I missed the beginning of the movie. Maybe it was explained, but there's some kind of leather bag hanging off the front of their car, over the grill. What was in it/what was it for?
"Lens cap."
Just a guess, but I believe it was water. They were driving in the desert, and I recall many people used to have water bags hanging on the grill of their cars when driving in very hot locations. This was back in the 50' and 60's, but it could have originated earlier. Whether the bag actually helped with cooling, or was used to top up a low radiator level, I can't say.
shareInteresting. I'm sure it was to fill the rad.
"Lens cap."
It was a canvas water bag. The air blowing across the bag helped cool the radiator...and the water was available to top-off the radiator when needed. It was a common practice until about the early sixties. I drove over the Sierras in a Volkswagen in those days. There were "water stops" along the road where water was available to refill the water bags. I said "water?! I don't need no water!...I need a kick in the ass to get me over these mountains!
Ciao, e buon auguri
The waterbag was strictly for topping off the radiator. Being left out in the sun, the water in it would quickly warm, and air blowing past it to the radiator would do zero to cool the engine. In fact, it would have the opposite effect, by blocking off a large portion of the grill, which was designed to allow a free-flow of air to the radiator honeycomb of cooling fins (not so much the engine itself), which pull heat off the fluid tubes that run through them from and to the engine. Limit the air intake to the radiator by blocking any part of the grill, and you'll quickly overheat the engine. You're better off carrying spare water in the trunk - NOT hanging in front of the grill.
shareThose bags were for water and were made of heavy duty canvas. The bag would get "saturated" by the water being absorbed into the material and the air cooled the water by the motion of driving making it useful if your radiator overheated. We used them when I was a kid.
shareYou will see them quite often in the 'outback' in Australia. They are water bags. The motion of the car cools the water so it's drinkable.
See my post, above.
share[deleted]