I've had this crazy idea for awhile, about modifying the center console glove box to be refrigerated.

I don't use this area for ANYTHING except a graveyard of fuses, receipts and miscellaneous tools which could all be more organized via a toolbox in the trunk.

In the fall I am stripping out the entire interior to do a restoration and will be painting the center console and figured while it was out, why not investigate into this crazy idea.

The A/C has been stripped out of my car and there are no near future plans for putting it back in, so it would have to be a standalone electrical device responsible for the refrigeration. I don't imagine it would have to be very big or powerful since it would be coopling such a small area.

So, does anyone out there have anything in mind that could make this work?

 

If I'm correctly picturing what you have in mind, the area would hardly cool more than a couple of beers. Hardly worth the effort, IMO. Could be pretty wicked though.

JamesC

 

I think there are or were some vehicles made with refrigerated glove boxes, maybe lexus?

If you don't plan on using the A/C system, I recommend a big alternator.

Instead of taking everything out of the console and putting it in a toolbox in the back to make room for a refrigerator in the console, couldn't you just put a cooler in the back instead?

 

cool idea but then it's gonna tempt people to drin k in your car which is a no no in mine unless it's water which even then I'm very weary

 

Persoanlly I used to think of possibly makeing a "beer" cooler out of the rear trunk lower area kind of like "O'Bannion's" duster on dazed and confused. Clearly not intended where driveing afterwards is an option but moreless for pop and beer if you hanging out and not gonna drive later.

 

James, you had me laughing because 5 minutes before you made that post, I text messaged my dad with the idea and his response was, "For what to cool off 2 beers?!"

But the main reason for the idea was just for the fun involved and the WOW factor. I've been involved in some extreme cooling for PC's for years and the only device I can think of for the job off the top of my head is a peltier but they draw a ****pot full of power and need a cooling device of their own to keep the hot side cool. Sounds like too much of a power drain/fire hazard IMHO. Anyone got any better ideas?




Greg - I do plan on going to a 140amp powermaster alternator very soon. But what do you mean by put a cooler in the back? I'm not following you there.

92RS - People (That don't have a reputation for having butterfingers) are allowed to drink in my car as long as It's in a sealed container. One time my dad brought a towering glass of icewater in the car and I told him to toss it and bought him a bottle of Dasani.


For this idea, I'm guessing all that is needed is a compact, low power device that relies off electricity for the cooling. Anyone got any ideas?

 

Cooler, ice chest...

 

yea the 2009 dodge journeys have a cooler in the glove box

 

i believe dodge calibers came with that. or was it the jeep compass? or both. either way its a nice idea. whichever one it was it had a split glove box, top part refrigerated bottom part non refrigerated

 

and the moisture and heat from the frig will go where?

 

route a tube through the tunnel.

It'd be sweet if you could do it! Or just make a insulated and water tight console and throw some ice in there and call it good.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Mini-fridge-...3%3A1|294%3A50

I have one of these. Maybe take a few apart and see if that would work. Doesn't draw too much power either.

 

Maybe you could mod up this to work in there:

http://www.compactappliance.com/Kool...rtable_Coolers

 

A PC Peltier cooler was my first thought when I saw this. I didn't realize the drew that much power? Have you considered using a watercooling solution for the hotside? I'm sure a CPU cooling block could be fitted to the hot side to draw the heat away. Using a PC watercooling pump to circulate the water, and then run it through the car's heater core. You'd obviously have to disconnect the engine coolant hoses so you wouldn't have any heat, but if its a summer/weekend driver like mine it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Yes the Dodge Caliber has this function, but it runs off of the AC system. When I rented one on a business trip I found that it really didn't work unless the AC was working and even then it didn't get the drinks extremely cold.

 

That would be your best bet. Real close to the glovebox size as is so you could just trim and fit it.. most likely.

 

is this gonna stay cold all the time? wheres the power gonna come from? id rather my car have the power to start, then a few cold drinks

 

you can buy a cooler that plugs into the lighter for less than 50.00 and put it in back and take it out when you are not using it.

 

wow. i never knew that. what a sham.