lightest SC weight WHILE preserving front weight?

[wreckah]

you can keep the stock look of the rear lights with plastic reproduction light buckets. Keeps the stock lenses, but obviously the buckets are much lighter. The stock buckets are heavy. They solve a lot of reliability with lighting in these 40 year old buckets as well.

[70SWT]

I'm really interested in the last paragraph of the article section I posted above. 200 lbs of front lift with or without the duck at only 60 mph! And 60 more lbs with the duck at 120 mph...if I read it right. I have been able to lift the front end of some of my 911s off the ground by hand - it makes me wonder how much effective weight is left on the front wheels in an early car if going >100 mph with no front lip or ducktail.

A ducktail and front lip really need to be done together. This was the setup I had on my old 911E, and it handled quite well, albeit still feeling a little light in front at times.

[Sebscst]

So what is the best way to add more downforce on the front. Splitter? Or is it more involved than that. Would some type of rear defuser also help. I know we’re getting into aero know and it’s not what the original poster was asking for but I think it would be helpful.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Sebscst

So what is the best way to add more downforce on the front. Splitter? Or is it more involved than that. Would some type of rear defuser also help. I know we’re getting into aero know and it’s not what the original poster was asking for but I think it would be helpful.

Both, though a diffuser on a 911 is tough because that's where the exhaust and engine are. I tried one on my 993 w/ RS/CS aero and found it to be of limited use because you just can't make it long or deep enough.

The best thing is a lowered car, ~2 - 5° rake, as deep and projecting an air dam as possible(for street it'll be less so), do use a rear spoiler, effectiveness in increasing order duck, flat whaletail, wing, wing w/ end plates high wide wing w/ end plates, the yaw effects are much reduced w/ flatter fenders aka Flachnose or 993

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by wreckah

you can keep the stock look of the rear lights with plastic reproduction light buckets. Keeps the stock lenses, but obviously the buckets are much lighter. The stock buckets are heavy. They solve a lot of reliability with lighting in these 40 year old buckets as well.

who sells the plastic reproduction light buckets??

[Hi_Fi_Guy]

I wonder if Aircraft Windshield co. In Anaheim makes poly rear targa glass? That would save some major weight. Their race glass is really high quality too.

[Nux]

So my backdated '78 Targa (now sold) weighs 2000lb wet.

To answer some of your questions:

Rear tail lights weigh about 5 punds each. Carbon fiber, including Hella lights as pictured below is about 0.7 punds. Thats about 8 punds off the rear end.

The Targa rear window can be exchanged for a polycarbonate one. You dont need to have one made, it can be cold-bend to fit with a few bolts. It shaves 14 punds of compared to original window.

You can see both the polycarbonate window and the rear taillights here:





I found, that without any front spoiler, the car feels very nervous at speeds > 80 mph. After fitting an SC spoiler (no rear spoiler) - the car was transformed and felt plantet even at +120mhp. You can see it fitted here:



To get a Targa to 2000lb you need to be pretty radical. Minimal interior. Fiberglass everything - incl doors and seats. Polycarbonate windows - or no windows at all. Headers w/o heat and fx a M&K exhaust remove A LOT of rear weight (+30lb. As does EFI/ITB's (about 20lb). The original rear bumper alone is about 34lb.

Front spare tire is 20lb. LiFePO4 battery saves about 22lb. But thats at the front.

If I were to build another light weight 911, I would not use fiberglass doors and keep the original Targa rear window. Less radical seats.

[Snitzler]

1988 3.2 Carrera, just as a point of reference:

M&K muffler and cat delete 16
Rear bumperettes 14
A/C 54
Rear seats and sound proofing 38
Odyssey battery 14
Spare tire 33

Total is around 170 lbs

Presently with radio delete, cruise, fog light delete, front and rear hood and frunk struts and lots of little stuff, the car has lost a total of around 210 lbs. Spreadsheet shows about 87 lbs removed from front of car and 120 lbs rear. Car handles great.

[kent olsen]

My 72 weighs 2210 with half a tank. I have not had the spare tire in it in 20 years. Corner balanced at about 40/60 and a 245hp 3.0L. 15 x 7 superlite wheels at about 1 lb more than Fuschs and Yoko Advan tires.

I have tracked the car many times and to me the handling is near neutral and the only limiting issue is the 205x50 tires. Coming home from the coast monday on a great mountain road I could comfortably take posted corners 20-30mph above that speed.

[wreckah]

Originally Posted by RWebb

who sells the plastic reproduction light buckets??

here's one option, not sure if it's ok to post it on pelican:
https://www.*****************/fu/prod13509/Indicator-Lamps-and-Lens-Rear-Kit-with-BLACK-Rim-Lens-Porsche-911/

ok, clearly not, it is design 911 in england...but there are others out there.

[70SWT]

Originally Posted by Nux

..I found, that without any front spoiler, the car feels very nervous at speeds > 80 mph. After fitting an SC spoiler (no rear spoiler) - the car was transformed and felt plantet even at +120mhp...

I am starting to lean this way - keep the front lip, go with a slick decklid. As much as i love ducktails, the clean look is hard to beat.

Great looking car - can't believe you got rid of it!

[RWebb]

Thanks wreckah

[Trackrash]

Don't forget seats and doors. There is a lot of weight to be saved there.

Listen to Bill. He speaketh the truth.

Front end lift?

[Larmo63]

Glasfibre hood, bumpers, seats (Recaro), no jack, tools, spare, rear seats, roll bar could go to save weight, the jury is out on that.......

[75 911s]

I'm at 2233 lbs with 1/4 tank of gas. Though I'm not an SC, the mods are applicable, and I'm running the stock bumpers.

Front: regular battery, no Jack, spare, air pump. No AC. No washer reservoir, pump or tubes. Euro crush tubes. - running a front spoiler.

Rear: Plastic tail light housings, euro crush tubes, rubber delete from bumper, heat back date, no smog pump or AC. Lightweight muffler *17lbs

Interior and middle: rear sound pad swap to lightweight appbiz version. Rear seat delete and sound pad delete, floor tar/sound deadening removal, RS carpet, RSA door panels, no stereo/audio equip, sunroof delete, rocker panel delete, no wheel caps, single side view mirror.

Also I lost 36lbs on my person. :-D

15" wheels, 6 and 7, titanium lugs.

Car handles extremely well. It's very low and I run the duck tail and previously mentioned front spoiler. Only issue I've had is cold tires and lifting on sharp corners. That's all driver error though.