my stupid epic road trip idea..

The bigger question is how much you value your relationship with your lady friend. That trip in that car with no A/C will guarantee an end to the relationship. Even fans and a cool seat will guarantee that you will be in separate bedrooms for the trip. If enjoying companionship is important for the trip, rent a car.

IF you decide to proceed with a cool seat idea, why not source a small intercooler from a junkyard and use that to cool the water? OR replace the t-tops with solid metal plates with NACA ducts that lead to hoses that connect to the system or directly to your seat? OR pull the roof A/C units from some RV at the scrapyard and mount one in place of each T-Top. OR forget the OEM A/C setup, just pull the compressor and condenser from some old pickup in the scrapyard and mount a self-contained A/C "box" in the rear hatch run by a belt from the driveshaft.

We took our '01 'Zuk Grand Vitara to Tucson from Central Indiana in July. It was black, with dark tint. During the day, the floorboards would get so hot you could feel it through your shoes. The roof lining would be hot to the touch and we sweated constantly. With the AC on full blast.

It's a much more intense sun the closer to the equator you go. Trust me, rent a car with AC thats not black.

A little safety warning: When dry ice sublimates, it gives off carbon dioxide (because it is frozen carbon dioxide ). So just be aware of that and remember to open the doors/windows every now and again to get some fresh air in the car. Same thing goes for those fisherman that are driving back from Canada with their catch in a cooler full of dry ice in the back of a SUV...

can't resist ... Drive at night.....it will be cooler

I'd love to call you a Bob Costas, but I hate heat. I'd very much rather deal with extreme cold and a dead heater. OTOH I'd rather drive in a sauna than in a cold car with my Wife complaining about how cold she is.

I'm with the OP. I just left a three-year stint in Austin. One of my cars didn't have A/C and it wasn't the end of the world. I didn't prefer driving it when it was 104 degrees, but it also didn't suck.

My suggestion is to make your seat cooling passive instead of rigging up pumps and stuff. I always had the idea of making ventilated seats by cutting a hole in the floor, then putting a duct up under the padding. After it goes through the floor, it could take a 90 degree turn back, but the negative pressure under the car should constantly suck air through the padding and prevent soaking your shirt and would probably work to keep you cool.

Plus you can fart and nobody knows except the Dodge behind you.

Paint the roof white, including the t tops. Use a paint that comes off easy, like the type used on windshields at a used car lot. Driving at night is also cooler.

June is not as bad as July or August. When I was in Texas too many years ago. Cars did not have A/C. We just ran with all the windows open , dressed cool and dranklots of water and never go out in the noonday sun. We have just become so soft that A/C is now standard eqipment.

I came close to building one of these DIY 12V AC's, but went with a real AC unit instead. Basically, a bilge pump moves icewater through a small heater core, with fan(s) moving the air. Some clever ducting would let you put this in the back of the car and give each passenger a vent.
Commercial versions are available for small airplanes, boats, and the like.

Southern Air and other companies offer some fairly inexpensive AC units.

I drive around AL without A/C but no way in hell I would take my significant other on a long trip in the car. I am going to say rent a car!

Buy one of those beaded seat covers you see taxi driver's use. They raise you off the upholstered seat, keeping your back cool, ultimately keeping you cool.

However, I'm in the rent a car bandwagon.

regarding the relationship with my traveling companion: i think it would be ok after this.. she grew up poor like i did and never had a car with functional AC until she was an adult and she's one of those women that loves warmer temps.. she says the lack of AC probably won't be a problem.. she's 5'9" and about 130 pounds, so the extra heat will cause her to "dress down" a bit and make the trip more memorable..

RossD wrote: A little safety warning: When dry ice sublimates, it gives off carbon dioxide (because it is frozen carbon dioxide ). So just be aware of that and remember to open the doors/windows every now and again to get some fresh air in the car. Same thing goes for those fisherman that are driving back from Canada with their catch in a cooler full of dry ice in the back of a SUV...

depending on the humidity, if you dropped a chunk of dryice ontop of the heatercore and ran air over it, it could make fog. Dry ice makes a NICE low laying fog when exposed to warm water.. we use it in theatre just because of that

A set of louvers for the back window may help with the sun, and look cool anyhow. Cover the t-tops with vinyl wrap type stuff that you can peel of easily. Disconnect heater hoses so no residual heat comes in.

