Trunk mounted AC on 38, anyone done this?

[Tomsriv]

I want to mount an air conditioner in the trunk of my 38 formal sedan.  I would mount in vertical and have it blow up through holes or vents in the package tray.  Has anyone done this?  Any recommendations?

[Gary]

No, I haven't done it.
Here is the first place I thought of :

http://www.classicautoair.com/trunk-air-conditioner.html

Gary

[Geoff]

Be aware of the fact that your rear seat passengers may not like cold air blowing on the back of their heads and neck.  No matter how you direct the vents, rear seat passengers are close enough that they will feel that cold air from behind, it is annoying and results in stiff necks and headaches.  The automobile manufacturers ran into this complaint years ago.  If I were going to all the trouble to put in rear AC I would direct the air via hoses above the headliner with the vents over about where the front of the rear seat will be and close to the sides  
A friend with a 136" wheelbase '34 sedan (which doesn't have a rear package tray anyway) used splitters on his  behind the dash unit and ran flex hoses along the sides on the floor under the carpet to vents in the side panels just above the rear arm rests --- see picture below.  I have a behind the dash unit on my 128" WB '35 sedan (with the biggest condenser I could fit up front) and no vents in the rear.  It cools well here in Florida but with a longer car than mine I can understand the need for more AC to the rear seat.
Geoff

[Tomsriv]

Thanks for the link and ideas.  Your right that having it blow on your neck is not that nice.  I like the vents.  I know they made a floor heater for a 38, I wish I could find a grate like the one they used on those setups and run the AC to it.

[Jeffro186]

I found the perfect thing for you.
 http://www.instructables.com/id/Portable-12V-Air-Conditioner---Cheap-and-easy!/

[Tomsriv]

OMG, that is perfect.  I could cover it with some nice material and be good to go!  That would save buying a compressor, condensor, better radiator etc etc.  Hmmm

[Jeffro186]

OMG, that is perfect.  I could cover it with some nice material and be good to go!  That would save buying a compressor, condensor, better radiator etc etc.  Hmmm

Hahahaha 

[Cadillac Kid-CLC #15364]

Tom,
Back in the '30s there were quite a few ingenious AC installations and many of them were done with Cadillacs.  The issue, however is that as you well know, there is little space (to hide components) in your car, and the majority of the installations being done for Passanger Medical reasons rather than just comfort, were anything but invisable, with compressors, drives, ducts and fans "hanging out" all over the vehicle.
One of the things I have seen done successfully is "hiding" the condenser under the car with an electric fan for airflow. 
The thought of a trunk mounted evaporator/blower could be made to work with the addeition of something like the early factory AC SAystems using "translucent" duct leadinhg up to the air distribution along the inside of the roof above the headliner.
It might be pricey, but doable.
Greg Surfas

[Tomsriv]

I'm really only going to need it for one day, my wedding day this summer.  I want my bride to be comfortable on the 45 min drive to the reception.  She told me she can't have the windows down blowing her hair or getting road dust on her dress.  The problem I have with AC is that unless you use it every few weeks the seals dry up and the freon leaks out.  Plus the cooling system usually needs major upgrades to handle the heat.  My cadillac is the 9019 five passenger.  It has a good amount of legroom, plenty to fit a cooler in front of us and the back of the front seat.

[Cadillac Kid-CLC #15364]

Tom,
Unless you live in the Sahara desert, one of the evaporative cooler type portable units won't make it.  If you are going to need air conditioning for only a 45 minute drive in the life of your car ownership it seems like with all due respect, you have two choices;
1.  Pop for the $4-5K that a good discreet system will cost to have made and installed in your car.
2. Use another car for your Wedding.
Greg Surfas

[pdxmose]

1.  Pop for the $4-5K that a good discreet system will cost to have made and installed in your car.

Or a less discrete, cheaper solution.

              ...mose

[SouthernCad]

 :doh:Why not give Vintage Air a call at: 1-800-tocoolu, or look them up at:http://www.vintageair.com/
They have all kinds of great units, most can be hidden very well, and I think they even have a trunk mount unit.
I've used them in a couple of builds and they work great...and nope, I don't have any affiliation with them

[Tomsriv]

Maybe we will do our exit, drive a few blocks, then switch into a car with AC.  Then switch back a few blocks from the reception    It seems like every dollar I've ever earned needs to be spent this year!

[Rhino]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portable-12V-Air-Conditioner---Cheap-and-easy!/
Couldn't resist.
OTOH you could mount the evaporator under the front seats unless there is already the optional heater core there. Look up the heater options on Google and rig something similar. If you are still six volt you can get five volt fans and use a small resistor to drop it a volt.

GM mounted several A/C units in the trunks. They piped air forward along the tops of the rear doors. Obviously they made pretty ductwork instead of using Home Depot universal shop vac hoses. The vents were mounted on the B pillar.

[INTMD8]

I've not yet installed it, but bought the Vintage Air 63200- VUX-A trunk mount for my Brougham.

Catalog- http://vintageair.com/catalog11/pg49wc.pdf

Installation instructions- http://vintageair.com/DownloadsSection/Universal%20Series%20Evaporators/Vacuum%20Series/63000-Series%20HC%20%28Inet%29.pdf