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Last summer I traded for my first machine. A Westinghouse WC-96T. I am about to start cleaning it up, and this thing weighs a ton. I plan to just use it for display. The compressor is shot. The mechanism and coin changer all work, so I want to keep that in the machine. My question is about gutting the inside. If I strip out the compressor and most of the insulation and un-needed sheet metal to make it lighter, am I making a mistake. I never plan to make it get cold or look like new. I just want to shed some weight. I just don't want to find out I made a huge mistake by stripping the thing inside. opinions???

If you remove the compressor that will be a good bit of weight.  I wouldnt remove any more than you have to in case you ever decide to put in a new compressor and fire it back up.

I'll bet that compressor weighs about 53 lbs.  I just shipped one to Texas.

Someday you'll be wanting to trade up and or sell, & nobody's going to give you top dollar for a gutted machine regardless of condition, and if it's just going to be eye-candy for now or even the foreseeable future, why go through the effort to gut it? after all it's not like you are using it for a backpack or anything.

Without the weight of the compressor in the bottom, taller machines can get top heavy and be more likely to tip over.  Just something to consider if you decide to repurpose it.

Are you going to be moving it around frequently? Once in place, I doubt you will move it that often!
I agree with Johnnie - once you gut it, it becomes a boat anchor!
Leave it complete and preserve your options for "down the road" - display, use, sell, restore.

Unless you are going to make a gun safe out of it I would leave it all.