foggedz

iTrader: (1)

I need to cut a few more pounds out of my car this winter, and I was wondering if anyone had done some extreme weight reduction in the doors, that would keep the factory glass? I had been holding on to my factory power windows for as long as I could, but both of my window motors are shot, and I dont feel like replacing the motors. I have liked being able to roll the window down to get my time slip, but have run into issues were i need to make a pass, and cant get the window backup. I am planning on eliminating all unnecessary wiring, so the window motor and wiring are going to go. Has anyone ever removed the window motors, and as much of the mechanism that guides the window up and down? I want to keep the glass, because I dont want to deal with the lexan windows, and the supports that are required to support them. Just the factory glass held secure with the least amout of weight possible.

DBN

iTrader: (6)

Yes. I removed all the electronics from the doors but left the factory glass in place. My car is a 2000 C5 and the door speakers weighed quite a bit but the rest of the electronics (door locks, window motors, etc.) didn't really weigh that much. I left the safety bars in the doors as they would require cutting to remove, and I didn't want to damage the door itself. I left the factory door interior and the side mirrors which I might remove at a later time. Good luck.

ATwelveSec02Z28

iTrader: (17)

If youre going to have the windows in the up position permanently - do the lexan - youll be much happier with the weight loss.

I did the chaser aero carbon doors, and lexan. Decided to keep the stock door panels for the stock interior look (i still have a back seat in the car).

Here is a shot of the window frames - they were done with 1/4" tubing, and instead of tabs, the tubing was drilled and tapped.


From the Outside....

thrashkid4

Twelvesec,
I like your set up. Couple of questions, Did you buy flat Lexan and do this yourself, if so, what thickness is the Lexan and does it fit up against the moulding good? Does the Lexan curve or is it flat and how did you make the template from the curved glass of the original window? If you bought it what company did it come from?

Thanx, gary

ATwelveSec02Z28

iTrader: (17)

The lexan was from ProGlass - it is 1/8" thick and was pre curved yet grossly oversized.the OEM glass was used as a template.


With the carbon doors I dont have external moulding. I have a piece of fabricated aluminum panelbond'ed into the inside of the door skin, that the bottom bolts to.




And to the OP - I realized I didnt make my point real clear - with the windows "locked" in the up position, several things become a real pain in the *** and aggravating, like getting your timeslip, loading and unloading from a trailer, etc etc. So if youre gonna have to deal with those hassles go for the most weight reduction possible.

thrashkid4

Thanks 12sec.
If you have any closeups of how the glass is held in at the bottom and any with the door panels off, would you mind posting them. Don't go thru the trouble of taking the panel off, just if you had some around while you were assembling them would be fine. Also the tube bar that you have, you said it was threaded, are the bolts countersunk flushmount flatheads?

gb

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

I realy want to stay away from lexan on the side windows if at all possible. I dont like the look of the window frames.

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

Did you remove the motors themselves? If so how did you keep the window in place?

fatboyzcamaro

iTrader: (7)

12 sec your looks awesome dude.the work looks very clean and professional.

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

I pulled both of the doors off of the car today, and cut as much out of them as possible. I already had pulled out the crash bars years ago, so here was what I was able to remove this time around. I cut out 7lbs of fiberglass, extra metal from the track, and metal from the brakets that the door bars bolted to, and wiring per door. The window motors were another 2lb each. Thats 9lbs total removed from each door. I am also going to be repacing the inside door panels with carbonfiber panels, so that should save another 8lbs per side. Total savings of 17lbs each side 34lbs total.

With the windows in full up position I welded the X portion of the tracks together, so that the window couldnt move. I was able to cut out a gear portion of the track that the window motor used to drive, and also 90 percent out of the vertical track that is near the rear of the door.

I drilled out the rivets that hold the metal brackets in the front and rear of the doors that used to hold the door bars. The rear bracket is riveted and glued in. I very slowly was able the pry the brakets loose from the door, and amazingly did no damage to the door fibergass in the process. I trimed the brackets as much as possible, then riveted them back in.

1dirtyZ

iTrader: (1)

ATwelveSec02Z28 can you please show us more pics of the front part of the window?

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

Here is the finished door with the carbon door panel installed.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

I am impressed with this fogged, you really went as far as possible with weighr reduction on a stock door.

I plan to hole saw some of the area out that you cut out, but I want my glass to still go up and down so I can easily get time slips, not have to deal with the headache's of not being able to roll the windows down during trailer loading and unloading, etc. I do, have the carbon skins that DMH made, and they are paper thin/light... window switches will be on the dash when I rewire it.

Nice job on that and good write up!

12 second if I was able to tolerate the glass not going up and down that setup you did is great, KOZ motorsports make a door for transam/firebird, much like the chaser doors are but I think they're a little better fit... I really thought about taking that route but the windows not being able to go down, I just don't want to deal with it.

Thought I would comment on this to bring it back up since people are asking about doors and windows and whatnot again, good info here.

foggedz

iTrader: (1)

Thanks

I liked the power windows also, but both of my motors were going out, and if I was going to pull them out I didnt want to put them back in. My next step will probably be going to lexan windows, and make a frame to secure them in place like ATwelveSec02Z28 did.

I may also ad some type of light weight handle to the inside of the door to help with pulling it closed.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

My motor's were never fast from day 1 of owning the car (bought it new)... but I can tell you this, with 16 volts to them they go up and down QUITE fast

Once I do a little trimming like you did, at least getting the motor's in and out will be alot easier

I have a way to put a double polt double throw momentary switch on to raise and lower them without the body harness, rigged it up on the bench and tested it the other day, so now that I am 100% on that working without any BCM or any factory wiring at all (was wondering if that was going to be an issue) I'm definitely keeping the functioning windows in the car.

Firehawk441

iTrader: (41)

You should've just asked me Jay. You know I have KOS doors on my car.
I have bolt in, roll up w/Manual Regulators, lexan windows in my doors.

While at Shakedown, you should have stopped by the KOS pit and looked at Shawns 10.5 car. He has OEM glass with power window regulators in his doors.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

I wasn't aware those doors were set uP do the stock guts could go in.... Can you put the electric parts in them? I think the handle position will interfere with the cage, since we didn't plan for that, and the cage is right to the carbon door skin. If I don't get to 2900 I may have to give shawn a call. I read an n/a bbc combo now only was to be 2800 @ Cecil and atco, so 2900 is actually heavy

Firehawk441

iTrader: (41)

YES.

FWIW....Each lexan window is half the weight of the OEM glass.

Glass is 14#'s each
Lexan is 7#'s each

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

Roll up and down lean, that would be neat. Is it stiff enough so you don't have to latch the window or will they pull out at speed? I see your latches, just wondering if it's a must or not. You're killing me with the wright stuff lol, I need to get the car up and running.... More I keep adding is not helping lol. The doors and a couple other nice items, will have to wait I think as much as I'd like to go that route. Have to draw the line somewhere...

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

Feiw, I did stopby Shawn's pit but they were busy getting things ready and I didn't think it was a real good time to bother him, I'm sure I will see him again somewhere sooner or later, phone works too