Weight loss for a family man.

[thrown_hammer]

I have visions of going "Eric McKenna" crazy on my car. But then I remember I have two little boys that LOVE to ride in my car. What could I do to drop weight but still shuttle the boys around occasionally in some form of comfort. ( they don't mind the noise or rawness )

I was thinking lose the hood shocks, revert to a single battery, Pelon felt carpet set, RS door panels. Do you think it would be comfortable in the backseats without the seat backs?
I already put in a clock plug, removed all the sound deadening I could find and removed the sun visors.
Others on this board must be in the same boat. I want to be on the ragged edge of lightweight but yet still be able to take the boys for a drive in the "race car" now and then. Creature comforts have no say here. Lets start a ssane weightloss plan for family guys!

[724doorE]

Those batteries must go AC stuff must go, RS door panels light carpet and light seats. Not sure how the back would feel without the seat backs. You can sit in mine at Indy to see for yourself though.

Do you still have heat, fresh air blower etc?

one wiper.....

What did my 2.7 stay too close to you???

[IROC]

If "creature comforts have no say" - lose the heat right away. Headers and Supertrapps will shed unwanted pounds like crazy. Then once the heat exchangers are gone, there's no need for that pesky heater blower motor. All vestiges of AC are gone already, right?

I also removed most of the windshield washer system - who needs that, really?

Heck, I don't even have a horn.

The rear seat backs don't weigh much, but you can toss 'em.

Mike

[thrown_hammer]

What did my 2.7 stay too close to you???

2.7? i thought you had a 2.4?!?! Well that helps a little...
Keep the ideas comin' I am making a list.

[Tim Walsh]

radio delete, no spare tire(fix a flat?), rocker trim removed?

[724doorE]

So you were concerned... Its that big ole 3.2 that adds the pounds

I got a nice light mag case two liter for ya on the shelf!

[expat]

Sorry to be a thorn but you asked...

I too have two kids who love coming for a drive with dad but they must use the back seats.

I put my car on an interior diet and here's the problems I found in relation to kids...

removing any form of insulation makes it noiser inside and depending upon the circumstances, for family cruises longer than 15 minutes I found they got a bit edgy about not being able to talk to each other without nearly shouting

removing the rear parcel tray and seat padding made the ride hot and rough on their butts. I actually removed the complete sound deadeneing pad from the rear seat moulding (steel) and found the heat of the metal was too hot for small hands and exposed flesh to bear.

I put the seat pads on the bare metal in the back, to cushion their butts, and the vinyal began to melt onto the metal!

Having removed the sound deadner from the rear seats, and now wishing to put it back in, I've been waiting two months to get the pad from the factory....ahhhhh!!!! and dont get me started on how much it costs!!!!!

Now back to some helpful stuff

Lightweight seats will be a big bonus to losing weight.

The old carpet weights a tone especially with the felt backing. My lightweight carpet is much better.

Ditch the old console and simply go for the shifter in a nice custom boot.

Other stuff I'd suggest would be the same as previous posts that have little or no effect on kids in the car (eg ditching the spare wheel for some of the tyre inflater or an AA and VISA card.....)

Good luck, have fun but dont compromise the kids safety or comfort


Gameboys or CD players are great distractions for kids as are colouring books for family cruises. Naturally some basic food and drink keeps them cheery too.

Mark

[billwagnon]

Naturally some basic food and drink keeps them cheery too.

"Basic food and drink" ist verboten in meiner Porsche!

[svandamme]

to counter the heat problem when removing parts in the back, you could remove the hood, or at least adapt the hood so you could fit kid's seats there.

just buy race goggles

added advantages :

you always see what the little ones are up to
they can fight and call each other names all they want to ( you wouldn't hear it)
and the weight distribution shifts another 100 pounds to the front(goood)

[thrown_hammer]

I removed all the sound insulation I could find. My future plans are currently clearing out the remainder of the A/C crap hidden in the smugglers box, single battery possibly in the smugglers box, headers with glasspacks, delete all heat fans, remove all carpet and rear parcel shelf, replace with perlon felt, RS door panels, remove passenger wiper, single 935 outside mirror, remove the wiper fluid system, and ditch the spare tire. I think I will leave the seatbacks in. Also need the radio to keep wife and kids happy. Nothing like screaming down the freeway blaring "Farmer in the Dell"!

[masraum]

I wouldn't remove the seat backs if they are going to be sitting back there. I would think that would be potentially dangerous.

[thrown_hammer]

Seat backs and radio stay.

[724doorE]

Heck, you already have f-glass ducktail, rear bumper and probably front bumper as well, thats a lot of weight gone right away!

[Neilk]

Have you thought about a new steering wheel? I am amazed at how much '73 steering wheels weigh. There must be a lighter model out there.

[thrown_hammer]

Already have an OMP prototipo clone. And yes the bumpers and duck are glass.

[trj911]

Paint weighs a lot! Strip the car down. That's what they used to do at LeMans.

[724doorE]

Shawn, do you know of anywhere over in your neck of the woods that we could get our cars weighed for free. It'd be nice to weigh em and then keep track of the pounds lost.

[thrown_hammer]

We have a few grain elevators around here. They are even certified scales. May be able to squeeze in.

[Jack Olsen]

The seats are huge, if you can go to fiberglass buckets you'll save a lot. Of course, if those kids need to get in the back...

RS door panels are a great upgrade, but the weight savings is minimal. Do you have a sunroof? Eliminating that can save 35-40 pounds. Front fiberglass hood will also save a lot.

[thrown_hammer]

Kids have to get in back and wife likes the sunroof. Gonna leave the hood and fenders steel... for awhile anyway. I could leave one Recaro and get a F/G drivers seat though. Do those need to be bolted to a cage like my old alumninum kirkeys did?