…okay, I’m (semi) dry sumping my car in the coming months. I’ve narrowed down my choices to two options from Aviaid.
The LS “A” system is the only option that would allow me to retain AC. It only allows 2 stages of scavenge (both from the pan) and uses the stock pump for pressure.
The LS “B” system would allow 3 stages of scavenge (still uses stock pump for pressure). I would like the 3rd stage so I could scavenge from the heads (I would order the system with the 2 stage pan). This system would require the removal of AC.
Removing AC would[list=a]- Offset the increased weight of the dry sump setup.- Clean up the engine bay.- Perhaps bring some $ on the used market (not really sure about that one).[/list]
On the down-side obviously no AC means no cold air for me. When I had my ‘99 Z/28 one of my bigger regrets was removing the AC. I did it solely for weight loss at the time and the benefit simply wasn’t worth it. Removing 30-40lbs out of a 3500lbs car just didn’t do anything. However, that car was my DD. Now I’m DDin’ an IS250 which obviously has climate control and also cooled seats. I like to drive my 'vette w/ the windows down anyway, so the only time AC comes into play really is going to/from hot venues. Of course, I don’t use AC when AutoXin’ or hot lapping, so that wouldn’t factor in when I’m actually ‘racing’ the car.
Here’s my .02, although it does seem like you have your mind made up to ditch it.
Removed AC from the Talon. Car was fine while cruising, but a bitch in traffic. Somewhat regretted it, since it was my daily, but I just dealt with it.
Removed from Miata - top goes down, still hot while sitting in traffic.
I’m going to try and keep it in my next car, but these have all been DD’s. In a car that sees less action, it’d probably be easily livable.
Sure do… maybe I should just get rid of those too!
Honestly 90%+ of the time I have the windows down in this car anyway. The only times I have it up are usually leaving the AutoX venue I go to that’s in the valley of Central Cali. It can be 115+ so after a day in the sun racing/working the course it’s nice to be cool on the way to the hotel/home.
The car won’t get DDed. I take it to work on nice days, I drive it on the weekends, and I race it. It’ll be very rare that I’d be stuck in traffic in the heat. If I’m going to a racing venue it’s usually at the ass-crack of dawn so it’s cold/cool. If I’m going home from racing it’s late afternoon/evening so it’s cooling off. And I make sure to avoid bad traffic areas during commute times to preserve the clutch.
:werd:
Thanks for the compliment. I wouldn’t call taking the AC out “gutting it” though. I’m not ditching the stereo, any of the interior pieces, or even the extra dyna mat in the “trunk” area… yet.
Even if I did get ass with it idling we’d both pass out before we could finish from the fumes.
I don’t daily drive it, ever. Lexo FTW.
No, no no. It’s not like your spring/summer here 300+ days/year. It’s better. If it’s 90 degrees here it’s not humid. There it’s 90 degrees and 90+ humidty.
i dont have it, but thats not to say i wish i did when its hot and raining. nothing better than turning up the heat on a 90 degree day when its pouing outside, just to get your own self-induced steam off the windows.
i would keep ac in cali… I did not have it working in my jetta when i was out there and boy did some days suck. Times when i would get stock in the 405 and just roast my ass off, i hated life.
Like I said, high heat and high humidity just don’t happen here. If it’s raining, it’s cold.
I don’t know what part of Cali you’re thinking of, but where I live and mostly race that’s certainly not the case. I just found out today one of the best AutoX venues out here got shut down, but it was also the one in the central valley that was hot as fuck. So pretty much Thunderhill up inland/north of me and the the tracks down south are the only heat I face.
I’m nowhere near that area… rarely out of the 80s here.
That’s a good point. I do like driving my car a couple hours to the venue, racing and beating on every other ‘street’ car and a lot of race cars then driving home in a 100% legit, full interior, dual zone climate controlled street car.
Personally I’d keep it. If you wanted a super-light, no options car, you could have started with something lighter that had less options in the first place, you know, like a honduh.
I did have a '90 Si for sometime with a nice AutoX setup in it (basically a AX STS susp setup with a D16Z6 swap, so not STS legal). It was fun on tight ass courses but really, I’m not a fwd guy. So throwing fwd out of the mix that leaves me S2Ks. I’ve driven and raced them, and they are not for me. Light and nimble, yes. But torque-less and really not that impressive on the top end. And argue 'til you’re blue in the face about hp/liter for the AP1 I’ll always say “so what!?!?!” AP1s have the highest NA hp/liter for any production car evaaaar. Super duper for them. A Z06 of the same year while waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down on hp/liter has much, much, much better HP and insanely more TQ yet gets better MPG. So what’s the point of making big hp out of a small motor if the overall package isn’t actually efficient?
Even at full-weight I’m putting it to well driven (drivers with many road course schools under their belt) F430s, GT3s and Exiges on road courses. The C5 is a very good platform for that venue. In small AutoXes it still excels, so that should tell you something.
Anyway, if you read my first post my primary motivation for ditching AC isn’t the weight savings. That is a secondary benefit. The primary reason would be to allow a better dry sump system which will allow scavenging from the heads. The dry sump system that allows me to retain AC only has 2 stages of scavenge, and only at the pan (like the C6Z).
I would take the A/C off. I’m not much of an A/C guy except in a daily driver. Enjoy the wind in your face, thats the way a project car is supposed to be enjoyed. My brother lives in los Angeles, so I can understand some days get aweful hot, but not too many. Ditch it and enjoy the car. I understand an extra 40-50 pounds won’t make a huge difference in a 3,500 pound car, but every pound counts, hopefully.
Edit: If it helps a single stage dry sump, go for it. Wouldn’t it save you money?
