lots of old cars and trucks use these.



Maybe an alternative is the window mount swamp cooler...

 

that settles it, the window mount swamp cooler it is! haha

thanks SB, i'll check out ARA

 

First car AC kits actually went in the trunk, in way back times. The 1952 Buick Roadmasters had port holes on the fenders, the number indicated the trim level of the car, and you got an extra port hole if it had factory AC. The factory name for port hole was "cruiserline ventiport" .

They make kits for farm equipment that basically have a big ice chest (full of ice and water), and a pump that circulates the cold water thru a heater core/blower. Works, if you have a cheap source of ice. The cab of a John Deere 401B can be hot...

see http://www.tractor-air-conditioner.com/

 

You must be a high roller if your defender has roll down windows... mine just has sliders!

There are universal under dash kits. There are some pics over on defendersource.com where a guy installed a kit like that. Also, there is a shop, I think the one in Atlanta that posts on that site that hadOE style kits for 300tdi and 200tdi. I would think they 200tdi kit would work, but you'd probably need to acquire the 2.5NA or 2.5DT compressor and brackets... if they are different than the 200tdi... they might be the same.

Since mine is just a cheap-o ex-mod with no interior to speak of, and not the fancy county, I think if the time (and money) comes for A/C in mine, I'll do the universal under-dash setup.

 

aftermarket:

RHD 200di Custom Air Conditioning Install - Defender Source

oe style:

Elite AC kits 200/300tdi - Defender Source

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. I'll dig around with these suggestions you've given me and let you know which way I'll go.