Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

In 1940 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it "full mechanical refrigeration cooling system".
Don't know if the link works for you.

And here the "weather conditioner".

That's the way to a 1940 1808 with Bishop and Babcock A/C.

The prewar AC units are fairly well documented. The one I'm curious about is the Henney implementation advertised for their 22-23 cars.

Packard dropped AC for immediate post war cars. When it was available again in 53 Packard used the GM Frigidaire (same as Cadillac's) unit instead of going back to something similar to the original prewar unit. Am assuming the prewar Packard unit was unavailable postwar so wondered who made the unit Henney installed. Also how it was mechanically configured and located in the ambulances.

With the seemingly total lack of engine components postwar for anything earlier than 53 for those trying to install AC on the S8's today, the compressor and belt drive on Henney engines are another curiosity.

HH56, the most knowledgeable Henney man I know of is Ken Chapmnan (PackardAPL) who frequents the PAC forum almost daily - why not give him a try?

Henney teamed up with the Trane Company of Lacrosse, Wisconsin and introduced it on the 1938 Model 884 Ambulances. It was powered by a 115 Volt generator coupled to the motor. One of the first models was shipped to McAllen, Texas. It was a one-ton Freon based mechanical system where Packard used the Servel compressor belt-driven by the engine which eliminated the 115 volt generator and motor. This move by Henney was because Sayers and Scovill displayed the first air-conditioned Ambulance in May 1937.

Thanks for that information. The generator providing 110 bit is interesting. I didn't realize there would have been that small of a unit available back then -- either generator or Air -- or was it some huge monstrosity like the self contained unit Cadillac and others were playing with before Packard introduced their smaller trunk unit. Would be very interesting to see how it all came together.

The generator providing 110 bit is interesting

That's for sure! I wasn't aware that a generator could produce AC current, much less a constant voltage and hertz as the rotational speed varies. Love to hear more details about that.

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Good points and I'd sure like to learn more too. I wonder if the generator was DC. They had the early Dynamotor setups to provide high voltage DC to the radios -- but that was low current. For an Air unit it would really need to up the current and size. Even if they had a regulator of some kind, you still have the problem just like the regular car generator of low output at low speed. Curiouser and curiouser.

G'day Nolan,
for including your '48 Henney Hearse AND '38 Henney Hearse in the Packard Owner's Registry. I took the liberty of changing the descriptions for each one to Henney Hearse from the sedan descriptions selected from the inflexible drop down lists. Now all 6 of your Packards are included in the Registry, congratulations!

Super Station Wagon and Flying Sportsman - Henney advertising dated 1954.




Source unknown.
Click to enlarge!

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11-11-16

Hi JW,

Yes I had seen this Popular Science magazine's write-up for Mr. Feldmann's 1954 Packard station wagon.

It would be interesting to see the air conditioning specs for the installation and the method for cool air distribution.

Thanks,
archiveman2977