LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Alright, I'm looking for a few ideas here. This is not your typical weight reduction thread. I've set myself a small challenge, shave 100lbs or more from the car by cutting/removing parts. EXCEPT, those parts cannot be safety related. I.e crash bars, door bars, bumper supports, air bags must all remain untouched. I daily drive my car in the summer and other people do ride with me. I am looking to pull the most out of this car, but not at the cost of safety.

That being said, I have removed the following already AC, ABS, EGR, Spare tire and jack, insulation under the carpets, insulation and vapor barrier behind the door skins, motor mount lifts, front swaybar/mounts, insulation under the hood, most of the rubber insulation on the firewall, most heat shields, and miscellaneous screws that I could do without.

I already have Qa1 shocks on all 4 corners, PA racing K frame and Lower A arms, Sphon tunnel mount torque arm (I think it's lighter because it's shorter right?)

I know I can buy light weight parts like seats, rear glass, light weight carpet, carbon fiber hood, etc. However, I would like to complete this challenge without purchasing anything

I have no clue what I currently weigh in at, but I would like to be somewhere below 3000lbs, but preferably as light as I can possibly go (while maintaining my exceptions)

The car is a hardtop v6, so I am already a few lbs lighter than most of you stock folks. But the car is the same body/frame as you all have so same techniques and rules apply.

So far I have managed to shave 7lbs, and I will be at 8.5 lbs when I remove another bracket on the weekend.

This is my progress with pictures to date and various brackets and pieces I have begun swiss cheesing

Camaro Weight Reduction

Now, who wants to toss me a few more ideas? I think I can hit 27lbs between what I already have and hole sawing the inner fenders, hood hinges, removing the plastic upper rad support and replacing with aluminum strips, hole sawing the radio antenna bracket.

Avaric3

iTrader: (3)

very interesting goal!! def will be following this and your site as well

WhiteLTone

iTrader: (18)

Good luck with your goal. Itll be interesting to see the results. But with out purchasing things like wheels, brakes, manual brakes, ps, hood, seats etc i think itll be tough. Not to mention using factory suspension pieces. it could be possible. My car weighed 2680 at one time with a 6pt and full interior. But since then ive added some weight back in with nitrous and safety stuff.

WhiteLTone

iTrader: (18)

Edit - just saw you had kmember and a-arms. It may be possible. Good luck and please post up results.

Mighty Whitey

Are you sure an iron block/head an aluminum intake 3.8 is lighter than an aluminum block/head ls1?

When I swapped to ls1 rear brakes, I found it possible to lose 6lbs a piece in the back rotors alone. Even more when the park brake cables/handle were removed.
Wiring... I bet there's 15lbs of wiring in these cars that's doesn't need to be there.

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Am I 100% sure the 3.8 is lighter? No. But according to this website we are http://www.bfranker.badz28.com/fbody/weights.htm

Like I said, it's not by much though. Plus who knows how accurate those weights are right?

How did you loose 6lbs on the back rotors? My parking brake cables are disconnected. I'll be pulling and removing the cables all together.

I also have plans to swiss cheese the parking brake handle/mechanism. (I'd just remove the entire thing, but the transport people could throw a **** fit if I were to ever get stopped and be missing that.

Ive finally figured out where the cruise control unit is, so I'll be yanking that hopefully this weekend.

White LTone, did you swiss cheese anything? What exactly were you cutting? Do you have a thread on what you did that I can read? I don't plan on necessarily getting into the 2xxx without buying lighter parts, I would just like to shave 100lbs before I buy that stuff, then I get twice the weight reduction

Mighty Whitey

I pulled the rotors and chucked them in a lathe and bore the parking brake "drum" out of the rotors, dimpled the pad surfaces, and dimpled just about everything else I could find.
Getting ready to put lightening holes in the axles flanges, and go to the front rotors and do the same dimpling on them (they are already cross drilled) probably do some lightening holes in the front hubs as well.

