Rear a/c ducts ???

7636 Views 19 Replies 15 Participants Last post by jayoldschool, Aug 23, 2017

drhill

Discussion Starter · Jul 7, 2010

I've been doing research on the A/C systems in our cars...I have a 94 FWB and have seen references to the rear HVAC ducts or vents for the rear seat passengers but I can't seem to find any on my car? I even checked under the front seats and couldn't feel anything?

Do all cars have these? I live in the desert and our 10 mo old would appreciate a little more A/C!

thanks!

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cletus284

· #2 · Jul 8, 2010

Never seen such a thing. My parents own a '93 Brougham, I have a '96 base model, and neither has them. Maybe the commercial chassis cars had that? There's no mention of rear seat air ducts in my '96 FSM, either.

HuSSker

· #3 · Jul 8, 2010 (Edited)

They're there. As far as I know they were standard on all '93+ D bodies.

Move the seats forward all the way, turn the A/C to BiLevel & the fan on high, and you will see two slits in the carpet with air coming out of them. They aren't fancy, but do function.

I just got back from a hot & humid week in Nebraska with my 7 month old in the back of our B4U, and the Fleetwood duct mod helped A LOT!

Badass94Cad

· #4 · Jul 8, 2010

HuSSker said:
They're there. As far as I know they were standard on all '93+ D bodies.

Move the seats forward all the way, turn the A/C to BiLevel & the fan on high, and you will see two slits in the carpet with air coming out of them. They aren't fancy, but do function.

I just got back from a hot & humid week in Nebraska with my 7 month old in the back of our B4U, and the Fleetwood duct mod helped A LOT!

What is this bi-level you speak of? Did you do the Roadmaster climate control swap? :0

drhill

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 8, 2010

Yes - I looked for that on my climate control and I do not have bi-level either...

I still need to climb in the backseat and check in the carpet...

s-talon

· #6 · Jul 8, 2010

Badass94Cad said:
What is this bi-level you speak of? Did you do the Roadmaster climate control swap? :0

I dont have that in my 94 base fleety either. Must be a factory roadmaster swap thingy....

96 Black

· #7 · Jul 8, 2010

Just hit auto and 60*. The ducts may have turtle-headed under the carpet, but the slits will be there. This was a common mod for B-bodies long ago. I got the ducts when my SS was new, and finally installed them with the new carpet this year. And yes, they work pretty well. In both my cars.

4lights

· #8 · Mar 4, 2011

Could somebody show a picture of this setup (especially where it hooks up in the front, and perhaps also the outlets in the back)?

Inexpensive though these parts were, they are now apparently unavailable, and I'd like to rig up something comparable.

What is the diameter/cross-section of the ducts toward the rear?

Do they just hook up at (rear-duct-specific version of) the little flimsy foot outlet that sits on top of the trans. hump?

96 Black

· #9 · Mar 5, 2011

Sorry, no pic. I recall an illustration sheet came with the parts 15 years ago, but that's gone of course. The 'distributor' 10164972 slips over the regular HVAC discharge, and I'm not certain but I believe you remove and discard an existing snap-on factory outlet. The the two ducts 10164974, -75 are rather specialized blow-molded plastic pieces that are quite slim and irregular shaped to conform to the hump under the carpet. I would not want to expend all the time bashing up anything homemade for what effect you get when done. It's def gonna be best finding a car in a JY, taking out both seats and carpet, and just using the real parts. IMHO

LS1 MM6

· #10 · Mar 6, 2011

I will start to dismatle and part out a BBB '95 Fleetwood in the next week or so. The front seats are going to come out pretty qickly, and if I remember to snap a picture of the rear floor ducts and their routing I will.

I have had a set of these floor ducts in my 9C1 for almost 9 years now. I agree that they are the best way to get heat (or cold air) to the rear seat area with little ones in the car. I went a step further with my manual HVAC system in my 9C1, where I added a toggle switch to 'select AC' in any position. This means I can direct the HVAC air flow to FLOOR (which is non-AC) and flip the toggle switch to cool it down. This is the only way to easily do this with manual HVAC controls.

If anyone wants parts off this '95 Fleetwood, shoot me an email. Hit in front right corner.

