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JD, That's certainly in line with what I would THINK these units would perform like; if they DID work, everybody would have one! I'm older and somewhat jaded, but I see the world of advertising as 'the great big lie' and virtually NOTHING works 'as advertised'. I love the way they show trucks and jeeps in ads today, flying through the air and scaling rock cliffs - if you drove your new vehicle like that, it wouldn't last a month, yet that is the perception they try and purport. Honestly, I can't think of the last thing I bought that actually worked like the ads said it should. As a kid, I read Popular Mechanics with all their ads and ideas, and marveled, wide-eyed, at so many of them. Luckily I didn't have the extra cash to 'buy-in' and probably saved myself from a lot of disappointment. I used to have a boss who was fond of saying 'they have engineers at the factory who look after these things - leave it to them'. Chris.

How about Make-Your_Own AC for your car?
May 1949 Popular Mechanics
Wes

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There a lot of great post and pictures on this site, but if the pictures aren't indexed to be searched, it can be difficult to find. I have posted a few,

So here are some of the pictures I have posted or taken of aftermarket A/C on Packards.

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More straight eight engines

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Interesting seeing the factory A/C compressor on an aftermarket A/C but it is my understanding that Packard or dealers offered a "kit" of sorts for the purpose. I'm not an expert but I don't believe it would have been painted engine color, though, and it appears to have a different bracket as the oil filter does not appear to be attached to it as it was on factory A/C. Tucson Packards has a beautiful Executive Sedan with a similar setup but I don't recall noticing how the filter was attached.

If you are referring to the Lehigh compressor, it was apparently used by aftermarket companies in the mid 50s much like the Yorks and Tecumsehs were in the 60s and 70s. ARA used it on their dealer installed trunk systems which have been so often referred to as a factory AC. I believe Packard in the true factory thru the dash AC configuration was the only one that made and incorporated their own bracket which held the oil filter and also formed the bottom of the compressor crankcase. I have a Lehigh with a flat bottom mount that bolts on to an aftermarket flat plate just like a York compressor.

The ARA units also mounted their Lehighs on the left and moved the oil filter but their filter mount was attached to a separate bracket which mounted to the engine using water manifold bolts.

Thank you, Howard. I've also seen the Lehigh compressors mounted on the right side of the engine as someone posted yesterday. In the meantime, here is an aftermarket Pivot unit in one of the Tucson Packards cars which appears to be complete and I have an ARA at my shop, which uses the York compressor.

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From the 1955-1956 Packard Facebook page
Hope you can open this.
This is a 1956 400, NOT mine.
I can not make out the under dash A/C name.

facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=102133092844 ... 09316685801176&type=3&theater&ifg=1

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Here are a few photos of the after market AC fitted to 5582-01001 (the first production 1955 Patrician). LTRD is familiar with this Packard and may be able to add more information.

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I'd like to add one in the trunk like Howard did.....