• Registered: 2016-05-20
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Air conditioning

My brother bought this Edsel, you see, and it doesn't have A/C. Not to worry, they made swamp coolers that fit Edsels. I picked one up on ebay, and I'm doing as cheap-ass a refurbishing job as possible. It's a Thermador. People with old Bugs like to put them on their cars at shows. We plan on actually using the bugger - Death Valley is hot and dry, I'm told.
http://www.nixiebunny.com/thermador/thermador-before.jpg
The pad is in a soldered-shut hardware cloth squirrel cage. I had to extract the old one and install the new one with zero clearance. Magic was involved.
http://www.nixiebunny.com/thermador/thermador-squirrelcage.jpg
I bought the smallest pad at Ace Hardware in Tucson, and used less than half of it.
http://www.nixiebunny.com/thermador/thermador-pad.jpg

  • Registered: 2016-05-05
  • Posts: 67

Re: Air conditioning

nixiebunny wrote:

http://www.nixiebunny.com/thermador/thermador-pad.jpg

EXCELSIOR!

  • From: Austin
  • Registered: 2010-09-13
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: Air conditioning

I'll take "Things That Could Double As Donald Trump's Hair" for $600, Trebek.

Fascinating. Always wondered what went in these.

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  • gunn
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
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  • From: SF, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-18
  • Posts: 1,011

Re: Air conditioning

Q: Do you have to keep the windows up to get any value out of these swamp coolers?
If so, how many windows (just the driver side, just the passenger side, driver+pass+rear?


Otherwise, wouldn't your cooler, moisture laden air be mixed with the hot, blow dryer like air coming in through the windows and negate the effect?

I could imagine that driving around in a car in the desert heat with the lexan windows up might negate the value of this swamp cooler.
The alternative being a coolshirt system, of course.

-g

Myopic Motorsport's #888 Ceci n'est pas une Citron Thunderbird ("This is not a lemon" but a 1995 tbird w/ 93 V8 swap + shopping cart rear wing + engine mounted frito maker)
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  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Air conditioning

Unless it is significantly different than swamp coolers used to cool homes, windows up and the effect is amazing when the relative humidity is low...but not nearly as good as a modern compressor and refrigerant AC.

We even used them in the open garage bays in Iraq and as long as you were within about 20 feet of the portacool it felt like 85 f instead of 118 f (plus whatever latent heating you got from the tin roof...we saw 130 f on afternoons when the generators would go down).

  • Type44
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  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • Registered: 2011-07-23
  • Posts: 1,696

Re: Air conditioning

Here in Phoenix I have a whole-house cooler ducted into the HVAC setup, it works GREAT from April to early June and is nice in Sept-Oct also... If you're over 105F it runs out of headroom, but it trims down the AC use to about 12 weeks of the year. Since I can end up paying $250 for electricity in July and August, for 1100 SF, that's a nice option to have.

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  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: Air conditioning

I revived a swamp cooler in a house in Lancaster and I was shocked at how well it worked.  It was 105 out and it felt like regular AC air blowing out of it.  They sell the Trump hair in the hardware stores in those desert areas.   In a car I would guess it's like AC with one outlet vent.

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  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Air conditioning

cheseroo wrote:

I revived a swamp cooler in a house in Lancaster and I was shocked at how well it worked.  It was 105 out and it felt like regular AC air blowing out of it.  They sell the Trump hair in the hardware stores in those desert areas.   In a car I would guess it's like AC with one outlet vent.

and speed-dependent since it 100% airspeed driven.

  • From: Sierra Vista, AZ
  • Registered: 2016-04-27
  • Posts: 207

Re: Air conditioning

gunn wrote:

Q: Do you have to keep the windows up to get any value out of these swamp coolers?
If so, how many windows (just the driver side, just the passenger side, driver+pass+rear?

We only test drove it one day, and the temp was in the 80s not the 100s. The cooler blows air across the heads of the folks in the front seat, which is what you need to feel cool. It won't cool the air in the car any appreciable amount.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

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  • From: Panama City Beach
  • Registered: 2014-03-09
  • Posts: 86

Re: Air conditioning

We're bringing a VW Thing that will have a white bimini top for shade and we're going to use a cool shirt system to keep from baking.  Maybe cool shorts, too.

Probably a really bad plan.

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  • From: SF, CA
  • Registered: 2015-02-11
  • Posts: 592

Re: Air conditioning

https://www.snowballsunderwear.com/

25X Loser - Delinquent Racing - '86 Rust-Tite Merkur - 9 years (when do I get to stop?).
  • From: Panama City Beach
  • Registered: 2014-03-09
  • Posts: 86

Re: Air conditioning

billybobster wrote:

https://www.snowballsunderwear.com/

"After inserting a SnowWedge™ into your Snowballs, it should keep you cool for at least 30 minutes, and although testicle icing is never high on anybody’s list of things to do, we’ve designed these wedges to give you the beneficial cooling you need without being painful."

