They're still around. The guys from Sport Compact Car used one on their Subaru
Impreza last year for the One Lap of America. Check it out at
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/Images/SwampCooler.jpg
B Strachan wrote:
> I'm sure you young whipper snappers on the list have never seen one, but
> us old pharts remember the car window style swamp coolers that were
> popular in the '50s. These things were cylindrical, about 8" in diameter
> and maybe 16" long, and they had a long rectangular projection coming
> out the side. You put this projection, which was the air vent, in your
> window and rolled up the glass to hold it in place. You then put some
> water in the pan in the bottom of the cylinder and pulled a little chain
> which dangled out of the vent. Pulling the chain rotated a cylindrical
> excelsior (shredded wood) pad inside the cooler through the water,
> moistening it. When you got underway, air from the slipstream entered
> the cylinder through a hole in front, evaporated water from the pad,
> giving up heat in the process, and cool, moist air came into the car.
> They worked well in Wendover, Utah, where the summer temps were usually
> right around 100 degrees and I don't think the relative humidity EVER
> got above 20%.
>
> In case you guys think I'm making this up, there is one of these coolers
> hanging from the ceiling of Majors Diner, a '50s style old-cars theme
> roadhouse on Interstate 8 about 40 miles up in the mountains east of
> here. I have lots of fun taking younger friends in there and asking
> them if they can identify the mystery object.
>
> Barrie
> '66 2000
> San Diego
> ----
> Daniel Neuman wrote:
> >
> > Hello Again,
> > Was looking through a catalog and came across something that might
>prove very interesting for people who live in HOT-DRY areas.
> > It's a swamp cooler for a car!!!!!
--
Gordon Glasgow
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org
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