RecklessV

Been reading on it,and i realized that i have never used my sunroof in the 1 1/2 years that ive owned the car. I know it would be a good source of weight loss if i got rid of it. Problem is, i like the look of the glass top. So my questions are..

Anyone know how much the sunroof mechanism weighs( not including the glass)? ..

How much does the glass alone weigh?

Has anyone thought of putting lightweight plexiglass in its place, as a "fixed" piece, like a moon roof?

I dont want to weld in a sheet, or put a CF sheet.

Any help would be appreciated.

DMM

This has been talked about time and time again and it's still a dumb idea. You want weight reduction? Replace the seats. Replace the dual mass flywheel. Lay off the pasta and step up the cardio. There is not as much weight savings in the sunroof that everyone thinks there is. Def not worth the effort for anything other than a dedicated track car.

Naf

iTrader: (1)

Search button next time plz, and if you cant find anything then use the google search

This is what i found online, its a little over the top on the numbers but its close enough...


Weight Saving Mod lbs Reduced Cost
Replace front seats w/ 1 racing seat & harness** 130 $400.00
Aftermarket headers & cats 40 $800.00
Remove rear seat bottom and back 50 $-
KW Coilovers 30 $2,200.00
Lightweight rotors (UUC)* 30 $800.00
Lightweight wheels (TeamDynamics) w/RE11s* 20 $2,000.00
Fidanza twin disk/flywheel* 40 $2,000.00
Aftermarket exhaust 20 $1,000.00
Carbon fiber hood 18 $1,695.00
Carbon fiber trunklid 12 $1,095.00
Use titanium bolts on "everything" 10 $500.00
Dry cell battery 15 $125.00
Carbon fiber fenders 10 $1,300.00
Carbon fiber doors w/o glass 200 $2,000.00
Remove engine & radiator shrouds, drain wiper fluid 5 $-
Battery relocated to trunk** 0 $50.00

630 $15,965.00

RecklessV

Ugh... i already installed an ls7 flywheel, got an aftermarker exhaust, im looking for front seats already (which ones do all you guys recommend?, must be able to lean back and be adjustable) and currently in the process of removing the big metal sheets in the rear seat backs. Im also looking for pieces for a 5 lug conversion to get some light weight wheels. I saw that outdated list, they dont make CF stuff anymore.

All i want to know is how much those things weighs and if anyone has made it into a fixed glass, not retractable.

bigti99a

iTrader: (16)

i would see like 5-7lbs lost and water leaks and $ spent better elsewhere. if you like the moonroof look i woul dsay its as good as it gets. looks like the dry cell battery will save you more weight and cost less. jmo.

Naf

iTrader: (1)

Sparco are the best and the seat adjustment is manual and lightweight.

The 5 lug conversion for the average joe is $1,000 for the hubs, $1,500 for the V2 calipers, an extra $690 for front two piece rotors, $350 for one piece rear rotors and X,XXX for your wheels...So before you buy wheels you are looking at $3,540 plus shippin plus wheels and tires...The up side is you get new replaceable brake rotors for heavy street and light track.

Or if you already have a hefty investment in your cars brakes I would talk to HRE and pay $4,000 for ultra light wheels and be done with it...

Braille ML30C battery in the trunk is another option...Priceless!!!

RecklessV

Thanks naf!. Putting the battery in the trunk has been on my mind for a while, definitely going to do it now. Ill be looking into sparco seat now. Thanks again.

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

Huh? I mean other than the fenders you just sold to Junior, where do you even get ANY of this stuff?

Edit: Also, what is your race weight right now sir?

Fuzzy_Wuzzy

iTrader: (8)

While I agree that conceptually weight reduction is a good thing, unless you are a very good driver constantly in competitive timed events, I don't buy that it does much for you...

I consider myself "pretty decent" at autox, and I cannot tell the difference with a passenger or not (half the time my fastest laps have a passenger), with half a tank of gas or a full tank... I have talked to several of the guys who have been doing it longer than me and the consensus is about the same.

If I was building a dedicated track car where it was going to be competitive and I cared about the extra .0XX a lap sure, but for a fun take it to a track/autoX occasionally, and drive it on the street. Save your money, there are better places to put it.

Obviously unsprung weight reduction will be more noticeable, but the above sunroof is not unsprung.

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

Agreed. But autocross is different, as for most events you never get past 2nd gear. An HDPE event you can def notice a passenger in the car (or at least I think I can). Autocross taking a decently fast car with an exceptional set of tires will be all you need, as for autocross, tires make ALL the difference. I watched a crown Vic with R-comps on it beat corvettes at an autocross.

Since most of the time I have a passenger with me at HDPE events when I corner balance my car I do it with no driver ballast, as the passenger thus far has been of equal weight to me.

But for weight reduction, it is most noticeable at the drag strip IMO, Unless like fuzzy said, you are a good driver going for better times.

Forcfed93

iTrader: (10)

How would that Braille work out for daily driver? Any issues?

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

Back in the day, Spectre Werks made all of these parts for the Grand-Am cars. They then sold these readily. I purchased the last set that was unfinished...

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

You mean other than the $2K price tag?

Forcfed93

iTrader: (10)

Wow! Didn't see that. How about one of their cheaper lines of AGM batteries? Like the B2015C?

grocerygetter

iTrader: (2)

Their 15lb carbon cell would be cheaper and lighter by far

54inches

iTrader: (4)

Everything weighs around 40ish pounds.

Yes been looking at replacing everything.

Nothing yet.

Naf

iTrader: (1)

I took the weights off a old thread so there may be a diff in the actual weights...

Once i get my car running i will weigh her in, but i have to say the doors made the largest difference.

I am lookin to swap the heavy rear top seat section for a lighter Alu one, but i have to see what is all involved...That could be an easy 50lb weight oss.

For the average Joe, price dictates, and you may get away with Ported heads, seats, headers, catback, wheels, brakes, and shocks. for the extremist, it got hard ages ago...There is another CF fabricator in the market, but you are gonna buy the toolin to make your parts...Will be expensive, but thats the price you have to pay...

If i remember correctly you save 4lb from ported heads, 26lb from the headers (kooks), 50lb from the catback (Corsa), 20lb from the 2-pc rotors, 20lb from the shocks (KW), 45lb from the seats (Sparco), and sprinkle in some Ti bolts for a few more ounces here and there...

OH and i was told also if you want another 2 pound weight reduction poop before you race...

The sunroof isnt the place you look. Having looked at the car chassis, i found the heaviest part is the chassis. And there is no way to replace the rear fenders or quarter panel to make it any lighter...

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

I mean, for the all out race car, that already has no headliner and most likely a cage.....the sun roof has to go.

I have said before that it would be easy to mold a piece of carbon fiber to fit in there and glue on from the inside. I have not given up on hope in doing so yet, but I want to keep my headliner so I would have to get one out of a regular cts with no sunroof. But I bet there is 30 LBS to be lost in the sunroof, and at the highest spot on the car! So there has to be a benefit in removing it.

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

The World Challenge cars are sunroof cars with carbon fiber panels in place as they were able to save weight over the standard coupe roof.
They also are wrapped and not painted in order to save more weight...

NIKDSC5

iTrader: (10)

What I want to know, is do you have one of them there inserts in your car already? Or do you still have the whole assembly in there?