Unidentified auto accessory by goodoleboy
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Description
Captured back on 10/20/08, on the beautiful grounds of the beautiful and legendary Santa Anita Race Track, in beautiful Arcadia, California.
The auto show was held on a separate area from the actual race track itself.
Zoom for a better look.
Okay, some of you wondered what the purpose was of a cylindrical shaped object hanging off the right rear window of a 1948 Plymouth that I posted yesterday.
I wasn't absolutely sure of what it was, and surmised that it may be an air conditioning unit of some sort, and positive it wasn't original equipment.
Anyway, I knew I had seen one at a previous motor vehicle show, so last night I madly perused my files and came up with three autos I had seen them on: the tan 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe pictured above, the car to its left, and on a 1938 Buick Century that I will be posting soon.
I knew it was unusual when I first saw it and took some pics, but didn't bother asking what it was used for because there weren't any of the car owners nearby to ask. And it ranked low on my priority list at the time so I let it go at that.
If anyone out there knows exactly what it is, please let us know.
Arreviderci, thanks for popping in, and for any and all complimentary comments and favs.
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Achtung, achtung!
Kudos to tennesseecowgirl and especially to Str4wB34ry for identifying and offering information on this device. Thanks loads, my friends!
Comments (22)
Meisiekind
Well, before reading your narrative, I thought that it must be some kind of either air filtration or air conditioning system!! Not bad for a gal eh??? lol...
Hendesse
Cool car, first I thought the had a rocket launcher on the side. Excellent photographs of this unusual looking car.
MrsRatbag
A rocket launcher! Great idea, wish I had one of those on my car... Well, I hope someone knows what it really is! Great shots of the strange accessory!
Faemike55
I like the idea of the rocket launcher
jocko500
it singles UFO's to come by them so they can be beam up by them. lol I got no idea. cool sjots of them. hope to find out about this
prutzworks
eh, an outboard subwoofer system? lol well seen and presentation
tennesseecowgirl
It is an air conditioner, before they invented the newer air conditioner we are all use to... You would fill the cylinder with ice, and the faster the turbine fan would spin as you drove the cooler it would make the interior of the car.. okay what do I win?? LOL I asked a friend that knows cars and he said that they started using these in 1947 .. by the way terrific looking car!!! :)
Str4wB34ry
Great shots of these 50's crusiers and a cool find to spot so many with such an unusual accessory. The close ups show a 'Thermador Swamp Cooler'old school air conditioning/cooling for your vehicle and were produced from the 1930's onwards. Window mounted swamp coolers used the principle of onrushing air and evaporative cooling to lower temperature. One model used balsa-wood shavings in a pad within the unit. The car owner added water to the container that soaked the shavings and when air was forced through the unit the water would evaporate giving a cooling effect. The cool air would blow through a vent at a right angle on the main unit into the passenger's compartment. Fine whilst you were moving but no good sitting at the lights, so later models had an electric fan fitted! Must have been really drafty and one can only imagine the wind noise created at high speeds.
bugatti
yah ... I thought something along those lines. About 1960 we used to travel in Argentina, I had a jeep, and we used to hang water bags outside the car, bags made with thick sail like fabric, it wasn't quite waterproof, the water soaked the fabric, the wind evaporated the surface moisture and cooled the drinking water inside ...
Hubba1
Im with Mrs Ratbag, A rocket for sure! Didnt realize I had to look in the past for my flyin car :)
mermaid
now this is truely fascinating, Harry, never have seen them before, my first thought was some kind of extra megaphone...lol... but now the riddle is solved
morningglory
Not exactly attractive, but I guess it worked OK...the screening kept out the bugs. Very interesting, Harry.
babuci
I think you got your answer Harry and you were right too. That pod is a car cooler. Great unusual and very interesting collage.
mbz2662
Nice shots :)
whaleman
Aw, I thought they were surface-to-rubber missiles from back in the wilder days...
debbielove
So! the mystery is solved, Harry.. You were right.. More great shots of a weird looking device.. And, it must be said, if you were standing too close as it went past, well, your elbow was a gonna! Great shots mate! Rob
Rainastorm
Very interesting, and yet pretty cool looking machine here Harry!
witch_1612
Wonderful Work!!!
danapommet
Mystery solved and isn't it great to learn something new everyday here at RR. Beautiful finish on this classic. Dana
watapki66
Very cool capture!
myrrhluz
Your title and curiosity brought me to this image. Very interesting information. Excellent images! I like the silver, curved and segmented area on the front inside and the star on the back. The star is peeking over the back in the last picture. I can't see what the decoration on the other side is, but it doesn't look as bold and brassy as the star. I remember those kind of door handles and am wondering how long they were in use. I remember some others too, that were later and had the same kind of push in action, but were shaped differently. Lovely images and very interesting!
bmac62
Great shot. How did I miss this when it originally came up...I know I had an out-of-town guest visiting and I disappeared for a week. I do remember these from the 50s. They weren't seen often but they were cheap and did work as described above. My family's car airconditioner was all four windows rolled down and 55 MPH.