Hot Rods How do you deal with this summer heat when driving your hot rod

Chew ice! No AC in my any of my cars, so whenever it’s over 85/90 I grab a cup of ice on my way out and refill it at gas stations. Holding the cup in either hand helps as does between the legs.


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My 31 Chrysler coupe has dual cowl vents; swing out windshield; and a roll down rear window. As long as the car is moving its comfortable.

 

Try wearing a five layer fire suit while sitting in a top fuel car at Bowling Green in June during the NHRR. with the temperature at 100+ degrees. Actually the Carbon X underwear wicks the moisture away from your skin and the situation is bearable. Therefore maybe some of the newer moisture wicking T shirts would help in a regular car.

Roo

 

Vintage air in every old car or truck, if they sold one for a RoadKing I would have it also

 

Back in the stock car days, it was common for the car to be 130 or 140 when it was time for the feature. Between practice, qualifying and the race, I would lose 5-7 lbs.

My Ford has great vents that pass a lot of air, the vent windows help too.. as long as I'm moving. I try to go out early before 9 or after 7 or so at night. If I do get caught in the heat, as soon as I'm home... into the pool!

 

On some of my long trips in hot weather I lay a bag of ice in the floor on my roadster. The air from the cowl vent blows on the ice and does a pretty good job of cooling. New bag of ice at the gas stop and you are good to go.

 

These days, when it's that hot out, I just don't bother driving the Hot Rods.
A short tale and it has to do with this subject..........
Back in August of '67 a bunch of us GI's drove from Ft Eustis, Va to SoCal after attending advanced training.
Started out in a 1953 Ford mordor. We got as far as Shamrock, Tx before the old tired motor blew up. This was 8pm.
The owner/driver of the Ford was a real car guy. He drag raced before being drafted. Within 30 mins he came back to us with a 1950 Buick mordor. Ran like a top but unfortunately had no side windows.
Have you ever driven through the pan handle of Texas and Oklahoma in 100+ temps with no way to protect yourself from that on slot of heat.
So, to you query, we just suffered through it!
BTW, it only took us 2 1/2 days to do that run!

 

Driving the Zipper isn't that bad on a hot day. The steering wheel is aluminum and sometimes you need welding gloves to drive! When parked, I remove the wheel and put it way up under the dash.

 

There was this one trip thru the hottest part of the day... texas...I had to go 200 miles. It couldn't be delayed. 57 Chevy wagon. I put bags of ice on the floor under my feet. I put one on the seat next to me and repeatly put ice in my shoes, in my shirt pockets, down the back of my shirt, under my hat, in my mouth, on the seat next to my butt. In melted so fast that I had to constantly refill every place. Hard trip.

 

Keep moving,windshield opened about one in. Park in the shade as much as pos,run with top up any times around mid day. Run later,enjoy the Miami sunset. But my buddy Rosh never puts his top down. Heat if not for my age,dosen't seem hotter. I never had AC tell collage in 1964.

 

Go Faster!

 

Very rarely gets that hot over here , we had a few hot days this year (90s), open the windows, heating and demisting is more of an issue here.

 

I just can't limit myself to drive only in the evenings, yesterday I had both windows down and the rear windows were popped out but it was still hotter than the proverbial 4 balled tom cat.

I'm sure after that toasty ride yesterday I will leave the coupe at home on days like that and drive the Ranch Wagon, It has air conditioning. HRP

 

I could tolerate the heat better when I was younger. Now I mostly drive in the early mornings before it gets too hot. I have had several hot rods with A/C, but when it got really hot out, the engine would run too hot to use the A/C in most of those cars.

 

Live somewhere with no traffic. Use vent windows.

 

Vent windows really do make a world of difference. I wonder what accessories are/ where available to add them to a model A that never had them?

 

remenber the days of no ac when we were all tougher. i do. my parents didnt buy a car with ac until 1975. with the air on and the windows up parked in the sun i got in thinking this is going to be too hot to sit on the vinyl seats with shorts on. to my surprise i got cold. my 66 chevelle has no air and i enjoy cruising with the windows down.

 

I've got a fan that's labeled O2 Cool Misting Fan. I've used it for years outdoors and suspect it would work well in a car. Battery life is OK and it uses AA batteries. I think I got it at Amazon.

