Keeping a bit cooler in the summer
 

I wanted to start a thread dedicated to different ideas on how to keep your car's cabin and yourself cooler throughout summer, without eating up the MPGs. I can't stand the heat (once 80*F comes around, I'm already getting miserable).

The bead seat covers are pretty notorious as a suggestion (rightfully so). But I'm sure there are other great suggestions out there!

So please post up all your suggestions to fight the heat and keep those fingers away from the fuel-robbing air conditioning button! (for those who still have that option.)

As for my own findings...

One of the things I did last summer: I bought a roll of white contact shelving liner and carefully applied it to the roof of my car. The color change seems to have kept some of the sun from cooking the top of my car as much. This includes the sunroof, which I never used anyways.

I have applied 1 layer of foil sandwiched bubble wrap insulation throughout the entire car. This should help keep some of the sun from transferring heat into the car, but I found that it keeps the heat in even more if you don't have airflow!

Keeping your windows cracked while parked helps, but I'm going one step further. I'm replacing my sunroof with acrylic and built a solar panel. This will connect to a solar charger and a pair of fans. The fans will be in place of my rear speakers and pull air (which will such fresh air either from the windows or through the ventilation system).

I tried doing a pump-powered mister system to emulate a swamp cooler effect in my car (dry climate area). Though misting decently, it just didn't do much. I think I needed a higher PSI pump and maybe to relocate the mister itself to give it more path to absorb into the air.

Another idea I had, but have no clue how to go about it, is if one were to build a tube frame seat and used a mesh cloth to keep it breathing well (see this office chair for example: http://www.sitcorrect.com/products/MMBM2_4641.JPG). This would probably reduce weight and give you even better cooling than the bead seat covers... though I have no clue how much work and cost this would be.

just tint your windows, my buddys car stays cool out in the sun all day

i personally crack the window and use a sun shade

+1 on the sunshade. Anything you can do to reflect solar energy rather than absorb it will help. I bought a silver car for just that reason, and it is noticeably cooler inside on a hot day than my old red car.

Recently, I have only been parking in two places, under the carport at home, and in front of my parents' house in the mountains, where it may only reach 60°, although if I do not use my mylar-faced bubble sun shade and crack my windows, I get quite the solar oven effect!

My windows are tinted, which I did not realize at first, so it must be a legal tint, unlike the one that I had installed on my silver Forester; I went with the tint level of the police cars and highway patrol.

It actually works better to have the shade on the outside...

I discussed putting white Plasti-Dip on my black Civic on here before.

I guess that I could just do the roof... :)

Rear window luvers. Not only do they look cool and improve aerodynamics they keep the sun out of the back of your hatchback car.

radiant barrier foil & white paint
 

The moon roof on my civic let the sun and heat in right on the top of my head, and there was no sliding shelf to close off the glass. I tried wearing hats, which only helped a little. Attaching a kitchen towel below the glass with binder clips helped quite a bit. Then I did the same with radiant barrier foil and the heat disappeared entirely. The car is now quite comfortable in the heat.

I stapled the same radiant barrier foil to the rafters of my house a couple of years ago. Last week the temperature got up to 104 degrees outside, and my house was a comfortable 76. If anyone has ideas for attaching the foil to the ceiling of my chevy celebrity, let me know.

I've also now painted the dark green civic to white.

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Think cool thoughts... ;)

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Good ideas, window tint, window screens, california car cover, windshield sun screens, parking in shaded areas, facing rear of car towards sun, leaving windows open or cracked, use of a 12 volt cigar plug fan like the bus drivers and truck drivers use who do not have ac.

Anyone remember the scene where they are doing summer school without air conditioning in "Stand and Deliver?"