I really can't stand living in the south with no a/c

But finding an entire a/c system and swapping it over hasn't been possible yet (and will prob never happen) Moving to Colorado this summer, so no need!
You could get creative if this is not a show car and you don't mind connections. By getting the cheap upper hose and a copper T that will fit inside it, reducing the one leg of the T to 1/4" or whatever the line in the molded hose is, and running a separate line off of that T to the expansion tank. The hose will grip copper better than it does the aluminum water necks, it will just look ghetto.