weight reduction

[blown 944]

I am looking for info regarding what the lowest weight can be achieved with 944. I am looking at possibly using this particular car for a test mule and don't care what gets thrown out to a degree. As long as it still looks complete from the exterior. Also are there some particularly hefty parts that would possibly be considered expendable, if so what are they?
Thanks in advance
Sid

[Zero10]

The driver
I am not certain. Spare tire and jack are pretty heavy ~40lbs.
That and power seats are the heaviest things I've seen removed.

[Dark Skies]

Originally posted by blown 944
I am looking for info regarding what the lowest weight can be achieved with 944. I am looking at possibly using this particular car for a test mule and don't care what gets thrown out to a degree. As long as it still looks complete from the exterior. Also are there some particularly hefty parts that would possibly be considered expendable, if so what are they?
Thanks in advance
Sid

Well, you could start with chucking out the useless rear seat and the passenger seat too. Dump all the air conn. and power assisted steering stuff and go back to basics. Chuck out the radio, electric aerial, and power windows and go for perspex windups instead. How's that for starters?

[Dave L]

lexan hatch would shed a few pounds as well.

[lousailor]

Check out the web site for 944 spec racing. They strip their cars to the bones. No rear seats, carpet, window motors, sunroof motors, hatch motors, AC, power steering, etc., etc.

[Dantilla]

Street or track?

You can junk some steel body panels and go with fiberglass or carbon fiber.

As said above, strip the interior.

Race seats weigh a fraction of factory seats.

Don't forget unsprung and rotating weight. Light wheels. Hoosier race tires are much lighter than street tires.

[blown 944]

I do understand the interior and accessory stuff wht I was looking for was like door reenforcements like if it has eccessive carpet padding just any particular items that are really heavy and what the final weight that is generally achieved is?

I am not going to install fibreglass or Lexan.


Thanks and I do plan on keeping it on the street just want to lighten areas that are not neccessay and that r not obvious to the naked eye.

I will look into some other thread areas for what weight can be attained

[Eldorado]

power steering rack switched to manual - already mentioned.
air conditioning - already mentioned.
spare tire/jack - already mentioned.
remove the rear seats. if you still want a "finished" look, then carpet over it.. looks slick IMO...
power seats to manual.
wheels - fuch wheels are crazy light.
remove the sunroof.
take out the motor for the power lights in the front - they have a manual crank you can use.
smaller battery.
remove speakers.
rear window wiper.
remove the motors in the power windows and leave the arm braces in a fixed position to hold the windows up.
remove exhaust/cat and put in straight pipe (provided emission laws dont prohibit it).
remove floor mats.
remove any sway bars - but i dont think this option is a wise idea. perhaps use smaller ones?

there are some i'm missing i'm sure.

[Cory9584]

Theres also all the sound deadening material on the trunk floor, not that it weighs that much

[Eldorado]

right..
and on the underside of the hood...

[Cory9584]

speaking of removing the rear wiper, where do i get a plug for the hole if i take it out?

[CJFusco]

unsprung weight and rotational mass are porportionately more important to weight reduction than the weight carried on the car's body. For example, every pound unsprung (wheels, tires, brakes) is worth 10 sprung. Weight savings on rotational mass (flywheels, etc.) is exponential.

[Dark Skies]

Originally posted by blown 944
I do understand the interior and accessory stuff wht I was looking for was like door reenforcements like if it has eccessive carpet padding just any particular items that are really heavy and what the final weight that is generally achieved is?

I am not going to install fibreglass or Lexan.


Thanks and I do plan on keeping it on the street just want to lighten areas that are not neccessay and that r not obvious to the naked eye.

I will look into some other thread areas for what weight can be attained

To be frank - if you're not going to lighten the seriously heavy stuff then the stuff you do intend to remove won't be at all noticeable over standard in terms of performance or fuel mileage. Pulling out piffling stuff like sound deadening material will save about as much weight as taking a good dump. You will probably just find that you've lessened the comfort of driving the car because of added noise and irritating vibration. It'll become wearing on you and your passenger.

Just my two pence. I used to drive my road legal race car on the road to get to meets and it was noticeably tiresome on long-ish journeys.

[yellowline]

Originally posted by Cory9584
speaking of removing the rear wiper, where do i get a plug for the hole if i take it out?

944 Ecology. If George B doesn't have it, I doubt anybody does.

There's a lot of weight in the exhaust, too. Iron headers in the early cars are 20 lbs heavier than late ones.