air conditioner/swamp cooler

[Don Jordan]

I was wondering if anyone had information on the window air cooler. There is no name or any identification marks on it. It was in the car when I got it and I really didn't pay any attention to it. Today I was going to see if I could figure it out - there was a rat's nest inside. I can't figure out how to take it apart to clean the inside. Does anyone have a manual? Or even know what they are called?

I would appreciate any feed back. Thanks

[JoelOkie]

This particular one is being called a thermador....I don't know if that was trade name, or a brand. They have been discussed fairly recently, so maybe you can find the information you are needing. Joel

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/thermador-swamp-cooler-car-truck-vw-30s-40s-50s-60s-70s-/270602991644?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0131f81c

[Don Jordan]

I must be doing something wrong. At the top of the page I hit Search... then I enter thermador and the only post that comes up are mine and something about a car in New Zeland.

I just have trouble with electrical communication.

At least I have the name and I can search on line.

Thank you very much for your response.

[1942cowdodge]

Don if it is anything like mine than I would just clean up the outside and maybe do a little WD-40 to the working parts. Its fairly easy thing to figure out as it has a water reservoir tank and some type of attachment to rotate that water up to the top of the cooler and then it just drain back down to the reservoir tank. Mine has a web of hay or something that looks like that? It just soaks up the water in the reservoir tank and like I said hold its till it drain back down threw the that webbing and into the tank. Interesting but they only really work where its hot-hot-hot and the climate is very dry.

[1942cowdodge]

Before I run oft and have a glass shop cut me another rear glass passenger door glass is there anyone here that might have a spare window glass that they might like to part with? Anyway just don't like to fiddle with door glass as its a pain in the butt to get out! Oh well life a bitch and then you die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Plymouthy Adams]

by typing in the google search engine (atuomotive evaporator cooler) I got a number of returns for differnt brand name, repops and "how they work" returns...unless you know your brand name getting a manual may be difficult, however you may identify yours by using the "images" search under the same search entry...

[JoelOkie]

Don if it is anything like mine than I would just clean up the outside and maybe do a little WD-40 to the working parts. Its fairly easy thing to figure out as it has a water reservoir tank and some type of attachment to rotate that water up to the top of the cooler and then it just drain back down to the reservoir tank. Mine has a web of hay or something that looks like that? It just soaks up the water in the reservoir tank and like I said hold its till it drain back down threw the that webbing and into the tank. Interesting but they only really work where its hot-hot-hot and the climate is very dry.

I suspect thay "hay" is excelsior, which was commonly sold at Western Auto, OTASCO (Oklahoma Tire & Supply), ect. to replace the water batts in Swamp/Water coolers. It acts as a wick to suspend, or hold the water where the air goes through it, if that is in fact what it is. Joel

[55 Fargo]

Before I run oft and have a glass shop cut me another rear glass passenger door glass is there anyone here that might have a spare window glass that they might like to part with? Anyway just don't like to fiddle with door glass as its a pain in the butt to get out! Oh well life a bitch and then you die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better the flat glass then the back window, they are curved, and not as easy to source, as brand new cut flat glass......Fred

[BobT-47P15]

Here's an article on auto swamp coolers on Wikipedia.........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_cooler

Thermador was a brand name.

In order to get inside one of those coolers, you may need to take some

tool plus a hammer to tap off the ends.....they are likely pressed on

originally.

[Don Jordan]

I got one end off - the problem was the whole end was sealed. It almost looked like tar to keep the water in. So I couldn't get "inside" the unit.

The problem is my wife. Since there was a rat's nest inside she was afraid we would be breathing rat poop fumes. Since I couldn't figure out how to get in the unit I am soaking the whole thing in bleach and water. I'm going to let it sit over night and hope that calms my wife.

The other thing is I'm not sure how much water you put in the thing and what is the little draw string for? There is a guy on the bay selling copies of the manual for $10 - what a scam. But then I may have to do it just to find out how to work the cooler. Can't find anything on line.

Thank you all for the help and information. I figure I'll hook it up next week end after I let it dry. Hopefully I won't get the plague. I'm driving to Sacramento on the 21st. About 400 miles. Wish me luck.

[BobT-47P15]

Looks like this guy chromed his cooler...........

I believe the string/pull cord turns it on and off for air coming thru.

I have a cooler - it's not in the best of shape - but do not have the

instruction book. Don't know how much water they hold......I guess

you can just start pouring, and you'll eventually find out when it's full.

They say some people even tried putting ice into them to make them

colder. They only work so good.......depending on the type of temp

and humidity at the time.

[fedoragent]

Folks,

I met a gent with one of these on his '36 Plymouth. He found a NoS Thermador but instead of regular ice...he puts in Dry Ice. He said it cools the car down better and the ice lasts longer. He finds that it cools down the car and doesn't get the inside of the car humid. When my car is on the road, being that this is SoCal I will need one.

