Haven't seen one of these in a long time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2406177309&category=34197

Make yourself one of the cool ones.

Heck! Gotta new one of those in the original box. It's "cool" man!

Were they ever a "Chevy accessory" or always after market?

Gator, as far as I know, they were always an after market item. I had one a couple of years ago and tried it out on my '37 coupe. It cooled the air off somewhat when you were under way, but the second you stopped the cooling also stopped and the humidity level was horrendous! You also couldn't lower the passenger side window and it blocked your view out that window. They might have worked OK in the desert, but in any hot, humid area, they weren't good at all. Mine stayed on for a very short time and my wife & I decided it had to go. Sold mine on Ebay, too.

-Bob

Yes, they were never offered by any car maker.Were commonly seen when traveling in the south west.I borrowed on when I drove to California in 1956 and when we pulled the cord In a '55 Chev Power Pack.

I always thought those were pretty "cool" but during that era, I was a kid and my parents wouldn't get one.

I think, at least for a while, someone was reproducing those coolers. Don't know if they're still in business, though.
My grandparents lived in the Phoenix area and always had a small "swamp" cooler on the front hump of the floor of their 1954 Nash. The air blew out of the top. I haven't seen one of those since.

Tom, Did they have the desert water bag hanging on the front bumper too??

I think they actually did have one for a while but then just hung it in the barn and forgot it. We did see plenty of them during our car trips across the Mojave between San Diego and Phoenix. If you want to be extra "cool" you can still get one!

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Greg Naiman
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