Finally had to service the A/C

[mbbuff]

It's been about 5 years since I've had to service the A/C in my '73 280C. I took a little trip last week and it was barely getting cold. I ended up adding 2 lbs. of R12 to get it back to normal. Outlet temp, at 84 degrees F ambient, was 38 degrees. Now it's working like it always used to. I found that the high side schrader valve was leaking a little (loose) and the cap wasn't sealing tight. Easy fix and hopefully I'll go at least another 5 years or more before needing service again. I am now down to 5 lbs. of R12 freon remaining in my supply cabinet. That stuff is getting scarce. Guess that when I am out I'll have to start using Freeze12 alternate.

[ArmchairExpert]

R-12 is just getting expensive, it's still available. I'm down to 4 tap cans. Sometimes I consider buying a 10lb, 20lb, or 30lb bottle to last me forever, but that's a big hunk of change to lay out for something I may never need. If I don't use it I don't think it'll be legal to possess in a decade. Except in Mexico. They don't have to worry about global warming or Ozone layers for some reason.

[mbbuff]

I haven't had to buy any since it cost about $2.00 a can. What is it running now? Where can you buy it? Anyway, if it lasts about 5 years each time, at that rate I have about 10-12 years worth left....I hope.

[ArmchairExpert]

eBay is the cheapest source with 12oz cans selling for $12 and up depending upon the seller and sometimes buyers getting tunnel vision and bidding it ay up to $40 sometimes a can when there are dozens of Pay Now at $25.
One needs to be certified to legally purchase R-12. Online you will find commercial sellers selling whole 12 can cases of 12oz cans @ $360 and 30lb bottles starting around $700. Just Google "R-12". They will all want a copy of your EPA Certification to sell it to you.
Locally few sell it and they are taking advantage of the manufacturing ban, asking people to take a second mortgage.
I've read that R-12 is smuggled in from Mexico, but I've never had anyone offer it to me on a street corner. Besides, there are still plenty of old cans and reclaimed R-12 availble as each year fewer and fewer old cars need a top off. We'll all have parked the cars or converted to substitutes by regulation before the legal R-12 runs out.