Weight Redux. MYTH?
 

Ok... here I am with a problem.

I've had the plan to remove my A/C and P/S for a while now that my engine is out. BUT, now my mother is saying if I keep the A/C in, she'll have it converted and charged for me.

In light of this fact, I've looked some things over...
RETed's Site says the A/C compressor, and condensor for the RX-7 weigh approx. 22#'s. I was told that the total weight reduction was OVER 100#'s. With the heaviest components weighing UNDER 50#'s... how is this possible???

Anyway... what would you do?

Keep it stock, ditch the P/S and free A/C, ditch the P/S and take advantage of the free A/C, or DITCH IT ALL! WHO NEEDS A/C IN MISSOURI??

I dont know how much the entire AC system weighs, so im not gonna guess at that. As far as which path to take you have a choice: Do you want a nice, comfortable car that is a relatively easy car to drive, or do you want to sacrifice the creature comforts for that extra 1/2 second in the qaurter( i dont know how much time that would actually cut off, im just say that for consideration sake).

Your choice, I chose to pull it all out, carpetin, sound deadening, everything, but i left my AC in, cause it gets hot even in maine, and i dont wanna pick up chicks smelling like shit cause im sweating my ass off. :)

I'm edging towards removal of all engine components except the Alt, and probably the A/C. I just hate the CLUTTER. I want to pull an engine in 30 minutes damnit!!!!

dont wanna pick up chicks smelling like shit cause im sweating my ass off
 

Ah, that shouldn't affect your love life. At least so long as you don't mind 300+ lb. women with hairy armpits, bad breath, and yellow teeth.

:eek:

Buy a daily driver! keep the 7 for a race car! gut that shit out, and go v8 hunting

I dont rember the ac system weighing that much. Remember that most of the components are aluminum. THe compressor is the only really heavy thing. I would leave it in if you can afford to fix it or if it already works. I pulled my NAs one becuase I bought it dead. The TII is getting a FMIC sooner or later so that would cause problems. I say to keep the ac and if your hell bent on reducing weight to get a manual rack. Im leaving the PS in my TII, building for drift/autoX car. It takes less turns from lock to lock and I dont think reducing less than, what 50lbs is worht the time to swap.
My 2 cents though.
sky

Keep as many of the creature comforts as you can. Guys, remember, even if you think it's "cool" to have a gutted out car with no carpet, AC, PS, etc. ANYONE who isn't into cars who sees that will think the car is a piece of crap. It makes the car look like a beater.

Save the heavy weight reduction for TRACK ONLY cars - as in, cars that don't have a license plate and are trailered.

Not to mention gutting out all that stuff just made the car into something you're gonna have a tough time selling if the time comes.

I'm really sick of the "gut it all" attitude - guess what, all you're doing is turning a really sweet RX-7 into a total piece of crap for minor gains in acceleration.

Rant off.

Dale

You're right the AC is not 100lbs. It's maybe 50lbs. That's .0045 in the 1/4!!!! :D It's also better handling, braking, gas millage, less ware and tare on the parts. Removing the front condensor also increases airflow to the rad.

Perhaps I'm stupid, but I don't don't know what this means and why your mom would do this.

My 7 is just a race car, something to have fun in! There is no way in hell i'm driving any 15 year old car as a daily driver. Thats way i own a bimmer for going out and a dodge dakota for work.
The fc comes out when i wan't to go play kill the honda in the canyon! ave gas is expensive pisses me off sitting at a light in traffic. anyway thats my 2 cents on a turbo rear wheel drive super car:p:

The first time i had to chang my plugs was the last time the A\C was ever used:)

women love the AC

Yes they do. BUT I ain't no woman, and I LOVE it too :D Too damn hot down here, well except for like 2 or 3 months.

I say pull the AC, its so much easier to get around in the ol engine compartment, i pulled the eintire thing, including the part under the dashboard, i dono how much it wights, but the trashcan its filling isnt to light

-Jacob

I have a gorgeous Chinese girlfriend who understands the relationship between a guy and his machine. She does not love me any less because I don't have AC. I'm not sure what kind of shallow girls you guys are trying to pick up.
Because of my FMIC, my leading igniters are mounted where the compressor used to be.
I sometimes wish I had AC. Before you decide to take it out, try taking off the belt and seeing if you notice any power difference. With my 70hp GXL, the difference was night and day--that's why I took it off.
Now if only I could get my car to run... (see: Help, no Boost, Any Answers?)

With the sticky tires that I run autocrossing, I have no choice but to leave in the PS. IF I was into drag racing, I would take it out.

Dale is 1000% correct here. The gains from stripping the car are so minor, I can't see why anyone would bother. Not at the price of looking like some restoration project you bought from a junkyard, to any passenger (including a hot date) that you force too ride with you.

Even look at the much battered TFAF, not one of the cars was a strippy track car. Granted that is the movies but I know which type of car my girl would rather ride in. One with air, and a radio, and carpeting and isn't too loud.

If you gotta go light, make sure you have the light weight extras, like the light weight spare, the light weight jack, light weight wheels things like that.

*edit
And to top that off, when you go to sell that car, subtract $800 for no air, subtract $300 for no power steering, subtract $200 for no carpeting, etc.

Pretty soon your car isn't worth anything to ever sell.

$800 for not having A/C?? The most I've ever seen a blue book list A/C being worth is 500 and that was in a vehicle that came standard with it, (so it had to be removed) not as an optional accessory.

I'd say that all of my A/C crap weighed about 50lbs. Everything is gone except the part in the dash. The condensor was about 7-8 lbs with the resevoir. (which surprized me as being that heavy)

As for all of you claiming minimal gains because of weight reduction.... I have a N/A `86 sport which weighs 2415lbs and runs low 14's (Gtech says so anyways) with header and open exhaust.

And I have a full interior in the car.

I have no plans to ever sell my car, but I've kept all the carpeting & insulation intact. I have track plans in the future for this car. Most people haven't a clue about my car (a civic is the same to them) and frankly do not care, so I don't have any need to impress them.

So do you guys think women look better cold or sweety? I think it's a tough call. :D

I have complete new in the box Mazda A/C kit and without weighing it I would say no more than 75 pounds.

A/C doesn't hurt weight that much. A/C also makes life very easy when it's 40 degrees and raining hard and the windshield keeps fogging up. It keeps you out of the hospital when it's 90 degrees and 100% humidity and you have low heat tolerance. It uses no horsepower when it's not on.

If you can't change your plugs or pull the engine with the A/C compressor there, then you need to work on those mechanics skills :) Even with the A/C and P/S in place I found it REALLY EASY to get at the plugs compared to many other cars. Hell at least you can SEE the plugs :D

Yep, on my old ::cough:: camaro(ducks) it was a bitch to change plugs. Hell even on my 4 banger Ranger its pretty bad. POS has 8 plugs:wtf:

Besides the weight reduction and the over all clean look of the engine bay when it is out, there is another consideration to removing the AC. The AC cooling radiator sits in front of the engine coolant radiator. The AC radiator is just as big as the engine radiator and it blocking air flow to the radiator that you want the airflow for. This and the fact that in an N/A I need as much of an advantage as possible so it’s gone on mine. :)

LOL

Anyone who crabs about how hard it is to change plugs in an A/C-equipped RX-7 (huh?? dude they're RIGHT THERE) should try changing plugs in a 3.3/3.8l "NS" Caravan. Even with a lift it is an enormous PITA. I can't do it in less than 90 minutes and most of that is the rear plugs...