a/c in a hot rod? Can't we all get along?

I'm setting here in the garage drinking an Ice Cold Beer thinking I'd like to go for a ride in the coupe, the temp says 99 in the shade. I think I'll just stay here in the shade and have another one, It's just to damn hot for this old man to take a drive in this heat, tell you one thing, the coupe will have a/c before next summer, screw this shit, it's hot.
And to think, It's only July

 

A/C up Next for our 1950 Chevy pickup.
Evaporator going in behind the seat.

 

In the late 60's I worked in a Chev dealer as a lot boy, and I drove the used cars home at night to test them out and let the shop know what to fix the next day. I jumped into a 56 Chev wagon on night and found, much to my surprise, it had PS, PB, power seat, and AC. The car had no problems and worked fine, so I drove it a couple of days to enjoy the cold during the few hot days we had. Considering the enthusiasm and desire for innovation, I'd bet one could find rods of the period with air. Not something everyone did, for sure, but it was available and pretty normal in some markets OEM offerings in the 50's and early 60's.

 

You Make My Point for A/C

 

C'Mon now. Tradition calls for sitting in an overheating car sweating your coockaloons off smelling like monkey house # 6. If that's what tradition calls for then that's what shall be done dang it. You just buy a can of Cruex and a hula girl air freshner to cover the smell of sweady butts crack on the Mo Hair.
I like the people that stick their heads in an old car and love the smell of them. Little do they know that they love the smell of 75 years of melted ass.

 

My `53 im building will have a/c!!

 

I never had air in anything before I was 50 including my old house, now I have it in everything, farm tractors, pu, ot buick, and it's going in my A cause I likes it.

 

I have an aftermarket underdash unit my dad bought sometime in the 50's and never installed. It's a pretty good bet it'll end up in the 40 at some point.

 

Back in the 70's my daily driver through several Phoenix summers and winters was my dearly loved '66 GT-350, rigidly maintained just like Carroll designed it. My hide-bound purist attitude finally got the better of me one hot summer, and the car went down the road. Now I wish I hadn't been so stubborn ... I might still have a '66 Shelby!

Barry
a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds ... Emerson

 

I feel ya dude. But some dudes want period correct. You don't. But others do. They're willing to go without comforts for it. No ac sucks when its hot. Bias tires aren't as smooth as radials. No tunes means I can't blast Geto Boys, But I love it. Its worth it. There are plenty of award winning cover cars driven by smelly dehydrated stupid people.

And so there is no confusion: I don't care if you have ac or not. No judgment. No bigotry here. Just don't care. I just can't for the life of me see why anyone would look down on period correct stuff on the Hamb of all places.

 

A/C on an otherwise very traditional looking early style hot rods clutters things up and makes the car look like it is trying to walk a line between traditional and comfortable. Well, guess what that's exactly what they're trying to do. This is not 1956. I agree completely with whoever said that if such a thing as a compact, inexpensive A/C set up was readily available back when traditional hot rods were just hot rods there would have been plenty of them. The douche who made the comment was just trying to show how much he knows about hot rods. Unfortunately he succeeded. I'll bet he wouldn't have liked it if you made fun of his pompadour.

 

Ive been working on cars in non a/c shops and driving non a/c cars since I was 15. Im still doing it, but the two cars(one car and 1 truck) Im building now are getting a/c. I put in in a lot of customers cars, I'd say 9 outa 10. Im with the traditionalists that if its open it shouldnt have it, just cause its ugly. BUT, if it were mine I would put it in just cause its fucn hot in texas and Ive paid my dues!! I do like to see my motor more than my alternator and compressor, so Ill put em as low as I can but thats personal preference. Not cause Im afraid of what someone will say. Im not tryin to prove Im a hot rodder or car guy to anyone!! If you ARE, your probbably NOT!

 

Dude no joke....
Im trying to hold out (Mainly cause i cant afford a/c). My 72 nova was black. No a/c.
worked awsome in california...But i nearly had heat stroke driving across town Seriously.

If i could afford it. I would!!! more power to you for driving it (more) often

 

Yep, it's OK to disagree with me, can't all see eye to eye.

