How difficult is it to add air conditioning to a graduate? I'd have a mechanic do the work, but I'm wondering if there are off-the-shelf kits that could be used vs. the mechanic having to fabricate a system. How much would doing this cost (kit/parts + an estimate of labor hours)?
If I do add AC, would it work as well as, better than or worse than a functioning factory AC (from a mid 80's series 3)? Also, would adding the AC be visually seamless (would anyone but a mechanic/expert be able to see the added components)?
If there are multiple different ways to add AC, which ones are the best.
Thanks in advance!
Since you have a series 3 car, installing an A/C system from another series 3 car would work, and work very well. You do need to be careful about getting a system from a series 3 that has the same dash layout as yours, however.
There aren't any aftermarket kits for series 3 cars, so it isn't like you have any choices. The last aftermarket kits that I saw were in the mid-seventies, and they went away because Alfa started providing A/Cs for the Spiders.
As far as the cost, well, I have mixed feelings about this... Just about every Spider that I have seen with "working A/C" actually has A/C that is not even close to spec and is in need of a new compressor. When that point is reached, it will take serious $$ to bring the A/C system up to spec. Thus, unless a different car truly has a good A/C system, the expense is going to be up there no matter which approach you take. What would it cost to bring a Spider with A/C already installed up to spec? Easily $1k minimum, because you will have to replace key components. What would it cost to upgrade yours? Probably $2k.
Either way, if done by an Alfa mechanic who knows A/C systems, the installation should be seamless. More important however, the A/C should freeze you out of the car. Yes, it should. This subject has been discussed on the BB several times a few years back, and owners like myself have chimed in to explain how well these systems work, when they are up to spec.
I bought my '84 Spider new, so I knew from day 1 the capabilities of the A/C that came in the car. Back then, my girlfriend and my mom always used to complain about how cold the car would get, and it wasn't even at the maximum setting. (In fact, comments were always made about how there wasn't any difference between our German cars and the Spider, and it didn't help the identity of my pride and joy when someone told my mom that a Spider is essentially all Bosch parts.) In 2005 I had to replace my compressor and also decided it was time to convert to a modern, environmentally friendly substitute for R-12, and I did, with excellent results.
Both my '84 and '87 Spiders have A/C, and I drive them quite a bit, even on long trips. While I drive with the top down most of the time, I find that it is very useful and much more enjoyable when I can take a 12 hour trip with the A/C on. Not to mention that in a summer downpour A/C is a real gift, and my wife certainly appreciates having an option that doesn't limit her to either the wind blown look or an extended sauna experience.
As you consider A/C do keep in mind as well that the cause of failure is usually lack of use. A/Cs need to be run throughout the year in order to keep operating up to spec. When the system is not run, the oil seal dries out, breaks away, and the cooling gas escapes until a new oil seal forms with use. Thus, an A/C that is only run in the summer time will loose oil and colling gas every season. To avoid issues, by the 1990's car manufacturers had adjusted their systems to ensure that the A/C operates when other vehicle systems are turned on. (The Alfa 164 models do this.) So, if you do install an A/C system in your Graduate, make sure you run it often, or at least top off the oil and cooling gas as needed.
Best regards,
( girls car 
