Help me lose weight

[smstcoach]

I have an 86 coupe that needs to go on a diet. The car is 50/50 street/ track and is stock in terms of weight. I would love some ways to cut weight with consideration for the car's use (both street and track). If you know specific weight reduction numbers, please list them. Hack away!!!
-Jeff

[widebody911]

I have some weight data @ http://rennlight.com

It comes down to your comfort threshold. I have mine down in the very low 2000 range, but I'm living with lexan windows, nylon straps for door handles, no carpet, no door panels, no ventilation system, etc, etc etc. It is going to suck to drive on all but the nicest of spring days, but I've been driving VW buses for years, so I'm used to it. My M3 is the first car I've ever had with functioning A/C!

You're relatively local - you should come by some time and check out what I've done on my car.

[randywebb]

Yes go to Thom's site and ...

First, get the Models Comparison I made up (a table in MS Word) and read the articles at the bottom - esp. the ones on the cars by Jim Calzia and Grant G (who posts on rennlist).

Second, think hard about what you want to do without, how much $$ you want to spend (to replace parts), and how much work you want to do (e.g. tossing out blower fans vs. scraping undercoating and sound deadener off the body).

Third, use the spreadsheet I made up to prototype various wt. savings you are interested in.

Fourth, do searches here for more info and look at the "self-enter wt. data" engine that Thom set up. I haven't posted the latest iteration of the two tables yet, and I am mainly interested in early cars, not later ones, so that is reflected in the two docs.

One recently discovered tidbit - full galvanizing only added about 22 lbs. to the body shell, so you should be able to strip your car down almost as light as an early car - with quite a bit of work.

It will always be easier to start with an early car rather than a Carrera, BUT you already have the good shift tower and light wt. suspension pieces.

[randywebb]

Oh yeh focus on the big stuff first.

Thom's car is at - shall we say - an advanced state of wt. refinement. i.e. your first thing to do is _not_ to drill holes in the trunk lid hinges.

Also focus on wt. that is up high and in the rear.

Replacing the bumper shocks with Euro crush tubes is an obvious step if you want to keep the bumpers. Or trash it all and get non-protective FG parts. The ugly black blobs have to go no matter what.

And remember - it is a lot easier to prototype on paper than on the car. Think first, address the car next.

Good Luck.

[smstcoach]

Thanks guys. On the list for this weekend is the A/C and components. Can someone give me an idea of what I should be deleting other than the large anvil on the passenger side of the engine? Also, the rear seat delete seems like a reasonable option, but are we talking about the pads that flip down or is there something else to shed?
Any other options that won't cost $ but shed lb's?
-Jeff

[randywebb]

toss out teh blower moters in the front knee area

either look in the PET for the luxo parts or sniff around in the car - toss that all out (i.e. toss it onto eBay)

then rip the sounde deadening off the rear firewall (replace with lighter wt. modern materials) & look to see what other sound deadener is there - they used a lot on the later cars

[KobaltBlau]

the A/C isn't as heavy as people think, and it's harder to put on from a box of parts than take off. MHO.

[edward993]

Jeff,

Since I bought my SC w/o a working a/c, I went ahead and removed every hose (along the rockers, into/out of engine bay, and the ones feeding the front condenser), the front condenser and it's blower motor (fab a blocking plate for the rectangle or you'll get water into the trunk compartment), the receiver/drier and more hoses in the driver's wheelwell, the windwhield washer resevoir in the same wheelwell, the blower motor at the smuggler's box, and the center console and its wiring/switchgear. That should do it for the a/c, anyhow. Felt great just ripping it all out!

Edward

[dd74]

All good advice here. Start with what's easiest to take out. The spare alone could save about 30 pounds. The a/c's compressor is the heaviest part of the a/c, and when removed, aleviates weight from a critical end of the car. The rear seats are easy depending on how far you want to go. I took mine out and the sound proofing behind them along with some funky disco-type speaker console atop the rear shelf, then the shelf itself in about 45 minutes. It turned out to be about 90 pounds of "stuff" IIRC.

[Bill Verburg]

Keep in mind that all weight is not equal in its effect on performance.

Weight at the ends, wheel speed rotating , and drive train rotating are the worst

weight high is next worse

[widebody911]

There might also be some gains in the lap belt area. If you can't see the lap belt, that's not a good sign.

[dd74]

Originally posted by widebody911
There might also be some gains in the lap belt area. If you can't see the lap belt, that's not a good sign.

Yes, Atkins was responsible for at least 30lbs being taken out of my car.

[smstcoach]

I'm gagging up those donuts right now...

[randywebb]

IF you take my & Bill V's comments, and add in the last 3... it becomes obvious that a fat head is a big liability....

[dd74]

Originally posted by randywebb
IF you take my & Bill V's comments, and add in the last 3... it becomes obvious that a fat head is a big liability....

Well, maybe. But I am thin and beautiful. And my car loves me for it. It's like giving a little bit back to a marriage, you know?

[afterburn 549]

a PC 680 will save probly 35 lbs, all plastic windows an other 85 or so.
The right exhaust sys too! as the stock sys is hvy in all the wrong places