Gutted Door Pix?

[ZOA NOM]

I'm gutting my steel doors for the track, and I'd like to see where to cut and what to keep. I want to make room for roll cage cross bars to angle outward into the door. I'm also wondering what to do with the latch and lock hardware.

[ZOA NOM]

bumpity-bump

[JP911]

Rick-
I think it was Trekkor that recently posted a link to a thread on the 914 board chronicling the build of a boxter cup car. The build included the gutting of the doors and I think their approach would work for the 911 as well. Basically, they removed the doors from the car and used a sawzall to cut away all of the material on the inside of the door. They then ran a cable from the latch mechanism to the middle-top of the door to get in and out. I can't remember what they did with the windows. Ask trekkor for the link.

Found the link:
The "Spec Boxster" build is documented in the 914Club "Paddock".
http://www.914club.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=62696

[Mahler9th]

Rick.... I can help you out on this. Neil Jackson, one of our PRC guys has the gutted doors info. Will follow up with an e-mail.

[ZOA NOM]

Sweet, thanks guys.

[aston@ultrasw.c]

I know it's an old thread, but I have been doing some gutting of my own recently.

Weight savings around 27lbs/door.

[KTL]

Aston,

Very cool idea with the foot release pedal. I like that alot. My doors still have the release pull in the original location, which falls right near the X-intersection of my door bars- very annoying. I made my door pull more easy to find by attaching an old wheel bearing race and wrapping it in bright fluor yellow tape. I like your idea MUCH better!

[aston@ultrasw.c]

Hmm ok, it's dual actuating: hand or foot!!

This was some prep work for a cage and I was thinking about the door cross brace.

Thanks btw!

[KTL]

I hear what you're saying. I too thought that it'd be easier to pop the door open with a strike from your fist than try to contort your foot up to the door panel!

Do your door handles still actuate the release too? I was thinking of transferring my door handles and striker/latch assemblies from the steel doors (mine are gutted too) over to some fiberglass doors, whenever I get around to making that switch

[aston@ultrasw.c]

Originally Posted by KTL

Do your door handles still actuate the release too? I was thinking of transferring my door handles and striker/latch assemblies from the steel doors (mine are gutted too) over to some fiberglass doors, whenever I get around to making that switch

Yes they do. I also welded a second tab onto the lock quadrant so the key can lock and unlock w/o power.

I made a wire end to attach the wire to the release arm. The end was 1/4" and the arm around 3/16" so I loaded up a drill bit to open up the hole. Bugger me if the arm didn't kill the drill bit

I touched the arm onto a grinder and sure enough - high carbon sparks.

[RWebb]

this will help people figure out what is really important, and what is just "cosmetic weight savings"...

[KTL]

Isn't the pie missing the piece for the door mirror? It can't be an invisible sliver, is it? I know the early car mirrors were rather small (compared to the later ugly "flag" mirrors) but they had to weigh something measurable.

That pie chart is indeed telling. What it tells you is a the lightest blue, tan and purples are a large portion of the door weight. Very easy to eliminate for a race car. What it doesn't tell is how much you can cut out of the pale blue area. You can cut a good chunk of sheet metal out of the interior skin.

[RWebb]

it's small but not invisible - did not have the mirror wt. loaded in a spreadsheet cell

36.5 for a '73.5 door shell means you really want to toss the door in a race car... assuming you are messin' with the middle at all

[callard]

If you have nascar type door bars or just straight side impact bars in your cage, you don't need a door with the factory side impact protection. Get an early door and gut it to save weight.

[KTL]

Originally Posted by RWebb

36.5 for a '73.5 door shell means you really want to toss the door in a race car... assuming you are messin' with the middle at all

Thanks for adding the mirror's slice of pie.

By "toss the door in a race car" do you mean get rid of it and go with fiberglass? I will agree with that. Fiberglass (or carb'on fibre') is mucho lighter than even a well-gutting steel door.

GT-Racing fiberglass doors weigh 7 to 9 lbs each, depending on type of door construction. That's a huge weight savings (and why I have them sitting in wait in my crawlspace)

[jury]

My SWB doors...






Chris

[RWebb]

yes, get rid of the door (note how heavy it is) and go with fiberglass - the cage protects you from side impact (if done right)

for a dual use car, the ruf integrated cage might be just the ticket

BTW - I've tried to get someone discarding a door to cut the safety beam out and weigh it - no info yet; so if anyone wants to do that...

[strokher racing]

I have a cage in my 964 turbo. Does anyone know how much weight you drop by cutting out the door impact braces? Do these support the door or are they just for impact purposes?

[jpnovak]

I love the rubber tie down for window catch.

[Cory M]

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