There is a solution that the ‘old timers’ used during the early days of the automobile. Sometime in the 1950’s, an ‘old timer’ who grew up with the automobiles (1910-1930), told me how it was done in those early days.
There are three necessary component parts to this very basic ‘air conditioner’, and a couple of adjustments to your car, that are needed to make this system work. First item, 1 bucket of cold water (some use ice in the water). Second and third items: two bath-towels.
Now as to the necessary ‘adjustments’ to your car that are needed : All windows MUST be closed. That is except the windshield, which is to be opened about an inch or two : exact adjustment will be determined by the thickness of the next step in the process.
The bucket of cold (ice) water is to be placed on the floorboard, between the legs of the front-seat passenger. Into this water bucket are placed the two bath-towels. Now wring out one of the wet towels, leaving lots of wet moisture in it, and lay it horizontally across the top of the cowl’s Dash Rail, and below the bottom of the opened windshield. Adjust the windshield to make a tight fit with the towel, allowing no hot air from outside.
As the outside hot air passes through the cold wet towel, it will provide cool air to the interior of the car. This should be good for about 15 minutes (depending on how hot it is outside, and how fast you are driving). Once this towel has dried out and lost it’s ‘cool’, wring out the second towel (which has been floating in the cold ice water) and exchange it for the dried-out towel above the dash rail.
This system has a PROVEN history of successful cooling of the interior of the car. Each user also has the opportunity to ‘tweek’ the methodology to suit his/her own preferences. Some like to have some kind of cover for the water bucket, to minimize the sloshing water that will try to escape the bucket and make a mess on the floorboard. Once you too begin to utilize this amazingly simple ‘air conditioner’, you can adjust the system to suit your own needs and preferences.
It should be noted, that while this system WILL WORK, it does have a definite life span. As the cold water in the bucket becomes less, and less cold, so does your ‘air conditioning’ system.
I have only used this set-up twice in the 60 years that I have been driving Ford Model As. For most of us, and for most of the time, this historic link to an earlier (and primitive) solution to a problem is just ‘not worth the effort or hassle’.
There are many aspects to ‘living history’ that driving the Model A can allow us to learn from. This is one of them - a small esoteric footnote that is of little consequence, but fun to know never-the-less. And did I point out - IT DOES WORK !
