# Install AC system in car, or get new car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664 "2005-06-09T22:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/1 "2005-06-09T22:39:23Z")
I recently started a job as a driver for some extra cash. Unfortunately my car does not have an AC system (it was a hand me down from a family member - I used to work in the city so I didn’t really need one except to hang out). And the weather has been hot these past few days. So much so that I’m sweating to the point where the steeringwheel is slippery, and I begin to feel tired and dehydrated. Not exactly the best and safest of situtations to be in. It’s the beginning of summer essentially, so it can only get worse. Should I invest in an airconditioning for the car (2000 Kia Sephia) or should I just look for a newer (used) car instead? What do you guys think? ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/2 "2005-06-09T22:46:27Z")
I went to [KBB.com](http://KBB.com) to get the book value of the car. Since the sale value of the car is about $3000 without air, and $3325 with air, spending a thousand to two thousand dollars installing air conditioning wouldn’t make sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/3 "2005-06-09T22:47:51Z")
It’s an exceptionally expensive repair. Between 1500 and 3000, depending on the car. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/4 "2005-06-09T23:07:01Z")
Whoa! that’s a lot, I’d rather put that money on a down payment for a newer car. Argh, just a couple more weeks of heat endurance! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/5 "2005-06-10T02:28:42Z")
If you can’t do the work yourself, it’ll be expensive. Most low-end asian imports are shipped to dealers without AC or other installable options. The dealership installs them on an as-needed basis (or to inflate to price of every car on the lot, YMMV). You can go to a salvage yard and pull the necessary parts to DIY but you’ll need a lot of specialty tools (related to AC work, in general) to do it: line wrenches, guage set, vacuum, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/6 "2005-06-10T06:05:09Z")
They make swamp coolers for cars. I saw one once on a classic beetle. THe girl said it worked pretty good. No idea the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/7 "2005-06-10T07:26:26Z")
Buy a cooler, a battery (or an adapter, something to power the fan), an electric fan, a pipe, and some ice packs. Cut a hole in the top of the cooler, install the fan, plug it into the battery, cut a hole into the side of the cooler and install the pipe for blow-through purposes, and then place about five ice packs in the cooler. For the cost of no more than $75-100 total if you go nuts and a little dilligence in freezing the ice packs overnight you’ll have yourself a nice little air conditioner, and you don’t have to have any mechanical knowledge at all to do it. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/8 "2005-06-10T08:21:37Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Buy a cooler, a battery (or an adapter, something to power the fan), an electric fan, a pipe, and some ice packs. Cut a hole in the top of the cooler, install the fan, plug it into the battery, cut a hole into the side of the cooler and install the pipe for blow-through purposes, and then place about five ice packs in the cooler. > > For the cost of no more than $75-100 total if you go nuts and a little dilligence in freezing the ice packs overnight you’ll have yourself a nice little air conditioner, and you don’t have to have any mechanical knowledge at all to do it. Dude. All this time I’ve known you, and didn’t realize your name was Rube Goldberg. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/9 "2005-06-10T10:41:24Z")
Airman doors: Fan blows down(into the cooler) right? Whats the purpose of the pipe? Wouldn’t a hole in the side of the cooler suffice? (… so I happen to have all the parts and only a semi-functional A/C in my car…) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/10 "2005-06-10T11:10:37Z")
Hey that’s a great idea **Airman**. Looks like I have a project for this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/11 "2005-06-10T13:54:28Z")
Dude, you live in New Jersey, how hot can it get? O.K. I’m sure it can get pretty hot like anywhere else, but it cant last long. Roll your windows down and dress for the weather. What do you think folks did before AC was available in cars? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/12 "2005-06-10T14:03:54Z")
To bad you don’t have a pickup truck: > **[Webshots - Wallpaper / Screen Savers](https://webshots.com/weekly)** > > Webshots, the best in Wallpaper, Desktop Backgrounds, and Screen Savers since 1995. How about fold-down seats? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/13 "2005-06-10T16:40:41Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Hey that’s a great idea **Airman**. Looks like I have a project for this weekend. Yeah, if only I had thought of it first. It’s basically the directions for a ghetto swamp cooler. See [here](http://www.kooleraire.com/index.htm) for a commercial version of what I’m talking about. The reason for the pipe in the side is so that if you choose to use real ice instead of ice packs (or you just plain forget and you’re in a pinch) you won’t end up with a deluge in your car. Otherwise you can just put a hole in the side and that’s good enough. The fan sucks the air through the side and blows it out the top. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/14 "2005-06-10T19:29:00Z")
In NJ, it seems to be the humidity rather than the heat. So, **Airman Doors, USAF** suggestion for his Rube Goldberg cooler might not help all that much. “Swamp coolers” don’t help a lot with high humidity. Right now is a real good time to buy a new car, AC or no. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/install-ac-system-in-car-or-get-new-car/307664/15 "2005-06-10T21:28:19Z")
Thanks **Airman** I just may be bored enough to try this this weekend.