Something to consider, is reducing your rolling resistance were possible. I know my lt1, iron single piston front calipers sucked dick, and wouldn't allow the rotor to spin very freely, might look in to that.
The ABS and air bag system has a lot more to lose than just the bag and the abs box under the hood. There's 3 crash sensors, an extra "computer" above the driver side kick panel, and a plethora of wiring strung out all over the place.
Take your hood off bd flip it over, get a 2" hole saw and Swiss cheese the reinforcement bracing, Swiss cheese the hinges as well.
I dropped a couple pounds by cutting the center part out of te lower radiator support, and welded in a piece of 11ga metal to re attach the air Dam to.

senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

You already took out the easy stuff but wont take out what most people take out. On top of that, you dont want to spend any $ on lighter parts. This should be interesting.

studderin

iTrader: (28)

Ive done a few things

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Some solid ideas in here. I won't be touching the Air bags though. I do intend to swiss cheese the hinges...actually tried that this past weekend, except I tried taking off one hinge at a time and the hood snapped sideways on me. So I'll swiss them this weekend when I get a helping hand to get the hood off with me.

What else is there to the ABS?

I know exactly what you are talking about rolling resistance wise, it's almost as if my front pads are always touching the rotor a little bit. How do you change this?


It's not that I don't want to spend money. I WILL be buying seats, light carpet, rear speed glass. But if I include that in this 100lb challenge it will be too easy. 40lbs in savings with seats (pair) + 20lbs from speed inc carpet + 20lbs from lightweight rear glass puts me already at 80lbs...where's the challenge in that? I wanna get this weight off and then be like...oh ya, by the way, BAM another 80lbs in weight savings

I know you have...but most have remained a secret or I just suck at finding it lol.

studderin

iTrader: (28)

? I posted everything in my build thread, I probably have over 75 maybe 100 pics if little things to save weight.

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

you have any links? I've actually tried searching your name a number of times and gave up trying because I couldn't find much. I mean, I did find some stuff, but very little. I got a ton of threads that said search "studderin" though lol

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

nvm, think I found it

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

I've been working on your goal for a good while letzride. In drag mode my car is right around 3000lb.....maybe a little less with my latest parts to be installed(almost 40lb gone). It is a fully functioning dd you can drive any where with the ac on and the cruise set. I did remove the airbags but that's the only safety item removed. I still have bumber supports and rear seats/belts. I have not cut on anything welded to the car yet and I still have all but about 10lb of my sound deadening.

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Oh cool so you removed the ABS system with keeping all the safety features in mind.

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Not sure what you're trying to get at? As far as I am concerned abs is there to protect your "average" drivers that do not know how to properly handle their vehicle to begin with. It is a dummy system that requires users not to think and instead just react in a panick. I've driven the last 6 years without it and those included many of icy Canadian winters and I have run into several "bad" situations, non of which I couldn't handle and non of which abs would have helped me anymore than my own skill. I don't personally see abs a real safety system but more of a false sense of security

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

I love my abs....learn to USE it.....it is your friend....

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Oh I learned how to use it effectively...Saved me about 15lbs off the nose, let me readjust my brake bias...and let me tell you, when I almost crushed a deer last year, I may have flat spotted a front tire, but there is absolutely no possible way that you could ever convince me that I could stop faster. I'll tell you for a fact that a family members 2008 lexus IS350 would not have stopped faster that night. You know how good our lighting system is, imagine coming up on a deer doing almost 90 and seeing him materialize in your headlights (he was already standing there) and being able to go from 90-0 and have a body of space between you and that deer. I surprised myself at how fast the car came to a halt.

Besides all that, I have a ford 8.8 rear end in the car now, ABS isn't an option regardless.

Anyways, back on topic. I have a few pics I'm going to post shortly that I have a few questions on.

LETZRIDE

iTrader: (6)

Questions! questions! questions!

where the heck is birdofprey didn't he strip one of these down to nothing?

Two pictures here folks.



1) In the Red is a metal bracket of some sort that I would like to put holes in. What is it? is this part of the crash support? bumper support? or is this a bracket pertaining to the latch of the hood? There appears to be two pieces to the bracket? Please advise on what these are and their function






2) In the red appears to be extra metal and possibly how my wheel well is being held together. Is this infact excess metal that can be cut away? or will cutting this result in my cars wheel well opening up on me?

Further to the back of this in red is part of a metal wall that is coming across from where the speakers are, is this support for something (kind of a crash support that distributes side impact in any way? or can I hole this out?

senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

There you go man I understand that. Looking forward to seeing your progress