air conditioning

I have seen several posts here about people regretting getting a/c in their speedsters, I wanted to get the general opinion on it, in the 2 speedsters that I'm building rightnow, I'm planning to have one as a semi-daily driver and note that I live in south texas, talk about hot wheater. so what are the opinions on this

consider the fact the the powerplants are type 1's

Steve, I've got a three monthe old VS with a/c. I love it. Even with the top down we run it in Phoenix. Works well. Gary Turner

I know that a lot of people run their air on while driving with the top down, but it just seems weird to me. top down and air conditioning on...very strange...how can you tell I live in Canada? If I had air conditioning in a convertible, and had it on in the summer, I'd freeze my ass off!
Ron

Ron,

Keeps the brewski's colder, don't you know!

Bruce

Gary: what engine are you running and do you feel the a/c load being extreme?

Steve, According to Kirk at VS I have a 1907cc engine. These were made to be sold in Las Vegas. I ac pulls the idle rpm down a little but is not noticeable when driving. Works real well. Gary

excellent, thanks

Hey Ron O!!!!!

I was in kind-of a Peace Corp. thing in Honduras in the late 60's, and one of the locals had a VW Pickup very similar to yours (only with the "rompin-stompin" 36hp motor). He also had an A/C unit hung on the window. It was what I think I've seen as a "Swamp Cooler" in some magazine ads - hung on the passenger side window, looked like a torpedo launcher with a blower in it, a small tank on the top for water, and what looked like a gauze towel inside the tube which had water dripped down it. As you rode along the water on the towel cooled and that cooled the air passing through it into the cab and you got cool(er) air. It wasn't terrific, but it did work and, while I expected the output to be really humid, it didn't seem that way (of course, it was pretty humid outside to begin with - maybe I just couldn't tell the difference!!)

Now.......I wouldn't expect this to be the solution for a Canadian climate (I would expect it to ice up even in the Summer) but you would certainly be the only person riding around your neighborhood with one and the explanations, along with those telling about your Speedster, what it is and all that, might be pretty good.

"Yeah, well, It's supposed to be an Air Conditioning unit, but I only use it for cooling my Molson's"