Grad student bolts air-conditioner onto car to beat Texas heat

Trust us, Texas isn't the only place on the verge of melting right now, but this solution to solving one's automotive AC problems is the perfect marriage of tawdry and frugal. As you can clearly see in the photo above, a University of Houston graduate student opted to retrofit a home air-conditioner into his vehicle rather than coughing up $1,200 to have it repaired the right way, and while we've no idea how much he spent on the unit itself, the wiring, or the additional gas thanks to the added drag, we have a sneaking suspicion that this mod was about more than dollars and cents. Click on through for a few more photos, but please refrain from trying this on your own ride, cool?

[Via Wired]

[omnicloud @ Aug 11th 2007 8:59PM]

Would that be illegal?

[Joe @ Aug 12th 2007 10:26AM]

Yup and it would have been easier to use a propane one meant for a camper.

[Bob @ Aug 12th 2007 12:13PM]

I don't know about it being illegal, since you are allowed tote those little camper looking shells on top of SUV's and what not. Plus haven't we all seen our share of people holding mattresses among other things on top of their car?

And finally remember it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

[Brien Mizell @ Aug 12th 2007 12:26PM]

Illegal or not that is frigg'n genius!!!!! Forget candy, AC is the new way to get unsuspecting kids in your car! Sup kid-o i gots a oh, henry! and some fancy AC in my car... Jump in... you know you want to!

[Chris Taylor @ Aug 11th 2007 9:01PM]

I just hope that thing is secured... could you imagine that thing flying off and hitting your car at 50-60mph???

[Bernhard @ Aug 11th 2007 9:02PM]

I wonder what would happen if the weight of that thing is too much for the roof to handle...

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 11th 2007 11:13PM]

He should have mounted it in the rear window to reduce drag, center of gravity, load on the roof, and it would make for easier installation, adjustment of the temperature (vs getting out at red lights), and over all aesthetics.

[Fruition @ Aug 12th 2007 1:40AM]

But if he mounted it on the rear he couldn't see anything out his rear-view mirror... Which wouldn't really be too big of a problem until he backs up and runs somebody over.

[Adam @ Aug 12th 2007 11:14AM]

trucks dont have rearviews... you learn that they're a luxury.

[christapher @ Aug 13th 2007 10:00AM]

it looks to me like he just put some sheet metal over his sunroof, that way he doesnt have to cut a hole in the roof of his car

[Shre @ Aug 11th 2007 9:10PM]

Man it isn't THAT hot in Texas. If you just get your car checked out every once in awhile you could catch being low on antifreeze. Try getting one of those little bottles and see if those work because you just might be out of antifreeze and the mechanic is trying to steal your money. (I would laugh at someone with that on their car if i saw that)

[MEAT! @ Aug 11th 2007 9:25PM]

Anti...freeze? I think you might be confusing AC refrigerant (which really shouldn't leak out if the system is working) with the cooling system for the car itself.

I'm going to venture to guess that whatever your mechanic says to you, you should probably believe him.

[Shre @ Aug 11th 2007 10:01PM]

Wow yeah i definitely did mean the refrigerant......i must have been up way to long tonight >_< And i was talking about the car running out of the refrigerant as it happens sometimes.

[Miles @ Aug 12th 2007 2:34PM]

I'm sure this guy knows about the freon, and that is only like $300 to replace.
I'm sure a belt or the whole system went out for the cost to be $1200.
But then again, it could just be a nasty mechanic.

[Ryan @ Aug 11th 2007 9:14PM]

This guy is also driving around with expired registration stickers and tags for his car. They expired in 2006.

They aired it on our local news here in Austin, TX. What a goofball.

[kerunt @ Aug 11th 2007 9:33PM]

Jackass? What exactly did the fella do to you to warrant calling him a jackass, jackass? Trying to boost some self esteem by swearing at random people on the internet? Here, have another 10%... Now get the hell off Engadget - and stay off!

[John @ Aug 11th 2007 9:55PM]

UH OH LJ DRAMA!!!

[Tavis Veighey @ Aug 11th 2007 9:59PM]

Talk about a hit to your MPG? I mean between the wind drag, and the extra load generating the electricity needed to fuel that power sucking monster.

He would have done better if he had just put a down payment on another used auto...

[Jeff @ Aug 11th 2007 10:21PM]

I'd hate to have to be the one to clean the filter on that thing...

[nik @ Aug 11th 2007 10:11PM]

uh, isn't it "tanks", not "thanks"?

[Greg @ Aug 11th 2007 10:17PM]

so does he have to buy another unit every time it rains? last time i checked water and electrical appliances don't mix, and that thing doesn't look water proof.

