VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Radios, Tools, Accessories Cool Pack info

Where can I find a Cool-Pack guru? I have a very limited knowledge of them and would like to know more. Search results on this site were non-existent which surprised me. I've seen a few in my day from Chevy and Pontiac Car units to Chevy truck units. My interest is in the truck units but given the rarity, I'd like to find a really nice unit of any style. Accept my apologies for this next question, but has anyone ever seen or heard of a GMC Cool-Pack? Thanks.

I am no Cool-Pack guru but can furnish some info with your email address.

To those that don't know what a Cool-Pack is here are the basics.
The Cool-Pack was just an accessory add-on air conditioning unit sold by Chevrolet. Would be described as an under-dash unit. The installation kit was made for cars and trucks and a seperate installation kit was made that included brackets, etc. for mounting on specific engines.

While the factory installed A.C. package included such things as tinted glass, heavy duty radiator, heavy duty battery, heavier front springs and for some engines a lower rear axle ratio, the only thing heavy duty in the Cool-Pack was a larger fan blade. Was not always the best for real hot weather cooling unless you were in the front seat.

I would suspect it would have been available for GMC trucks with just the adaptor kit necessary for the GMC engines.

Most of the Chevrolets bought except for the basic 6 cylinder bare bones 3 speed company cars had either a COOL PAC installed by the Chevy dealer or they took their new car down to someone like ARA or another aftermarket A/C shop. I never had an A/C in a truck until 1962.
It was big business around Wichita Falls and Fort Worth. most of our used car dealers that bought bargain basement cars from Mo. Il. Mi. and California had them Air conditioned, even the convertibles. The guys that I ran with back in the late fifties preferred ARA under dash units. They had 3 round outlets with deflectors that you could snap out and plug 3 cans of beer in and cool your cabin and always have a nice cold can of beer. Most of the cooling units ran around 40 degrees F. Drive and drink? maybe....since we didn't have cell phones to worry about. We believed it was a manly thing to drive with one hand on the wheel and the other arm around a babe or a cool Falstaff or Hamms in hand.

I'm seeing from the 348-409 site that Cool Pack AC was an RPO (111) in 1962. (As opposed to the All-weather AC, RPO 110)
As an RPO, would the assumption be that it was a Factory item? Or still a dealer item?

The Cool Pack in 62 was dealer installed I have one in my 62 Biscayne. It works OK not great and was fully restored. We have very cold knees, I used it this past weekend while on tour at the Central Meet. SERVICE PARTS ARE VERY HARD TO FIND AND BIG $$$$$$$ WHEN YOU DO!!!!!. Locate a copy of the accessory installation manual and there are very good drawings of the unit. What year are you looking for? And for what?

There are some neat features like, the blower will shut down if you use your high beams as not to tax the electrical system too much. What I did find out the better salesmen would also sell the clutch fan and the 35amp generator along with the unit
John

In 63 some Cool Packs were factory installed(can't speak for 62, we were a BOP plant until 63) there were actually two Cool Packs offered, one was self contained with blower motors attached to the unit, the other used a duct system that attached to the heater and used the heater motor to force air thru the Cool Pack. I see the units that used the duct system at swap meets often and the ducts are nearly always missing. Most people selling these units don't know that the units used ducts when questioned about the unit. I know a few people who have bought these units thinking they were buying the self contained unit until they got them home and discovered that they had no blower motors.
DD

I bought a 1959 Pontiac Executive 4 door HT with factory A/C and traded it in on a new 62 Bonneville two door HT that had a factory installed A/C and neither of them were underdash add ons. As a new Engineer, I thought I was living too high up on the hog to own a lowly Chevy. My friend had a 62 Impala (close to the same car) except the 389 and the hydromatic it also had a factory A/C many of the Northern and West Coast friends never saw a factory A/C before the middle 60s. In Wichita Falls you had to special order an Impala or a Pontiac if you didn't want factory A/C. I opped for the generator rather than an alternator because the alternator was an unknown un-tested system for me in 62. My Bonneville never had a problem running the headlights and the A/C at the same time. My brother bought a new Corvair Monza coupe and had an A/C installed by ARA.

The cool pack unit was the factory unit for the matter was the only unit on the Nova's
John

I have an NOS under the dash A/C unit for my 1966 Chevelle. The 1966 A/C Unit is complete with all parts/pieces ( condensor, compressor, brackets, etc. ) except the housing and blower motor for the evaporator. The blower motor and attaching housing on this dealer installed A/C Unit mounts under the dash behind the glove box.
Is this housing and blower motor interchangeable with any other years? I am having difficulty in finding this item.
dtm

"What year are you looking for? And for what?"
I'm looking for 60-61 Chevy truck and the same for GMC truck with GMC lettering. In the end I'll probably end up with a new system in the GMC but my '61 Chevy K10 would be nice to have an original Cool Pack. Thanks for the info on the differences in units, re blower motors. I believe that all of the 1/2 ton Chevy Cool Packs were self contained, according the the Maintenance manuals.

Intrested in buying a '61-'62 Chevrolet Cool Pack under dash unit? It includes what I was told was a '60-'62 Temp controller. It needs restoring of course. Sorry I do not have the under dash brackets, fan or the hard to find duct. It is also missing the Chevy Bowtie on the center, not really a problem if installing in a GMC....parts and complete under dash units are getting super hard to find. If you'll notice in the '62 accessory installation manual, the under dash units for the trucks and passenger cars are the same, what makes them different are the under dash mounting brackets. I learned the hard way by being sold the wrong year!!! I finally found the correct one but I'm looking for a center Chevy Bowtie emblem, under dash brackets, fan & bracket and of course the CORRECT duct for a 1960 Impala. This is the ONLY reason why I'm selling my '60-'62 unit. You pay what I paid - $300.00 + actual shipping. Thanks for your time.

Good luck in selling your 1960-1962 cool pak unit. I am continuing my search for buying the correct blower motor and ductwork for my 1966 Chevelle Dealer installed a/c unit.

dtm