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Weight reduction ideas

 
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QwkTrip
11sec Club


Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 3942
Location: Peoria, IL

1989 Pontiac Firebird

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:48 pm    Post subject: Weight reduction ideas Reply with quote

Looking for ideas how to strip weight out of my car without ruining it's appeal as a nice street car.
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aaron_sK
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Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 8834
Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton

1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but the answer is not a lot. The interior doesn't weigh that much, especially in a base model car that didn't get the various deluxe interior options, and any interior removal quickly turns driving into a horrible tin-can experience. You already have a hardtop car without gfx as well.

Bottom line is that GM did a tremendously bad job of unibody design. This right here...


...weighed about half a ton.

I pulled everything I could out of the yellow car, short of removing metal, and it weighed more than my BMW E30 with full luxury iS-model interior and air conditioning. Laughing

You can't turn a muscle car into a sports car. You can stiffen it up and add power but it is still what it is.
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Dewey316
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Joined: 08 Jan 2004
Posts: 7295
Location: Bringing the tech

1990 Chevrolet Camaro RS

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only things that will make any substantial difference are to replace steel with composites, and glass with Lexan (which will lose your street appeal).
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Twilightoptics
Hardcore (12sec Club)


Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 9191
Location: Auburn , WA

1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Exercise and a healthy balanced diet.
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Dewey316
The Lama


Joined: 08 Jan 2004
Posts: 7295
Location: Bringing the tech

1990 Chevrolet Camaro RS

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Twilightoptics wrote:
Exercise and a healthy balanced diet.


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Alphius
Peanut


Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 2429
Location: Grand Mound

1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

aaron_sK wrote:
Bottom line is that GM did a tremendously bad job of unibody design.


It takes real engineering skill to design a structure that is simultaneously overbuilt to the point of portliness and as floppy as a wet noodle. Bravo, I say! Bravo, GM! Number 1.

First things I'd think of to save some weight without feeling like you're in a tin can would be the easy stuff. Spare tire, bumper beam surgery, one of those fancy tiny batteries. There might be 100lbs there.

Moving on beyond that becomes an issue of diminishing returns. The interior weighs not much as Aaron said, you can remove the jute and mass backing from the carpet but then it'll be loud inside for only a few tens of pounds weight savings. Remove the rear seat, but then it looks dumb and doesn't save much either. If you have a power seat, you can stick manual rails on it to save a few pounds.

Bodywise, you can go fiberglass hood to save some weight, but nobody makes a plain one that I know of. Lexan rear hatch, but that has it's own compromises on a street car as John said.

Do you now how much it weighs now?

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chevymad
Master B


Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 5472


1987 Pontiac Formula

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dewey316 wrote:
Twilightoptics wrote:
Exercise and a healthy balanced diet.




LOVE IT! Laughing
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aaron_sK
Member


Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 8834
Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton

1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alphius wrote:
aaron_sK wrote:
Bottom line is that GM did a tremendously bad job of unibody design.


It takes real engineering skill to design a structure that is simultaneously overbuilt to the point of portliness and as floppy as a wet noodle. Bravo, I say! Bravo, GM! Number 1.


The truly amazing thing is that they managed to design the J-body (a cheap shitbox designed for poor grandmas) which was light and, while it wasn't that sturdy, at least you could close the doors. At around the same time they design the F-body (a muscle/GT car sitting one notch below the flagship) that was the worlds heaviest pool noodle.
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rjmcgee
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Joined: 08 Jan 2004
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just drive it through a couple winters, it will get way lighter!
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izcain
9sec Club


Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 1306
Location: Port Angeles WA

1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Street car takes on many different versions depending on how much lightening you want to do.

A lot depends on how much sacrifice you are willing to accept.

I am doing a lot of lightening up this winter, I will post pics of what I am doing.

Looks like you can get them pretty light if you put your mind to it and accept that some things (comforts) are going to be sacrificed

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1983 Z28 383 + 201ci more = New Heart for this season!
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QwkTrip
11sec Club


Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 3942
Location: Peoria, IL

1989 Pontiac Firebird

PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ya, definitely interested to see what you do to drop weight.
At this point I'm adding weight to strengthen the body. The cracks REALLY bother me.
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izcain
9sec Club


Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 1306
Location: Port Angeles WA

1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I have started by first making the decision that I am willing to accept discomfort over speed lol

I have removed the whole heater assy and gutted behind the dash totally. Ebrake cables left, front impact modified, rear impact gone, various tin pieces under the body are gone, manual steering, tubular everything, lightweight seats, lightweight wheels. Removed all the backing from the carpeting. Rear tin work removed where rear seats mount.

Next I am going to removed the door panels and see about getting the crash bars out of there. I hear that is worth 12-15 pounds per door, I keep toying with the idea of fiberglass doors and lexan windows. It is a bummer that the car is painted and I don't want to mess with paint again. I am thinking lexan windows would be cool and shave additional weight. Thinking about lexan winshield and rear hatch also.

If you go at it with the thinking of ounces move to pounds I think it will ad up.

I now have a nice set of wireless scales to use so I can get really into trying to get it down.

I did some other things though that were not helpful in the weight department. I added an extra rocker bar to my cage that was not needed to pass cert but I thought that it would make it safer for me is I was to get in trouble.


Many years ago it used to weight 3550 with a half tank of fuel in race trim with me in the car. I am hoping it is now down to 31-3200 with me in it. Once I get the trans back in I will weight it and find out.

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1983 Z28 383 + 201ci more = New Heart for this season!
9.17 @ 148


Last edited by izcain on Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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izcain
9sec Club


Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 1306
Location: Port Angeles WA

1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe pull the headliner and install some additional bracing across the roof?
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1983 Z28 383 + 201ci more = New Heart for this season!
9.17 @ 148
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