Hi, I have a 1988 DL sedan and the AC is pretty worthless, especially as the weather heats up here in So Cal.
I'm thinking about getting a portable AC device to use. Has anyone found an efficient, safe, affordable one?

 

portable ACs will come right out and tell you they are not for replacing the car's AC system. A more practical approach would be to have your AC system serviced to operate at full efficiency. This may require replacing a worn compressor, new o-rings, new orifice tube, new receiver/dryer, dye testing the evaporator and condensor (possibly replacing if needed) and finally a professional system charge. This won't be cheap but your alternative is roll down the windows or buy a new car.

 

Sure, side mount or top mount? Old 240's with a r12 system were barely adequate when new. Once converted to 134 or another gas - have no chance or working well in a hot climate. Portable home units are just a couple of hundred dollars, plus the cost of a generator to power it.

 

don't forget the extra cost for the duct tape to secure the unit to the roof or window frame. I think this is the one example where zip ties won't work.

 

Hahaha - love it! Thanks for the replies.
I agree that the AC on the 240 was never really cold. On really hot days I used to bring along a cold pack to put on my neck.
My AC has been deeply serviced in the past - it only made a modest difference.
During this pandemic, it took a full year for my trusted mechanic to get the parts for it to pass smog.
I guess I'll get a little portable swamp cooler and make do, especially if I have to take my cats to the vet on a super hot day.
I love my old Volvo and don't want to part with it, especially now that I can work from home. Yes, I'm that little old lady cautious Volvo driver - !
I'm hoping someday us old timers will get a $ incentive to help with the cost of buying a newer car. Or maybe the innards can be improved somehow.
Meanwhile, we'll stick together.

 

Be careful with the swamp cooler - I tried one many years ago in a Buick. Had to fill a bin with ice which the fan would blow cabin air through the ice. Supposedly the system "Dual Cooled" the air - ice and evaporation - what could be better!!!! And well, the air exiting the vent slots of the unit WAS cool. Unfortunately it was also full of moisture (humidity). Since it circulated cabin air it just kept adding more and more humidity inside the car. Within a short while the car became unbearable and many surfaces became damp to the touch although by that point you were sweating so much you couldn't tell if the moisture was from you or the unit. One trip, Texas to California and back, and the cooler got tossed.

I'm too smart to contradict hoonk, but........ a sister in law had a 240 in the early '90's and it worked well enough in the Dallas summers (also had deep tinted window film, as I recall).
If the unit was overhauled and still performs poorly you might have a bunch of crud (leaf fragments, twigs, dead insects, or Jimmy Hoffa ) clogging up your evaporator coil. So far as I know, most mechanics don't clean them when replacing the system unless they actually replace the coil. Had to do a clean out of mine on a 1999 Tahoe last year. Big, big difference.

Last resort, but not cheap, there are people who do custom installations for custom cars and the like. You might look one up and see what they would want to charge. Not meaning it rudely but you are saving on car payments (That's how I justify the Tahoe to the wife anyway)

 

My shop converted hundreds of Volvos to 134 (back when that was done). The 90-92 r12 240s converted to 134 and worked very well. 1993 came as 134. All of those used an orifice tube and ac accumulator like the 740-940-960 cars.

The up to 1989 cars use an expansion valve and when converted to 134 using Volvos kit worked ok, if you installed an electric fan on the condenser in front of the radiator. I don't think you could find today the larger more efficient evaporator that came in the Volvo conversion kit - If you could - you would have a good chance of reasonably cold air in 90 degree temps. A big problem with pre 1990 240s is the number of ac hoses - later Volvos switched to all aluminum pipes (that don't leak). Something about 134 being smaller molecules and leaking easier than r12 -