1971 Chrysler Airtemp Brochure

[toploader55]

With my idle time this winter, I've been going through boxes of "stuff" and found this

 

[toploader55]

Look at all the different models.

These used R-22 refridgerant.

Ice Cold Air

 

[toploader55]

Even Casement and Sliding Window models

I still have mine

 

[toploader55]

Last One

I remember seeing this Logo on all Chrysler Built Cars that had A/C

 

[a440]

Awesome!

Many of our schools had Airtemp window units!
If you had the units fan on low on a hot humid day in New Orleans the air coming out of the discharge was actually a freezing cold visible fog!
Bundle up!
Brent

 

[toploader55]

Yep.

Those were the Days. In 1970 The Administrative Offices got Brand New Airtemps. You almost wanted to get in trouble, because when it was 87-90 Outside, it would be 68 In the Office. Chilly ??? Uh Huh.

 

[a440]

Eddie,

I know it is weird, but I can still hear the pitch of the hum of these units.

Brent

 

[112561]

Pineapple Patti's on the highway in Fort Pierce had two '60s Coldspot air conditioners, one much bigger than the other, and they were still in use up until about four years ago. I don't know if they failed, or the owner of the business got the urge to replace them. Pineapple Patti's is an antique mall in a 1950s complex which used to be Dr. Bigger's Small Animal Hospital. Wish they could have come home with me.[this post was last edited: 12/12/2010-11:58]

 

[combo52]

COLD AIR-CONDITIONING

The reason older ACs put out such cold had nothing to due with using R-22 refrigerant, R-22 was still used till about year, it was because older ACs were much lower in operating efficiently. Old Airtemps, Whirlpools [ Coldspots ] and GE air-conditioners were my favorites for performance and durability. I even have a 1956 Airtemp 8000 BTU unit in my home shop which has an EER of 9.25, it was an ultra efficient machine in its day and still not bad at all, but it doesn't put out really cold air as a result of its high efficiently.

 

[sudsmaster]

I believe that Chrysler bought the Airtemp Company in the 1930's. Not sure when A/C made its way into their cars, though.

As an aside, back in the day, Chrysler was somewhat unique among the Big Three US automakers in that it tended to introduce new technologies first in its lowest priced lines - at least those technologies that didn't require a lot of horsepower to run. So even the lowly Plymouths got options like electric powered automatic chokes, "floating power", speedometers that changed color according to speed, etc., before the bigger marques got their versions. Obviously however A/C and automatic transmissions were power hogs and I think they probably showed up in Chryslers and DeSotos first.

I think Chrysler did it this way as a test method. If it bombed in the low priced line, no big deal, PR-wise. Once it was proven in a Plymouth or a Dodge, it then was allowed to be put into the TOL models.

All this started to change in the 50's and 60's, when styling became as important, if not more so, than engineering prowess.

 

[cornutt]

Interesting comment, Sudsmaster. I was just reading a book last night that stated that in the 1960 model year, Chrysler switched from ladder-frame to unibody construction for all of their brands -- except Imperial, which was their top-of-the-line brand at the time.