What items to keep on a road racing car

I recently purchased a 1983 rx7 that has been raced in SCCA in IT classes. I didn't like the cage so I cut it out and I am having a new one installed next month. In preparation before the cage install I removed the dash. I have a couple questions. I plan on racing the car in NASA PT classes. I am contemplating leaving the stock dash out and either making some type of clamped on plates to hold gauges or something like that. The stock wiring harness is still in the car and I plan on removing it and starting from scratch to clean it up. My question is about the heater setup. Should I remove it? It has the blower and ductwork, and heater core, and I want to remove it to clean up the front of the interior. Also I am assuming I should leave the windshield wipers for the occasions I will have to run in the rain. What do you all think?

Keep at least the blower motor so you can blow some air at the windshield. It's one wire and one switch.

Read the rule book for the class you want to run in. Don't remove anything unless you are sure its allowed in the rules. SCCA IT requires the heater matrix to remain in the car, unless they changed that rule in the last few years.

In reply to tr8todd:

Yeah, I know that the IT classes require it, which is why I am planning on running with the NASA PT classes, which allow the removal

Heaters is rx7s weigh nothing.

Take a poop before a race and it will give you a bigger advantage than removing the heater

I think caroll Smith put something in his book like "if your engineers and mechanics can't get working defrost in your race car then you should be worried about the rest of the car".

Keep the heater and blower. It'll take more seconds off one foggy lap than any other mod (you cant drive fast when you can't see).

You'd be amazed at how cold racetracks can be in the morning during Spring months.

And grid workers love a car they can warm their hands in.

And grateful workers are priceless.

The happiest I've ever seen a Grid chief was when I let him sit in the heated passenger seat of the Cadillac when it was in the mid 40's and they were taking their time clearing a wreck.
This anecdote suggests that you might want to install a seat heater.

If I were planning on racing in the rain, I'd definitely keep the wipers and heater setup. I have one car I removed the heater setup and it really sucks when it rains.

Do you have a sheetmetal brake? You could make a lovely and functional dash.

Leave the wipers because you will race in the rain, and headlights because you never know when you need to drive across a dark paddock to test a repair or put it on a trailer.

I take out heater cores, not because of weight, but because the plumbing is a failure point and it makes one more thing to do wrong in a late night engine swap. If you polish the inside of the windshield with Dawn liquid it won't fog up.

Id say keep the heater.