I wouldn't expect to even say 'testicle icing,' except with regards to truck nutz during a Wisconsin winter.

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  • From: Waynesboro, VA
  • Registered: 2013-04-08
  • Posts: 185

Re: Air conditioning

sah298 wrote:

testicle icing

Now that's a theme!

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  • From: Sierra Vista, AZ
  • Registered: 2016-04-27
  • Posts: 207

Re: Air conditioning

supposed to be over 110 in Tucson this weekend, planning to drive the Edsel up there (from Sierra Vista, 75 miles away) and see how the AC does when it's actually hot out.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

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  • From: Gilbertsville, PA
  • Registered: 2009-12-22
  • Posts: 3,251

Re: Air conditioning

If we find your sun bleached, dried carcasses in the car on the side of the road, we'll look for other methods.

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  • gunn
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
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  • From: SF, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-18
  • Posts: 1,011

Re: Air conditioning

squirrel wrote:
gunn wrote:

Q: Do you have to keep the windows up to get any value out of these swamp coolers?
If so, how many windows (just the driver side, just the passenger side, driver+pass+rear?

We only test drove it one day, and the temp was in the 80s not the 100s. The cooler blows air across the heads of the folks in the front seat, which is what you need to feel cool. It won't cool the air in the car any appreciable amount.

So if you are wearing a helmet, it might cool the surface temps of your helmet instead of wafting your hair?
You might want to consider some kind of ducting to get it into your face (or perhaps into your helmet if you have one of those nozzle interfaces.

-g

Myopic Motorsport's #888 Ceci n'est pas une Citron Thunderbird ("This is not a lemon" but a 1995 tbird w/ 93 V8 swap + shopping cart rear wing + engine mounted frito maker)
2017 Sears Pointless Organizer’s Choice
Frito Making Tbird from 2018 Sears Pointless Engine Heat BBQ - http://goo.gl/csaet4
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Air conditioning

Why are you wearing a helmet?

  • From: Sierra Vista, AZ
  • Registered: 2016-04-27
  • Posts: 207

Re: Air conditioning

I ain't wearin no helmet. This is a drive, not a race

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

squirrel's Website

  • From: Austin
  • Registered: 2010-09-13
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: Air conditioning

"Testicle icing" is my new favorite phrase.

Member, Porsche Cheaters of America
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  • From: Chester Springs, PA
  • Registered: 2012-02-26
  • Posts: 46

Re: Air conditioning

Right now I have three cars ready for Rally.
1978 Ford Fairmont Futura, (Custom interior done by mice)
1969 Dune Buggy Truck (Truggy)
2004 Breaking Bad Pontiac Aztek with a tow package (read as pull other dead cars to the checkpoints!)

The Aztek has AC, but that feels like cheating!

I am thinking the wife may not go if there is no AC in the car....

I am sure something will break down in the next few months making the decision easier.

I am leaning toward driving the aztek with the dune buggy in tow!

Thoughts?

BTW, This is a 7500 mile rally for me, I start in Philly and am trying to make it back to Philly! AC and a wife would be nice!

Brian Gomez
2018 Great Lakes Mistake Dune Buggy Thing - 2018 Retreat from Moscow: 1979 Lemons Chevette - 2017 Retreat from Moscow: 1978 Ford Fairmont Futura - 2016 Hell On Wheels Car Weeeeeaaaaaaaakkkk: 2003 Pontiac Aztek Breaking Bad!

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  • Registered: 2016-03-31
  • Posts: 76

Re: Air conditioning

Geez, and I though my 5000 mile rally was going to be bad...

I haven't secured all the materials yet, but I was planning on trying out an ice-operated a/c system in the Niva. 20 gallon tote full of ice water, and a cheap bilge pump plumbed into the heater.

  • Registered: 2016-05-05
  • Posts: 67

Re: Air conditioning

AC! sheesh, i'm still working on a roof.

23 Reply by sah298 (edited by sah298 2016-07-24 07:23 AM)

  • From: Panama City Beach
  • Registered: 2014-03-09
  • Posts: 86

Re: Air conditioning

gogmorgo wrote:

Geez, and I though my 5000 mile rally was going to be bad...

I haven't secured all the materials yet, but I was planning on trying out an ice-operated a/c system in the Niva. 20 gallon tote full of ice water, and a cheap bilge pump plumbed into the heater.

If you haven't seen these before, you might want to check out this DIY cool shirt.  This is roughly what we've been doing in our Lemons car and it works well.  I suspect that the ice will last a lot longer and be more effective this way rather than trying to cool the entire interior.  I think what we're going to do is use this same method to make some vests that we can remove so that we're not attached to the car or wearing an extra layer when we get out of the car.  Just keep the vest attached and slip it off.

http://www.ghidinelli.com/2011/02/28/di … irt-system

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