Soft core chassis lightening ideas - your top 5

[twobone]

In the interest of more WOW out of my SC Targa can I get your top 5 easy lightening ideas.

I still want to keep the car interior reasonably stock.

My current list of to do's:

1 - Spare & Jack....I'll be calling a flat bed if I get a flat anyways
2 - Air Conditioning


OK...now I'm stumped

[KobaltBlau]

fiberglass bumpers
shell seats
neither of which are particularly cheap...

But there is a fundamental conflict between keeping the inerior reasonably stock and saving weight.

The RS door panels save very little IMHO, but if you have power windows and converted to crank windows at the same time you'd save more. Lots of work for a pretty small gain.

It's a lot harder to lose weight out of an already-built car and keep it a respectable streat car than it is to build a light race car. Some on this board have done it, but many start with an earlier, lighter car.

I'm not sure how much weight he lost or gained out of his interior, but JackOlsen comes to mind as someone who has given some thought to the weight in his car (and still chosen to keep those things he enjoys), and still has a very respectable interior, enviable even.

[Porschekid962]

1. RS carpet and door panels, ditch rear seats. Take out window cranks and convert to R style straps.

2. Remove AC! All of it, good for more than one might expect.

3. Fiberglass bumpers and decklid, front hood.

4. Lightweight battery, bike tyre style spare, minimal or no tool kit.

5. Go to the gym! You will feel better too I bet.

[MichiganMat]

remove the back seats
remove the sound padding under the rear shelf and carpet
remove the sound deadening from the floorboards (heat gun)
change to lightwieght battery (miata, or odyssey. Optima for your climate)

[mb911]

Lighter muffler! Yours weighs about 30lbs

[76911S]

Remove rocker covers, front trunk carpet, trunk dash cover, radio, (no sound better than a flat six) speakers, antenna start drilling.

[Bill Verburg]

A pound isn't a pound the whole car round.

A # removed at the ends of the car will cause a more significant D than a # removed from near the Center of Mass

Rotating and unspriung weight are also significant but also involve more significant tradeoffs when going for a reduction in their effects.

From cheapest least intrusive to most expensive most intrusive;
Spare and jack are good starting points(carry a plug in 12v compressor just in case) cheap to accomplish as well

f/g bumpers

ltwt spoilers(factory are heavy and significantly effect polar moments)

shell seats

racing rubber will be much lighter than street.

smaller battery

move the whole drivetrain forward an inch or so.

[Rot 911]

I have found a significant difference in the WOW factor just by only keeping 1/2 tank of gas in the car when I am not driving long distances.

[hkspwrsche]

A/c is always number one because it doesnt work.

Stock US rear bumperettes are quite heavy and are free to unbolt.

Rear seats come out easy. Free unbolt.

Stock factory muffler IS a bit heavy and a nice sound can be had if its replaced.

Some of these are repeated, of course but, I'd rather take it off the rear first.