>The air conditioning in my MR2 is dead. Given that I am in Pennsylvania
>(not sunny California, Texas, Louisiana, or Florida), whether or not to
>fix/recharge/replace is a valid question.
I live in MD and have no A/C in my MR2, and I wish it did have A/C. Driving
home from the Harrisburg PA Farm Show lot in August after standing on the
blacktop all day can be brutal without A/C.
>Question 1--have I read the rules right? The above are my three options,
>right?
I'm not sure about just removing the belts. But since A/C was an option,
then you are allowed to remove it. The window stickers I've seen list A/C
as a separate option by itself, so I believe that you can remove or install
A/C by itself regardless of what other options the car has.
As far as performance, I don't think it makes a significant difference
either way. The condenser is up front, the evaporator is under the dash,
and the compressor is in the back, so it doesn't significantly affect weight
distribution. Plus, the compressor and evaporator are on the right side of
the car which may help balance out the drivers weight. The total weight of
the system is right around 45-50 lbs. (I have a complete system in a box
that I weighed). FWIW, Jim and Carter Thompson's MR2T originally came
without A/C and they installed a system from a wreck, and it doesn't seem to
hurt their competitiveness too much.
I have been planning to install A/C into my '91 MR2T (zero-option hardtop).
I hate to add the 50 lbs. to my autox car, but it will make it a much nicer
street car for me. Last summer I ended up driving my tow vehicle to work a
lot because I didn't want to be drenched in sweat from driving the MR2 with
no A/C.
If you do remove the system, let me know. I might want to buy some of the
parts.
Brad Burns
'91 MR2T hardtop, A-stock, no options
|