+1 actually finding a C41 car!

novaderrik wrote: regarding the relationship with my traveling companion: i think it would be ok after this.. she grew up poor like i did and never had a car with functional AC until she was an adult and she's one of those women that loves warmer temps.. she says the lack of AC probably won't be a problem.. she's 5'9" and about 130 pounds, so the extra heat will cause her to "dress down" a bit and make the trip more memorable..

Then go for it. Screw the rental car- you will show up in style. Just bring a cooler full of water, and think of how good that a/c'd room and ice cold beer is going to feel at the end of the day.

novaderrik wrote: regarding the relationship with my traveling companion: i think it would be ok after this.. she grew up poor like i did and never had a car with functional AC until she was an adult and she's one of those women that loves warmer temps.. she says the lack of AC probably won't be a problem.. she's 5'9" and about 130 pounds, so the extra heat will cause her to "dress down" a bit and make the trip more memorable..

We're gonna need pics.

novaderrik wrote: regarding the relationship with my traveling companion: i think it would be ok after this.. she grew up poor like i did and never had a car with functional AC until she was an adult and she's one of those women that loves warmer temps.. she says the lack of AC probably won't be a problem.. she's 5'9" and about 130 pounds, so the extra heat will cause her to "dress down" a bit and make the trip more memorable..

I'm gonna need a visual to confirm this statement.

I think he's talking about me.

Drove a Dodge Daytona from Michigan to Houston at a very similar time of year. 101 during the day. Drove only after about 8 at night and it was peachy. If you can bum daytime rides when you're in Texas then you'll be fine. I wouldn't bother with the cool seats. Just use common sense and don't drive when it's stupid hot and sunny. It wasn't too long ago that everyone did it like this.

i'm not reading through this whole thread but i'll say this .. First have never daily driven a car with working AC. Second I have been in bands that have done multiple summer tours in vans with no AC. In fact we once drove through Nevada with the heat on and windows up just to see who would crack first. quit over analyzing this. rent a car with ac or drive the Camaro. it really won't be that big of a deal

DukeOfUndersteer wrote:

novaderrik wrote: regarding the relationship with my traveling companion: i think it would be ok after this.. she grew up poor like i did and never had a car with functional AC until she was an adult and she's one of those women that loves warmer temps.. she says the lack of AC probably won't be a problem.. she's 5'9" and about 130 pounds, so the extra heat will cause her to "dress down" a bit and make the trip more memorable..

I'm gonna need a visual to confirm this statement.

last summer at the MN state fair.. she's a brunette now, which is her natural color.. looks even better..

i start ordering parts tomorrow.. this will be done.. shooting for 30+ mpg out of a 305 with flat top pistons and vortec heads with a quadrajet..

i had thought about trying to find a set of louvers for the rear window- and might even know someone that has some.. the t tops will probably get some white vinyl applied to the outside, with a layer of white paint rolled on the whole car. .but first things first- it's gotta run..

All I know is that I drove to bakersfield in 100+ temps and it was the only time I ever wished I had AC. My truck has no floor insulation so I got the heat from the gearbox and windows and I was pretty sure I was getting baked alaskan. If you are driving an unprepared car through that weather I wish you much luck! Seriously I'd rather beat the crap out of a rental than torture myself like that again. I ended up driving to Riverside(birdoo actually) the most beautiful city in the whole country, nothing but mexicans and cranksters.

made progress yesterday.. sorta.. i got the 305 short block out of the barn and it is now sitting in the back of my pickup, wrapped up in a tarp.. also filled a shopping cart at Rockauto with all the stuff to get the motor together. gonna price it out locally and see if i can beat the price to my door this way- Rockauto says the stuff gets shipped from 3 places, which adds over $60 to the cost in just shipping charges alone on an order of just over $250..

We make the trip down to New Orleans every year in cars with no AC. You'll survive. Covering the t-tops is a good idea but dont paint the T-tops. Send me the measurements of what you need to cover and I'll send you white vinyl to cover them with, it will help.

And despite the added airflow you definitely want the tops on. Ive done the trip 3 times in a hard top and 3 times in a convertible and the sun beating down on you is worse than being in a tin top for sure.