When I was in the VW community, we had a vendor that some of us bought from. It was ClassicAire. http://www.classicaire.com/RamAir.htm

The dry ice method makes sense to me, but I wonder if this would cool down the car sufficiently for my coupe. I just won't know until I try it.

Just my two cents.

FG.

[james curl]

I am not sure you want to do that, this is what the dictionary has to say about dry ice.

"Because it sublimates into large quantities of carbon dioxide gas, which could displace oxygen-containing air and pose a danger of asphyxiation, dry ice should only be exposed to open air in a well-ventilated environment."

[fedoragent]

I am not sure you want to do that, this is what the dictionary has to say about dry ice.

"Because it sublimates into large quantities of carbon dioxide gas, which could displace oxygen-containing air and pose a danger of asphyxiation, dry ice should only be exposed to open air in a well-ventilated environment."

That explains why he was alittle bit off... lol.

FG.

[Plymouthy Adams]

maybe it was so efficient that he could drive with the windows down and still stay cool..

remember the faster you go the coller it gets...once knew a man who thought this was true..when he blew the engine 100 miles into the desert he was right when he said the engine must have froze..

[fedoragent]

maybe it was so efficient that he could drive with the windows down and still stay cool..

remember the faster you go the coller it gets...once knew a man who thought this was true..when he blew the engine 100 miles into the desert he was right when he said the engine must have froze..

Hence one of many reasons that I would not want to drive a vintage car in the desert. Also, yet one of the many reasons I wouldn't be in a desert in the first place. Wait...I live in LA...strike that.

FG.

[Don Coatney]

An evaporative cooler works on the principal of evaporation. When water evaporates it expands and cools the same as freon or any refrigerant. To better understand this principal try this. Dip your finger in some water. This water can be as hot as you can stand it. Then blow on your wet finger and you will feel it getting cooler. Using ice in an evaporative cooler does no good as the ice must change state and melt before it can evaporate in temperatures above freezing.

And as James Curl mentioned, CO2 (dry ice) will displace oxygen in a non vented area.

[Ernie Baily]

I bought mine at a swap meet for $35.00. I went to various car shows and found another on a car, so Took a photo of the logo and reproduced it though the graphics dept where I worked at the time( I have some extra silk screened decals too!) I wanted more info so I reserched the name and found out it is now Thermador WasteKing who make garbage disposals. I asked if they had a Archives and was told NO, but there was a old guy that has worked their forever and was the company history guy. Well I spoke to him and he sent me a copy of an old ad. This is all I have on them. I hope it helps!

Edited July 12, 2010 by Ernie Baily

[Don Jordan]

Very cool. Thank you. I'm wondering if that was the stock color. Mine is the same gray. Not a primer but gray.

I've seen a lot painted the same color as the car but I think I'd like to stay stock. I've seen a decal for the Thermador on the bay. That might be a nice touch.

[Ernie Baily]

According to the ad it was a Artic Gray in color. It sounds like yours is the original color. I guess the gray is a nuetral color, so it would look OK with any color car. When I bought mine it didn't have the support rod, so I just used flat steel and bent it accordingly and used felt on the end that slipped between the window glass and door.

[slicknapier]

I have this one on my VW, http://www.classicaire.com/Fan-Powered.htm . Works ok, but not this time of year because of the monsoons..

[fedoragent]

Folks,

As an engineer sometimes I come up with some really crazy ideas. I wanted to run one of those crazy ideas by you. I'm assuming that we all have a cold air intake vent that you open with your handle under the dash. With those Thermadors or Classic-Aires, couldn't one of those be modified to take the air from the top of that vent, route the air through one of those swamp coolers and into the interior of the car? As the ice melts, a hose could be employed to use as a drip somewhere outside of the car. I've drawn it up on a piece of paper here...and it's a crazy idea but do you guys think that would work?

The way I see it, it keeps you from having a HUGE protruding swamp cooler outside your window.

Just my .02 cents.

FG.

[1942cowdodge]

I packed mine with ice and then set up a fan to blow air into the opening to see what would happen. Well it didn't and I swear it was hotter in the car than outside. Mine is different than all of yours and I beleive the one I have must have been an earlier model. I use mine just for show and of course to brake my window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Young Ed]

FG thats similar to how the fresh air heater works. You open the cowl vent and there is a giant duct that forces air into the heater cores. There is also a drain system so if you do it in the rain or snow it drains out what comes in.

[fedoragent]

FG thats similar to how the fresh air heater works. You open the cowl vent and there is a giant duct that forces air into the heater cores. There is also a drain system so if you do it in the rain or snow it drains out what comes in.

I don't have those pieces in my car...there is supposed to be all of that? I don't have a heater core either...could you take a pic of yours and this assembly?

Thanks,

FG.