Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

2-7-17

I am writing an illustrated history of factory air conditioning. Volume One spans the periods 1940-1942 and 1953.

Does anyone know the story about the 1940 or 1941 Packard exhibit that cooled a side of beef?

An old wives' tale or true?

Comments?

Thanks,

archiveman2977

I hadn't heard the meat thing before but since the compressor was a modified commercial refrigeration unit and IIRC, there were some advertisements showing comparisons of the system to large blocks of ice it wouldn't surprise me if some enterprising marketing guy would try something like that.

Is the Volume one covering 40-41 and 53 only a misprint or are you limiting to 53.. Since 54 used the identical mechanical unit and apparently the only difference was a late substitution with the large plastic ducts instead of flat louvers, I would have thought both years would be covered.

2-7-17

Hi Howard,

How's the AC coming along? After I sent you the 1941 Packard Clipper pics taken from Terry Weiss's beautiful car, somehow I ran across your restoration blog......Holy Moly!

Also about the tale of cooling a side of beef, yes, the color brochures do include images of the blocks of ice. Yes, both 40 and 41 color brochure pieces are in my chapters. It would be nice to confirm such a tale, though.

As to my book, I am writing 5 chapters for 1940-1942: 1940, 1941, 1942 Packard; 1941 Cadillac, and 1940 Chrysler Imperial and 1942 DeSoto combined chapter.

I have just finished the 1940 Packard chapter: 8500 words and 91 mostly color images.

I have already written the 1953 chapters: Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Chrysler Corp cars- Chrysler, Imperial, DeSoto and Dodge, then Lincoln and Packard.

Most of these 1953 AC chapters run over 30 pages with 40-60 images each.

I am revising my 1953 Packard chapter to include a photo op of Billy Vaticalos' Cavalier with factory air. I took the pics at Salado 2015. Good timing because it is now in Brazil!

This Volume 1 will probably run +/- 300 pages, so Volume 2 will begin with 1954 and run through probably 1956.

Volume 3 will conclude with 1957-1960.

I am specifically using as much of the original brochures, road tests, owner's manuals, etc. which deal with AC.

I hope to publish Volume 1 this year.

Thanks for your comments.

See ya,

archiveman2977
Allen B. Simons
281-798-3031

That book sounds like quite a project and something I am looking forward to seeing in print. Ever since I saw my first AC back in the early 50s it has been a subject of interest and a must have option. Where I grew up in New Mexico swamp coolers were the thing and I can remember those which mounted or sat every which way in the car. Geez, when I think of some of the "mods" I made as a teenager to that Packard I drove in order to try and add some facsimile of a working AC.

The closest thing to compare to modern dry refrigeration without going to a full aftermarket (and expensive) add on refrigeration system was some contraption that relied on several frozen cans of slow melting liquid. The cans fit a metal shelf or holder located between some fins. Air could blow thru the cold fins and out the front. IIRC, depending on outside temp the cans were good for an hour or maybe two and then you would go to a filling station or store which was part of the program. For a small fee swap your melted cans for newly frozen ones so the trip could continue in air conditioned splendor. Being a broke teenager and not even having swap money I tried to make one of those using frozen milk cartons in an old sit over the tunnel swamp cooler. Those were the days.

2-8-17

Hi Howard,

Thanks for your reply.

I traveled to Phoenix several times, where I couldn't touch and open the metal car door handle. In talking to a mechanic in the 1980s, he said that they had "dry heat" so it didn't bother him.

Baloney.

He did say that cars shipped to Phoenix didn't have thermostats installed. I had never heard that before.

I grew up in the sweat-ing-ly worst city of Houston in the 1950s.

Have I sent you a sidebar from my book, "How hot was it? A Houstonian's viewpoint from the mid-1950s."? It leads into my automotive AC fascination.

If not I will send it to you in a PM. Let me know...

See ya,

archiveman2977
Allen

This might be helpful for your research,
ebay.com/itm/1954-PACKARD-AIR-CONDITIONI ... 98a43b68:g:CU8AAOSwjDZYm70c&vxp=mtr

Quote:

The service training book has good photos and print so worth having for that alone. It also has a few pages on theory and description of individual components that is not in the 51-4 service manual. The rest of the book consists of the same service and troubleshooting info that is in the AC section of the service manual.

I think that's one of the few Serviceman's Training Books we are missing from the archive here on the website.

I assume that you have seen the current issue of Classic Car/Hemmings which features Mac Arthurs 42 Packard which has pics of the AC-Evidently this car is still around