Removing Vintage Air System in completed car

[RF RIDER]

All, has someone removed the main vintage air unit from a completed car. If so, how? Definitely don’t want to take body off.
Thanks

[Perkster029]

Here's a picture from when I installed it, to see where it sits.

130594

Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to do what you want..... buuuut.... I wouldn't try to remove it. I suspect ripping out interior, cutting away sheet metal, and body removal will be the minimum.

[beeman]

All, has someone removed the main vintage air unit from a completed car. If so, how? Definitely don’t want to take body off.
Thanks

If removing it is Plan A, what's Plan B?

[RF RIDER]

FFR definitely was not thinking when they designed this car to be maintenance friendly. To device anything is a pain in the ***. What happens if the heater core blows. Pulling a trans you have to take have the back end out. Just to change an alternator if needed you have to take seats out, waterfall etc. And of course trying to work on tight areas. Sorry for that rant

To get vintage air unit out I’m thinking passenger dash, passenger left side coverings, drill out aluminum panel and then use creative unbolting and slide unit out. Maybe.

[Old Timer]

Have you worked on a domestic car lately?

Neighbor has a dodge/plymouth van, they had the motor pulled to replace the alternator and idler bearings.

[beeman]

Yeah I wouldn't blame FFR, it's an exotic car, and much smaller than most exotic cars. Plus it's tube frame rather than CF tub which tends to lock in things into place. I wouldn't anticipate having to service a hvac often, if ever. It is a home built car, however, so ultimately the builder is responsible for deciding how accessible each component will be once the car is finished.

[Perkster029]

FFR definitely was not thinking when they designed this car to be maintenance friendly. To device anything is a pain in the ***. What happens if the heater core blows. Pulling a trans you have to take have the back end out. Just to change an alternator if needed you have to take seats out, waterfall etc. And of course trying to work on tight areas. Sorry for that rant

To get vintage air unit out I’m thinking passenger dash, passenger left side coverings, drill out aluminum panel and then use creative unbolting and slide unit out. Maybe.

Don't forget about the blower. It was installed AFTER the condensor was put in place. Those two bolts from the top hold a bracket on, and 6 screws hold on the blower. There might be a cover over it, there is on mine. Accessing that may entail battery removal and possibly the front body, and the sheet metal that covers that whole section.

Edit: screws, not nuts

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

You shouldn't need to remove the body, but you will need to remove the pass side dash pod, probably most of the front pass side carpet and tunnel suede, remove the main front pass footwell aluminum panel and possibly the main dash section, depending on if you have an access hole cut to get to the area in front of the shifter. No matter what, it won't be fun.

[cob427sc]

Shane is correct. In the early GTM's they had not developed a heat/a-c unit and they had to be installed after the car was completed. I installed mine about a year after the car was on the road. It is not easy but doable and requires removing the passenger side footbox/tunnel. I made several bent wrenches just to tighten the fittings. You need to stand on your head, jump under the car and some work from inside but it is possible. If I remember correctly, the box itself has to be aligned and rotated in one specific manner to slide in or out - I just don't remember the exact sequence. There should be some old discussion on this site about how to do it if it's still available.

[crash]

Shane is correct. In the early GTM's they had not developed a heat/a-c unit and they had to be installed after the car was completed. I installed mine about a year after the car was on the road. It is not easy but doable and requires removing the passenger side footbox/tunnel. I made several bent wrenches just to tighten the fittings. You need to stand on your head, jump under the car and some work from inside but it is possible. If I remember correctly, the box itself has to be aligned and rotated in one specific manner to slide in or out - I just don't remember the exact sequence. There should be some old discussion on this site about how to do it if it's still available.

I think it might be on the other site? The other site is much older than this one, but since the new owners they have archived most old content and that has made it a bit difficult to search. Probably the best that can be said to the OP at this point is that it is doable, and have at it...then post back here on what you did. :)

[cob427sc]

Maybe FFR or another reader might have the old instructions on how to install. I remember the instructions wer pretty clear and maybe 10 pages long and came with the a/c kit as an option.

[dlud]

I believe the install instructions are in the FFR build manual for the GTM.