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FEATURE INTERVIEWS:

Vintage Air Summer Special – Rick Love:

This week I had the extreme pleasure to once again talk to Vintage Air President Rick Love. Vintage Air has been a long time sponsor of this show, and chances are you have a Vintage Air system (or many Vintage Air parts) in your current ride. Their name is synonymous with hot rod air conditioning (and heating), much like Kleenex is to tissues! As always though the company is only a representation of the people behind it and in it and Rick Love has been there since 1998 earning the company awards for service, support and technology.

Every year Vintage Air hosts the Vintage Air Road Tour. The destination this year is Des Moines Iowa for the Goodguys Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals. The tour will be a week in length with multiple stops and a great time the whole length of the trip. Rick said that there are many people who join the tour and make lasting friendships with car enthusiasts they look forward to seeing each year. If you would like to join the group on this trip, make sure to give Vintage Air a call fast and make plans to attend. There may be some openings in lodging accommodations that you can take advantage of.

I asked Rick about small volume vehicle manufacturers, like Revology, who build a new car wrapped up in old school looks and use Vintage Air’s sure fit A/C systems to keep the passengers cool. He verified that many of these manufacturers are using these systems to include the latest in A/C control technology easily into their vehicle offerings. He added the fact that these companies understand the need for sealing the cabin to keep the cool inside and they work hard to make sure the system fits correctly and trust that Vintage Air makes the best most reliable units they can get. The latest updates in the Gen 5 kits include a lot of things you will never notice like smaller hoses for tighter packaging, quieter fans, and larger air outlets for reduced cabin noise and greater air flow. While these may not be flashy, eye catching features, they are greatly appreciated on a long road trip for a nice quiet ride and icy cold air in your face. They also ensure the vehicle feels like a new modern car instead of the old classic they look like.

New products for Vintage Air is the 1988 to 1994 OBS trucks and soon to have up to 1996. Rick said the square body 1980’s vintage vehicles are the hot ticket lately and still getting more popular. The new Gen 5 kits are a great improvement over previous models but any of the kits are a vast improvement over even the OEM systems from the 80’s and early 90’s. The compressor, controls, and even the hose technologies have changed a lot in the last twenty years to help with fuel mileage, system efficiency, packaging size and noise levels. This means that even replacing the whole system in a car that originally came with A/C is well worth the effort for a better working, better packaged experience.

You can learn more about Vintage Air, or simply follow what they are up  to on the web at VintageAir.com  or on Instagram at Instagram.com/VintageAir. Don’t forget to check out Vintage Air TV on YouTube at YouTube.com/@va197653. If you are in San Antonio, stop in and visit them in person or look them up at the next show they attend, and don’t forget to tell them you heard about it here.

Thanks Rick!