Gary

94MI9C1

· #11 · Mar 6, 2011

This illustration may help

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BCs71

· #12 · Mar 13, 2011

Great pic above. From the FSM
Item 26 is unique to the Fleetwood for purposes of connecting the floor ducts. It is an adapter that allows the ducts to connect in the front, and has "bigger" slots on the left and right side for distributing air to the driver and front seat passenger since the "front" outlet is gone and buried under the fleetwood carpet to hide the connection to the floor ducts.
I easily adapted item 26 to my 92 wagon's heat outlet. I think it was only one center small mm sized bolt holding it to the main trunk under the dash, and the FW piece installed right in place without any cutting or drilling. Simple swap.

96 Black described this well. It is not something that can be easily homemade -- the floor ducts. It is bent, routed, and slim in such a way that you can hardly tell it's there along the hump of the fleetwood. This was apparent after holding one of these ducts in my hands just one time.

In terms of performance, it is really nice on paper, but my FW doesn't distribute much airflow through here, even when aimed at full force at the floor. It is halfway under the seat, and I would think that only heat is really helpful here since it rises naturally. For AC, it is kinda trapped under the seat, and partially by the carpet, as well.

Either way, I want it in the wagon since getting any kind of airflow to the back with its huge cargo area can only help.

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96 Black

· #13 · Mar 14, 2011

Nice on paper is right. It seemed a worthwhile experiment, and I'm sure even the slightest conditioned air movement would return some comfort for rear passengers - at least for heat. You know the old adage, If you're feet are warm then you're warm, and if you're head is cool then you're cool.

But, this Cady version looked like it had been copied from a much more elaborate system that might have come from a Bentley. This must be just one of the many things you get for the extra $10k buying a new Cady. Truth be told I'm not at all surprised seeing the vent setups nowadays incorporated into the center console that are way more effective.

And that my droogies is exactly the kind of "duct mod" I'd do if I was trying to improve flow to the rear of a wagon. wink-wink-nudge-nudge say no more

I had to go looking for the closed carpet slit and "almost hidden" ducts on my Cady so I made sure to cut the opening 1/4" forward of the end when I installed the new carpet in my SS (photo below) to made certain the duct always remained proud of the opening. I'm never in the backseat of either car, and I keep forgetting to ask passengers to take their shoes off to tell me what they feel. cwm2

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avidinha

· #14 · Mar 15, 2011

That's pretty cool, I checked the fleetwood parts car, and sure enough, it's got some and they'll be going in the wagon soon.

grandpas wagon

· #15 · Mar 15, 2011

QUOTE:

"But, this Cady version looked like it had been copied from a much more elaborate system that might have come from a Bentley. This must be just one of the many things you get for the extra $10k buying a new Cady. Truth be told I'm not at all surprised seeing the vent setups nowadays incorporated into the center console that are way more effective."

I hate to burst your bubble, but these have been around a long time. My 62 Buick LeSabre had them standard and my 74 Pontaic did too. I've had 80's Honda Accords with them standard. Many, many cars have them.

LS1 MM6

· #16 · Mar 15, 2011

3

I visited my '95 BBB Fleetwood yesterday and pulled up the carpet and removed the rear seat floor ducts. I forgot how much the system resembles the back legs of a large black plastic frog!

Anyway, here are some pics I snapped of the 3 parts of the duct system (as they would appear assembled in the car). Pretty much impossible to replicate yourself, as it all fits perfectly under the carpet of ANY b-body.

Left Side View

Right Side View

Top View

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96 Black

· #17 · Mar 16, 2011

grandpas wagon said:
QUOTE:
......
[Yo 96 Black], I hate to burst your bubble, but these have been around a long time. My 62 Buick LeSabre had them standard and my 74 Pontaic did too. I've had 80's Honda Accords with them standard. Many, many cars have them.

Roger all. Before benefit of the detailed pics I was just conveying the lo-tech aspect of the design and parts used. Running little tubes around the car for better ventilation seems like something that should have been around for decades. Outside of boxing actual ductwork into the floorpan I think using the center console provides way more flow and better directional control for getting some air further back in the car.

4DoorSS

· #18 · Nov 22, 2016

Just bringing this thread back from the dead in case no one is familiar with it I installed a set I got years ago and they easily mount to the floor which already has the holes for the push pins to keep them in place.

Just saw that someone has a few sets for sale up on eBay if you're interested....

1991-1996 Caprice Impala SS Roadmaster Fleetwood Rear Floor Vent System | eBay

detroit_iron

· #19 · Aug 23, 2017

And the mod-list keeps getting longer....

jayoldschool

· #20 · Aug 23, 2017 (Edited)

I have a pair of the Fleetwood floor vents in my parts stash if anyone wants them. I'd let them go cheap. Send me a PM...

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