A/C for 6 volt system

[wherstam]

Is it possible to install A/C in a 6 volt system?

[Packard enthus.]

NO - it is not possible. All those air-conditioned pre World War Two Packards, Cadillacs and Chryslers, are just a figment of the imagination of us car buffs.

[MCHinson]

I was tempted to say that with enough time and money, anything is possible, but I see somebody beat me to posting a joking reply...

All joking aside, you might want to try these guys:

Old Air Products website

[Packard enthus.]

for wherstem - sorry..I just couldn't resist my smart-alec response. Seriously, you obviously arent aware that "factory air" meant 6 volts in the first years of factory air (1940-1942 & Packards 1953-54.

I personally dont need mechanical refrig. that bad up here in the high country where I live. But if I lived in a high humidity area, you BET I would air-condition my 6 volt collector cars. It is no big deal. The way I would do it, is, rather than to try and hunt down old 6 volt blowers and compressor clutches, is just "go modern" as to the electrical supply, meaning, of course, 12 volts.

You'd have to make up some brackets to add a modern 12 volt alternator ( I believe most, if not all modern alternator are internally regulated, so you'd only have ONE wire coming out of the alternator to be concerned with). Any number of modern compressors would work just fine - a simple on-and-off switch would handle the compressor clutch.

And, of course, you'd have to find a place for a small 12 volt battery. With a little imagination, about the only give-a-way that you had a modern electrical system would that 12 volt alternator & the compressor. Many modern units are physically quite small.

For the parts of the air conditioner that you have inside the car, there are a number of after-market "evaporator" units for just about any installation problem. Personally, I prefer the trunk mounted units - my own personal taste is I hate to see a collector car with that obviously "tacked on" dash unit so common in the 60's.

The big problem is the condensor. It has to be REALLY big - to be effective. You did not mention what era car you want to air condition - if we are talking about a car built before "false grills", as in pre, oh..around 1935...you might consider putting the condensor UNDER the car and having a powerful fan blow over it. Once you have a modern alternator, it will provide MORE than enough electricity to run a whole bunch of fans.

"Sizing" the evaporator, compressor, and condensor to work together at peak effiency, can be tricky - you get too far off, and the system will not cool effectively. If you can afford it, buy a complete "kit" with all the components "sized" to match each other by a responsible after-market air conditioning supplier.

So - dont let my first smart-alec "post" discourage you - of course it can be done, and it need not be expensive.