Naw, I'm not gonna start a "define this" thread, I'm secure in my definition of what is and is not a "hot rod"...and it's not a '57 Chevy or a '55 Caddy or even my '40 Stude either (all are kustoms)...so if you want to define it, you can start it.

BTW, what do you define your '55 as...???

R-

 

Some people just don't respect tradition. Visited the old farm where I grew up. Damn newcomers put in indoor plumbing.

 

Anti-monkey butt would take care of some of that smell...

 

Have it in my pickup,49 merc and its goin in my 36 cabriolet.

Went to the nats a few years ago and the sign read 115, not only was no one sitting near their cars all weekend, People had air conditioning in the tents they had rented to get out of the heat.
I think it was the 80's I drove my chopped and channeled 32 to columbus with my wife,son ,daughter it was tight I might add luggage in a trash bag no chairs,cooler,if you ever had a channeled car u know what I mean. It was fun .

Been there done,its time for comfort we drive far and its not pleasent and it takes 3 days to get the wind noise out of your head
Just sayin, FRANK

 

neither the 67 I dd now, nor the 64 I'll be dd-ing in a few weeks have air and I hate myself for it. heat index of 102 yesterday and I felt twice my age after the time I made the 25 minute drive home from work.
When I have AC I don't run it though. Grandpa used to always point out the overheated cars on the side of the road and say "That's why we're not running the air" when I was a kid, and fact or myth it's ingrained in me.

 

I'm 68 and have some medical issues that seem to flare up when I am exposed to high temperatures. Never had A/C in anything I drove for years. And never in one of my hot rods. But, the next one I build is going to get A/C. But first, I have to put A/C in my shop so I can build it!

 

Who gives a rats ass if someone sees an A/C compressor on your motor? Unless your the kid of person who opens their hood for all to see. I never open my hood for douches to lean over my fenders and critique the engine compartment. The 409 emblems on the fenders is all they need to see. In this day and age, there's no reason to sweat your ass off and buy Anti Monkey Butt Powder and Cruex by the case.

 

Hood?

 

I long ago gave up on caring what others think of me and my cars. They are not paying my bills and I do not value thier opinions. Enjoy you car your way and f--k those who try to force thier ideas on you.
Happy motoring

 

My random thoughts on this subject (and maybe others):

No, we can't all get along.

We definitely can't all get along since a lot of folks have different ideas of what a "hot rod" is, to me it's pre-'35 stuff. Those are the types of cars I think of when I hear the phrase.

I'm building a custom, it'll probably have A/C someday. Customs are more about comfort than speed.

If you think A/C isn't acceptable because it's going to tax your motor, build a better one.

I critique cars here on the HAMB when they don't fit. Sometimes I keep it to myself, other times I don't. I critique cars with my dad and my brother when we go to shows, but always in private. I have never walked up to a guy and berated his vehicle. There may be reasons why I don't like the car, but there's no reason to beat up another for his reasons for building it a certain way.

 

If the A/C hadn't been there, he would have said something similar about the next thing his eyes fell on.

The problem wasn't your A/C, it was his need to be seen as better than others. You just happened to be parked there.

 

Damn whipper snappers.......when I was a boy we didn't even have air conditioning in the house, much less the car!

 

[QUOTE
(working on son's 25 year old late model suburban trying to get the AC working for a trip to socal....leaving tomorrow...we'd take the 55 without air, but the back seat is kinda small for the other kiddo who's 20 now)[/QUOTE]

Back seat in a 55 kind of small??!! Who's the other kiddo, Paul Bunyan?

 

You handled that perfectly---it has worked for me once before but I kinda forgot about it. Great reminder----screw the critics.

 

Think we are all guilty of that from time to time, I used to be ultra critical of others cars, I wouldn't have done that etc etc, but then I got to thinking it would be a pretty boring world if everyone was driving exactly what I liked so I learnt to shut my mouth, Its someones pride an joy so who am I to critisise.

 

A/C? hell yes! if my grandkids are gonna go anywhere with me their gonna have the option of A/C. the one reason i used to hate A/C was it was a huge pain to work around and these days if you ever travel at all having A/C is a great comfort.

 

Problem is they dont work worth a damn in humid climates....

Probably putting ac in the 56... hell guys remember that my 61 impala has factory ac option.... So how is ac not period correct honestly?