A/C Issues

[Wileyk24]

Hey guys,

My A/C works for 10 minutes(actually feels cold) and then my 10 amp fuse in the passenger side kick panel keeps popping. I don't know what is causing it and quite frankly don't know much about A/C systems. I know it still has R12 in it and will be more than happy to convert it once I have a working system first.

So I took my car to a local car repair shop and of course got the bad news. They said the wiring to the clutch is shorting out and that I need a new compressor b/c they don't sell them separately. $460 for the compressor/$720 installed. I am not really looking to spend that kind of cash on this car right now.

I am a decent backyard auto mechanic type guy who has recently completed a successful head gasket replacement on this vehicle and does most of my work DIY style. It's an 87 turbo in mint condition with 100k miles. One of the cleanest mkIII's I've seen.

Am I up the creek on this one or are there some natural steps I can take to get to the bottom of this without burning a hole in my wallet?

Thanks in advance.