Borderline ridiculous weight reduction idea request

[CajunCC]

Why remove the E-brake? Seems like an important safety feature in a race car to me.

If you're gonna gut the headlights, remove the driver's headlight and run a cold air intake through there. Cooler, more direct air.

[HowLeTT]

No need for an e-brake with the brakes I have on the car now. It locks my rear calipers horribly every time I use it now anyway. The handle itself was pretty heavy, the entire aseembly with the cable will probably be around 7 lbs or so. As far as Jacking the car up goes, I'll just have to be extra careful with using blocks and jack stands.

The car has 17x7 SSR Integrals on it now, and a 7" wide rim can't fit a very wide tire so I'll probably go with an R-compound 235/40/17. A little more aggressive gearing than stock, and not too much sidewall.

The roll cage is going to add a significant amount of weight but obviously it'll be worth it. I can take out the B-pillar bar and RSTB once that goes in as well. It's amazing how much useless wiring there is in a car after you rip it's accessories out. I cant wait to attack the area behind the dash! There has to be more stuff under the hood and underneath the car that can come out. I considered taking out the front swaybar, but it has such a nice balance with the PT 17.5mm bar in the rear and the stocker up front. What other aftermarket replacement products are out there that replace heavy factory components?

[blackjack411]

Re: Borderline ridiculous weight reducion idea request

Originally posted by HowLeTT
[i]

removing hood latch assembly (hood pins)

Check your weights before actully doing this, the related hardware for just 2 hood pins migth be more than the weight of the stock latch.

Also for the rear hatch, remove it and replace it with a lexan window, shoud get you 50+ pounds that sit up high on the car, plus a a unit you can sell the entire hatch to someone.

[HowLeTT]

I need pins for the CF hood though, I dont trust it with just the stock latch. Anyone have a good source for lexan windows?

[Jamie]

So how are you going to keep the car parked somewhere? Wheel chocks?

I wouldn't trust leaving the car in gear. I've seen a couple nice cars where the owner didn't put the e-brake on and left it in gear and in the morning, it was snug against a tree!

[blackjack411]

Originally posted by HowLeTT
I need pins for the CF hood though, I dont trust it with just the stock latch. Anyone have a good source for lexan windows?

Ahhh the CF hood will get your weight down more htan the pins could gain. Nobody makes lexan windows for our cars, have to get sheet lexan and a heat gun and mold your own. Hence why for the rear hatch it wouldn't much harder to replace it rather then just replacing the glass with lexan.

[1995ProbeGT]

How about custom made of an oil pan out of aluminum or something?

[RED]

lexan headlight coversion,rear wiper,rear windshield fluid reserwar.fuel tank =.fueal cell

[xtorted-legacy]

do u have an electric sunroof in the car? if so, take that motor out and wiring.(i have a sunroof, but it is jammed since i bouth the car. so i dont know if there is a motor or not, just a guess. also, replace the sunroof with a cf piece or make it clear with lexan.

[Rocko]

talk of carbon fiber made this pop into my head,

super small thing but, its neat looking and a bit of weight

you know the GT symbol between the tailights (if your car has that style of tailights), theres a Cwest carbon fiber replacement for that, but its expensive, you could make your own

Also, is there any metal in the inner fender that separates the engine bay from the wheel well....i see mustang owners cut their inner fender's out

what about windsheild wipers? if you dont have to race in the rain remove them and their motor (lots of weight there).....and if you do have to race in the rain, you could do the one wiper mod (and probubly get laughed at but its just as much weight as the hatch struts i guess, plus the stuff that drives the other wiper)

plus the cowl cover tihng between the windsheild and beginning of the hood.... you know the mounting for the Y pipe? that big metal cylinder shape that just sits there on one side of it hanging off, i guess it balances the exhaust but i dont think you need it, and it looks kinda heavy for its size, steel and all.

timing belt covers?

7 lbs Unorthadox flywheel instead of 9 pound if its a race car?

so what kinda road racing are you going to be doing? i always see you talk about drag racing, but the same weight reduction and stuff applies

if you want to sell the rear strut tower bar and B pillar bar PM me.

[jduffett]

Regarding splash guards, you may want to keep those, or fabricate your own, as they may be more significant in aerodynamics than in weight. For that matter it would be pretty cool to skin over all the cavitys on the underside with cf, diffuser in the rear, etc.
I have zero heat sheilding on my exhaust (rust) even by the gas tank, and so far it doesn't seem to be an issue.
Some more ideas, some you may have done already or thought of, but I didn't see them mentioned:
-cruise control
-useless brackets on the throttle body around the throttle linkage
-engine lift points
-hood prop rod
-airbag sensors
-fuses & relays from all the accessories and wiring you remove.
-hatch latch, lock, hinges, etc. (weld)
-does your passenger door even need to be functional? Remove the locks, linkages, hinges, etc and weld it in place.
-do Probes have a remote fuel filler door release? If so, ditch the cable, lever, etc. even the door if you figure its not gonna be much drag.

[Omaha95PGT]

1) Got money? Replace all steel fasteners with titanium. Becareful when replacing highstress/load bearing fasteners. Check with the manufacturer if the Ti part will be able to sustain the stress. Also be sure to use anti-galling lube as seen in the 2nd link.

http://www.mettec.com/fasteners.htm

http://shopping.netledger.com/racebolts?web=

Change all lugnuts to the lightweight tuner type. I couldn't find any metric Ti lugnuts tho'. Our lug nuts are M12x1.5 btw.

Some interesting Ti fastener reading: http://www.mettec.com/technical.htm

2) replace regular spring/strut combo with coilovers/strut combo. The smaller spring and loss of the spring perch should help reduce weight.

3) Replace your battery with a BatCap 800 (800 CCA 10 lbs). Start your car with the batcap or with the help of one of those encased emergency jumper batteries that you can get for emergency roadside use.

BatCap info: http://www.batcap.net/
BatCap 800 info: http://www.batcap.net/Model800.html
Do a google search on "BatCap 800" to find retailers or:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=18797

4) remove hood hinges, replace with 4 hood pins instead.

5) Get shaved tires (if you roadrace) to improve grip and reduce weight

6) fill your tires with...uh...helium. You said "ridiculous"

[harvey93gt]

well I can't really think of anything else that has not already been stated. athough I can buy that B-pillar bar off you that should help out alittle, atleast with the coast of the lexan your going to get. if you want to sell it I git dibs and hit me up with a price.

[93 Probe]

http://www.hairyglass.com/probe.html

I know this website has been circulating for sometime now... but has anyone taken the time to find out just what they can do for us?

[Da-ze]

Don't know if you hae taken this out or not, but under the steering wheel there isa black plastic panel on the bottom of the ignition.. its directly underneath the 4 way flashers.. the plastic peice has a thick steel plate inside that weighs like 5lbs.. honestly.. its pretty damn heavey for such a small item.. rip that sucka out

Remove 3rd brake like and all rear wireing for defroster and plate lighting...



oh and those fiberglassed doors on the link above witha fiberglass rear hatch!!