 

I think a lot of are too used to going from the air conditioned house to the air conditioned daily driver late model to the air conditioned work place and then complaining how hot it is.
I agree that our tolerance for extreme heat or extreme cold lessens a bunch the older we get.
I worked out in the heat for years and hopped in the hot rod and drove here there and yon and thought nothing of the heat as long as I had a beach towel to toss on the seat. Learned on a road trip to take my ids back to their mom in Texas that Gator aid worked a lot better to keep you hydrated than Pepsi did. Dad and I filled the cooler with it on the way to Bonneville after being in Texas and that helped as did running along at about 80 with the vent wings catching air in the 51 Merc coupe.
The truck gets AC this build as the wife has earned her ride in the hot car on a road trip thing a long time ago and we would rather be comfortable on road trips short or long.

 

Finding space for all the required components (evaporator, compressor, condenser, electric fans, receiver/dryer) can be a challenge. Installing AC in a rod or custom will require lots of fitting (Translation: design compromises). Note in this test fit picture, less than 1" clearance to the shift lever.

Car is a 1962 Volvo PV544 (looks like an undersized 1941-1948 Ford sedan). The plan is to drive it to Lead Ain't Dead next month (a little over 1,100 miles). This project is still being "fine tuned".

I live at almost 5,000 Ft altitude, so it is cooler here - 10 to 20 degrees F cooler than the Valley of the Living Inferno (Phoenix and Tucson). I've stopped driving carbureted vehicles into the valley in the summer, due to vapor lock.

This evaporator puts out useful cool air into my face, but, I do not have enough radiator (this is a 1940's design). I got lots of heat soak in traffic, saw 215 F, had to turn off the AC.

I am slowly making changes - 1" lift at the rear of the hood to improve air circulation thru the radiator - insulation wrap on the header - Royal Purple Ice in the coolant (maybe snake oil - it was only $13) - home made cold air kit to bring cooler outside air to the carb - Toggle switch on the electric clutch wire (that way, I can unload the compressor and still have the evaporator fans blowing air).

Problems that I don't have an answer for - Radiator too small - Fan on water pump does not move enough air (I've thrown some $$$ at this, larger and/or deeper fans hit the AC belt pulleys) - no room for bigger electric fans - Etc

 

HRP
Imagine if that car was black!?

I think we have gotten soft. I remember driving around without AC. It’s all I had until I bought my first new vehicle in ‘94.
One advantage that ‘50 has is windwings. Roll the window down and turn the wind wings. That’s about as good as it gets.

Remember this was no big deal when a vehicle with no AC was you had.

Getting used to the heat helps. Being acclimated helps too.

I grew up without AC in the house. Fans were all we used. I believe we were able to take it better then.

 

Seems to me that the smaller early 30's cars are much more tolerable in the heat than later larger cars. The 48 coupe has AC, but if the AC is low on freon, it can be unbearable. The A pickup though, has no AC, no windows, lot's of air movement, just keep moving, it's fine.

 

Several years after I built my 39 ford coupe I added an under dash A/C, then later added a vintage air unit. When I built the convertible I put vintage air unit in it. I don’t do well in the heat anymore. I guess I’m just an old fart

 

As I get older my tolerance for heat is not what is once was. Was a lineman in the central valley for many years working in 100+ degree weather day in and day out. Our main car was my wife's black 55 with no ac and we drove it for many years. Now all of our daily drivers have ac-think we got spoiled. 40 and 55 both have AC but I don't use em that much unless she is with me. We drove that 55 to Laughlin Nevada in July once and it was 117 when we hit the Hotel--that was a bit too hot! We left at day break to go home across the desert We would not even consider it now without AC First car we owned with AC was an 86 Silverado pickup--all main cars have had AC since. Also our daily drivers are all black(19 Denali and Sierra 4 dr Z71 pickup)-wife only likes black cars and I have to keep em up.

 

I can do without AC but it must have a heater.

 

I'm still lucky to like and tolerate the heat. Windows down, wing windows open and away I go. Built two cars with air, only because I knew I would sell them and it's an easier sale that way.

 

Geeze, get creative you guys!

 

Hey!!!.It's AUGUST.......................deal with it. It's suppose to be miserable(almost everywhere) That's why it's called 'dog-days'!!!! J/K
I skip the non AC'ed rides when the humidity is this high(and heat)
Think I might try the north west next year about this time.
Its been..........."hotter-than-the-hinges-to-the-gates-of-hell" lately at the beach, even with the "sea breeze"!
6sally6

 

I roll the windows down and, on the cabriolet, I push the windshield open.