I just picked up a "new" 1980 a few days ago, and one of the first thing I noticed was the AC components look very not OEM like. Somewhere between OEM quality and back yard mechanic. The main thing being that it doesnt have any hard lines. Theyre all flexible like oil cooler lines. A stack of service records in the car indicate a new compressor, dryer, and lines were installed in 1997, but does not indicate a conversion. The compressor appears to have R134 fittings since a can of Arctic Freeze I had in the garage fit it. Should I just assume it's r134 and pull the trigger? I don't want to blow a line or lock the compressor up.

 

Soft lines are normal for most 1st gens, I've seen some years with hard lines at the junkyard.
You'd have to use a refrigerant identifier to tell whats in it. No telling if it was converted properly. It may have 134a with the r12 mineral oil. If it needs a charge you could go ghetto and put a few ounces of ester oil in and 134a and go. Or do it right and discharge, disassemble, Flush, replace o-rings, receiver/drier, fresh oil and charge. On the cheap I put a 2nd gen condenser in my 81 and it works better than the 1st gen condenser. It's larger and the way I installed it air cannot bypass it like the smaller 1st gen one.

 

SAs from the factory have hardlines to/from the receiver/dryer. One goes from the bottom of the
condenser into the dryer and the other goes from the dryer to the firewall as 2 pieces, with a
short piece across the front of the radiator and a formed piece from there to the firewall and it
contains the low pressure sensor as well.

Also SAs used the Nippon compressor with separate line fittings as opposed to the FB compressor
which has a small manifold that both lines hook into at the back of the compressor.

This info is for AC from the factory. AC installed after delivery may be different.

If it has 134A fittings, I would dump it, flush it and then refill with some ester oil and 152a or 134a.
I wouldn't trust what is still in there.

 

Woah cool! Was the fc condenser a bolt on affair (fitting wise)??? Or did you have to replace the fittings? Would you mind giving a bit more info on that? Sounds awesome.

NCross, I would do what t_g_farrel said. Flush and add ester oil and refrigerant. I've had tremndous luck using r152a. I've converted my cars and a few of my friends cars to it. Great results and blows colder even in southern NM on 105 degree days. Just don't overfill. You use less r152a than the original refrigerant. Look up the conversion process. Great info.

 

IIRC I cut/removed the mounting brackets from the FC condenser and made new ones. The outlet is on the right side, opposite the 1st gen so I remounted the rec/drier to the right side. The 1st gen hose from the condenser to the rec/drier fit as did the hose from the compressor to the cond. The hose from the rec/drier to the evaporator was long so I cut it shorter and used the same hose clamp(reduced size barrier hose).
As I said earlier, I think the biggest improvement(esp at idle on hot sunny days) is that it fills the shroud so air can't bypass it. The bottom of the cond is even with the top of my FMOC making it convenient for a piece of sheet metal to close the gap. All air has to pass through the FMOC and cond to get to the radiator. I plugged most of the small gaps around the cond with foam and metal.
The last pic is looking up at the bottom of the cond on the right and the FMOC on the left. The FMOC is mounted in front/bellow the unibody cross tube.