AC removal from firewall

[firebirdTA20]

just wondering if anyone has removed their AC from the firewall and what was done about the heater core. i was looking at it today and i dont have AC already and already took everything else out having to do with it except for everything at the firewall and i would kind of like to at least keep the heat so that on rainy days i would still have my defrost so my windows wont fog up. Is there a way to take the rest of the AC stuff out but not touch the heater core? thanks.

[b.a.camaro]

I have no AC/or heat in mine and right n ow the hole where the fan used to be is open so the heat from the motor keeps the car warm. But i plan on welding a metalplate over it to give the firewall a smooth look later on

[JoeliusZ28]

just as an FYI you need a compressor for the defroster function to work at its full potential - it uses dry heated air to defrost... without the compressor it might be blowing humid air which doesnt always help.

but you are past that point anyway so..

If you are talking about removing the coil box from the firewall... thats no simple task. I think the dash has to come out. I also think the heater motor and blower are all connected to that box under the dash, so removing it might cause some problems... Im no expert i havent done this.

[badinfluence]

I have removed the whole box from a 3rd gen

you can do it with the dash on but it would be alot easier just to take the dash off, which is easy on a 3rd gen. As for ditching ac but not heat, they make boxes for that, i saw one on craigslist awhile ago

I am going to get a truck heater core from the junkyard and see if i can rig that up somehow this summer to work, there alot more compact than the fbody ones

someone always has the explode-views of all the parts, that might help out, i think its tsone?

[SS4Matt]

It just so happens i did exactly what you're asking about. and with a 4th gen, NOT A 3RD GEN which is a whole different animal...

since my turbo kit interfered with the AC compressor, i wanted that ugly heaterbox out as well, but i still wanted heat. yes you have to pull the dash, it's not that hard just takes a long time if it's your first time and don't know where every little nut and bolt is and what order it comes out.

anyways, once i got my heater box out, i took a cut off wheel and cut the front AC portion off. i bought one of those heater delete plates and then basically siliconed it onto the remaining heater portion. there's just enough room for the fan/passage so that the air can make it to the heat ducts. i even shaved a bit more out. i then just opened up an oval hole for the 2 coolant/heat lines to go through the delete plate and bolted it all back in. if you look closely you can see in my one engine bay shot.

Stenod has done this to several of his cars he's built and it's where i came up with the idea. i just wanted heat still for those chilly summer nights when i'm out cruise'n. and yes joel is right, the AC is used for the defrost, but still having some circulating air will help in the event of a catch up in the rain or anything else...

look closely you will see how i did mine. after cutting the ac portion off i just kept shaving it down more and more with a grinder/sander until it was pretty flat and then silicone caulked it all and bolted it back in. having my whole engine bay repainted helped hide it alot

[SoccerFetus8]

I deleted everything in my set up. I plan to add something like this

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en...&um=1&ie=UTF-8

for the chilly evenings and such...I had read about some of them and there are a few decent ones out there, but most of those in that quick search are shit. So if you feel like going that route look into them before you buy a piece of crap. I would have to guess the whole heater core plenum and all the parts and pieces weighed 20 pounds when all said and done, so thats a nice little weigh cut if your looking for such.

[firebirdTA20]

thanks for your input i think im going to go the same route that matt went and just modify it so that i can still have the heat but get rid of that ugly heater box. Thanks again for your help now i just have to tackle that project =).

[SS4Matt]

good luck with it bro, it was not the easiest task. taking the dash out was a lot of work. but chopping/sectioning the heaterbox was not fun either. but it was well worth it with how clean it makes it look. plus i had everything base/clear painted under my hood so it really blended it away and made things look a lot better!