[matthew @ Aug 11th 2007 10:20PM]

doesn't most of the unit hang out your window? i'm guessing it can get pretty wet out there

[Keith @ Aug 11th 2007 10:33PM]

I'm not sure what you mean. These kind of air conditioning units are designed to withstand a little water on the outside of the unit, albeit not on top of a car at fifty miles per hour. I suppose the "indoor" part of the AC unit could be fried though.

[Dave @ Aug 11th 2007 10:28PM]

I'm not sure. However, my washing machine uses copious amounts of water and seems to work just fine...

[Adam @ Aug 11th 2007 10:22PM]

Last time I checked the air-conditioner stays on the outside of your house... ya' know... where it rains.

[slibus @ Aug 11th 2007 10:26PM]

What a tool, it doesn't cost 1200 bucks to fix an AC system in a car. Shit for 1200 he could buy another POS with a working AC and drive that.

[MacGuru @ Aug 12th 2007 12:36PM]

You obviously don't libe in a hot city like Houston or you wouldn't be making this kind of nonsense posts.
It CAN cost that much buddy, believe me.

[chris @ Aug 11th 2007 10:43PM]

this guy is the man.

[Jeff D @ Aug 11th 2007 10:51PM]

Slibus, it does cost that much when you drive an old POS that runs on freon (which you can't get anymore) and have to replace the entire AC system.

[chay @ Aug 11th 2007 11:05PM]

what an idiot!, what did he graduate? why wouldn't you put it in the boot and vent it through the parcel tray?

[Fruition @ Aug 12th 2007 1:33AM]

The guy lives in Texas, I think he'd tell you his car doesn't wear boots.

[chay @ Aug 12th 2007 1:59AM]

sorry a boot is Australian for trunk( i think a trunk sounds like something that goes at the front)

[berry.jon @ Aug 12th 2007 12:36PM]

Parcel tray? Is that like a glove box?

[mark @ Aug 11th 2007 11:13PM]

Should'a used a Delorean.

[Kevin Ha @ Aug 11th 2007 11:55PM]

It was all about costs. He was interviewed on local tv.
He said it cost him about $300 for this setup.

[Jeremy @ Aug 12th 2007 12:03AM]

Most people usually don't have fifty grand to plunk down on a Delorean. Heck for that much he could replace his A/C and buy another car.

[J Conway @ Aug 12th 2007 12:08AM]

that doesnt seem too special to me. who cares?

[locknroll @ Aug 12th 2007 12:25AM]

Oh come on guys. This is awesome. Although he probably should have mounted it in the trunk instead. Less chance of being vandalized/pulled over for suspected terrorism.

The sad part is someone will jack this right off his car and use it for their apartment.

[WelshSage @ Aug 12th 2007 12:32AM]

I guess he never heard of rolling down the windows...

[MacGuru @ Aug 12th 2007 12:38PM]

In case you didn't know, rolling down the windows in 99F weather doesn't really cool you off....

[james arbel @ Aug 12th 2007 1:27AM]

i thing it's great thing

[Chris Johnson @ Aug 12th 2007 1:37AM]

Buahaha... he must be part Mexican.

I live on the border, and that type of thing is very common.

Just to bring more shame to this great state of Temexico, I came across this in McAllen Tx -

http://www.2000transam.com/temp/IMAGE_020.jpg

Add to that about 8 NRA stickers on the vehicle and we have a winner!

[Joe @ Aug 12th 2007 10:28AM]

::LOLs at the emergency room::

[Erik P @ Aug 12th 2007 10:58AM]

Don't forget the "W" sticker in the rear window...

[Mike Klein @ Aug 12th 2007 5:08PM]

"Buahaha... he must be part Mexican."...think b4 you mod down folks...this is a compliment to our neighbors to the south. They are a very friendly AND resourceful people.

[nastynards @ Aug 12th 2007 4:28AM]

will it blend

[LegoBoy @ Aug 12th 2007 6:30AM]

Well of course he has to have the extra air power, he's wearing a long sleeve shirt there. I wonder if he's a business student... thinking of short term cost over long term (as they usually do).

[ken52787 @ Aug 12th 2007 9:29AM]

Hmm, my POS car doesn't have working air conditioning either...

[PeteC @ Aug 12th 2007 10:26AM]

Wow. I love the fact none of you picked up on the obvious point that this will make the car far less fuel efficient purely when it comes to the drag that thing will produce whilst driving along, requiring more fuel to be burned. Bunch of gas guzzlers, I'm just glad he'll end up spending more on petrol thus outdoing any saving he made doing that botch job himself.

[hehehhehe @ Aug 12th 2007 12:35PM]

Wow, I love the fact that you didn't read through the comments to see that several people did mention the mpg he's going to get.