I know, some will scoff at the use of an airconditioner in a hotrod. After the recent heatwave here in Cali, it is something I am going to include on my '30 coupe. So my question is this, Can you , or has anyone run the compressor off of an electric motor or installed the compressor in an alternate location other than the engine bay? I know anything can be made to work or fit with enough time and money, but seeing as how I don't have alot of either, I thought I'd see if anyone has input, ideas or info.
I know that some of the airbag guys mount their air compressors to run off of the driveshaft, I've also seen alternators run there. Poor spot for an alternator in my opinion but ideal for a hidden A/C compressor. Get a real small foreign compressor that doesn't require a ton of RPM's.
driveshaft, like nascar alternators output shaft of the trans (less movement, but ground clearance would be affected)
yeah- the compressor is just about the least of your worries...the giant box,condenser,dryer and 10 miles of large sized hose come to mind...
I did a 29 A sedan back in the 80's with A/C...I used the stock grille shell and a non A/C radiator.[condensor on radiator looks bad The compressor was a normal ooking one,and I installed a large condensor above the driveshaft [spaced off the floorbord about 2-3"]mounted at an angle with a shroud/scoop and a large diameter electric fan...it worked fine
Running off the driveshaft wouldn't be too good, it would only function when the car is moving(when you could roll down the windows and keep plenty cool), not when you really need it, sitting still in traffic, pissed off. Vintage Air and the other A/C guys have small units that have the whole box inside the car, not on the firewall. They hide inside the dash, not under it(May be a tight fit in a '30). They are also reproducing the under-dash unit that looks like it's from the sixties, scuff up the chrome a little so it doesn't look so obviously new, and it'll at least LOOK 40 years old, and if any body don't like it, fuck'em, let 'em sweat in their own car. It's your car, do what you want. I'm building an RPU which of course won't have A/C, but my 41 Dodge P/U will. I vowed 15 years ago, after driving a car with no A/C in Houston 100+ degree heat for six years, any car I own with windows and a roof will have A/C. These cars are supposed to be fun, if I'm sweltering in a steel box, I'm not having fun(but then again I'm old and fat). A roadster is different, feeling the weather is part of the whole idea. Just my 2 cents.
I'm running A/C and no one thinks I am. My compressor is directly under my alternator (L6) so you really have to look to see it. The condensor and dryer is in front of the radiator and behind a 16" electric fan. All of it, 100% of everything behind my grill is painted flat black. You have to really look to see what's there. Behind the dash is the evaporator/heatercore/fan unit. It's tucked nice and high and can't be seen unless you put your head under the dash. It blows through the original defrost vents and to the floor.
My buddy's sailboat has a 12V AC unit that might fit in the trunk of a car. It's at http://www.dcbreeze.com/. Works well in the boat, but he has big batteries and a huge alternator for power. If you have a car with an older 12V generator, it might not be enough to power this thing continously. It's big and expensive, though. You could concievably use a 110V to 12V inverter to run a small window AC compressor that could work in an automotive system that could be stashed someplace inconspicuous.
I called and asked, this system was designed for boats and uses the water to remove heat, so it would't work in a car.
The sailboat A/C is interesting. Kinda strange as well. Sailboats are the roadsters of the boating world imo. As well as being on the ocean, moving or anchored it's usually not that hot. And if it is, plenty of room for swimming . . . provided no sharks are nearby. Anyway, if I remember right an A/C condenser in a regular car consumes about 2 horsepower (HP). With 746 watts per horsepower a 12 volt system will draw 62 amps per horsepower. Two HP = 124 amps. Pretty much an un-doable deal far as I'm concerned. Why not use one of the smaller A/C compressors and mount it low on the engine just inside the frame? Similar to a low slung alternator mount. It wouldn't be too noticeable there. If you're running hood sides, no problems with onlookers. And if they don't like it . . . well . . . you know what to tell them. Fwiw, a guy down the road from me when I lived in Sunny California restored Model A's . . . sorta. His dark metallic blue 31 coupe was better than restored, Miller head, dual 81's, full pressure oiling, 46 Ford rear axle, the rest stock - I think. Anyway, he got an A/C unit out of a Ford Windstar van, mounted it high and forward inside the trunk. The controls came out inside the car and were a little awkward to use, but there was no A/C stuff hanging off the dash. The outlets were also in the rear package shelf. Compressor on the engine of course. It was a well thought out and nicely installed unit and made the car nice to drive on the Model A club's monthly highway trips. A few of the resto guys whined about the A/C unit not being official and all that, but with the strong running Miller head engine they were usually looking at taillights and couldn't keep up with the A/C coupe during highway cruises. And a few wives wondered why some of the Ford to the bone resto guys couldn't put A/C in their cars....
No, it gets plenty hot (and humid) some days, especially in the tropics. I was glad to get into a cool cabin on more than one occasion. Not sure what the compressor spec is, but it's less than your calcs, although I'm sure the BTU output is far lower than a typical car AC. When you think about it, I guess an automobile needs a pretty powerful cooling system to account for the heat from all the sunlight, heat from the drivetrain, and the generally poor thermal insulation. I wonder how many BTU's a modern AC unit handles?
I didn't think to look at your location. My sailing experience has been offshore from SoCal and out to the islands. Funny thing was, on the heatwave days where it would be touching on 100 degrees in our inland city about 30 miles from the coast, the girls would grab their Bikini's figuring they'd lay out on the deck and get a tan. A lot of the time, 100 degree days inland were 65 - 75 degrees on the coast. Add a little spray off the bow, 10-15 mph wind over the bow, they'd be back in the cockpit with us and wearing sweatshirts and long pants most times....
The conversion calculations should be right on. The HP rating was a guess, but I don't think it's too far off. If the compressor only consumed 1/2 HP, it would be sucking up 31 amps which is a chunk of power at 12 volts.
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