How to get your daily driver under 3000lbs race weight.
#1
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A few people have pmed me on how i have gotten my car so light. and instead of typing out long responces all the time i'll just make a post with EVERYTHING i have done. Now keep in mind this is my daily driver cause its my only car and i drive it everyday. I can put up with almost anything in the sake of making my car faster and lighter.
BMR mild steel K member (i got this for free cause it was broken i probably added maybe 5 lbs of reinfocement steel so its safe to jack the car up from the k membe and it will never break again)
PA mild stel lower control arms
HAL's all the way around
Chromoly adj rod end real LCAs
8.8 has a spool and 31 spline axles
No exhaust just a bullet on the end of each header
No A/C or heat (and all related wiring)
No power steering (and all related lines and cooler)
No radio (and all realted wiring, speakers, amp and antenna)
Removed cruise control and traction control (and all realted wiring, cables and pcms)
No bumper supports (cut off the big *** part of the frame that the front bumper support bolts to)
Cut off the front metal "sub fenders"
Chopped up the bottom radiator support and the support that the air box bolts to.
Chopped up the lower air box (i remounted the air box)
Chopped up the alternator bracket (getting rid of the idler pulley)
Took a 3" hole saw to the front portion of my frame (only from where the k member bolt to forward)
No ABS (and al related wired pcms, wiring, sensors and lines)
Cut out ALL mounting tabs that were no longer in use (like the raer seat brackest rear seat belt brakets, antenna bracket pretty buch anything spot welded to the car)
removed all under car heat shields (along with all spot welded mounting tabs)
replace heavy M6 cross member with a custom th350 cross member
i run a 8" converter
Areospace "drag use only" front brakes
No fog lights (and all related wiring)
No air bags (and all related wiring, sensors and pcms)
installed a Grant steering wheel
Running a Hawker/Oddesy 12 lb battery
Replaced the stock over flow tank with a lightweight Summit one
Took uot both door bars
Have SUPER light weight carpet (thin layer of fleece from the fabric store)
Have two Kirkey seats with custom aluminum mounting brackets
Removed center console
5 point chromoly WELD IN roll bar (i won't be going fast enuff for a 10 point, a 5 point is whats required not a 6 point, and weld in is a bit lighter than bolt in)
I think thats it
I could make it lighter by running justone Kirkey seat, taking out my four stock floor mats, removing all my interior panels, windshield wipers, horn, e brake, switching to manual brakes, window motors and stuff like that. But this is my daily and i wanted it to be light but still look good inside.
What i have planned for more weight savings is
Swiss cheesing my Kirkey seats
Pin on hood
Installing Speedglass lexan windshield and rear hatch glass (might go with pin on hatch but not sure since i put my slicks in the back when i drive to the track)
3" hole saw the deck that the dash bolts to
Chop up my stock metal tank or maybe replace with a plastic one
Replace my mildsteel k member and a arms with chromoly
Replace my modified mild steel BMR shorty torque arm with the chromoly version
Rear Areospace brakes
Replace Weld rims with lighter Bogarts
I'm hoping to get the car around 2800 raceweight and still daily drive it. BTW i myself weigh in at about 190 lbs.
BMR mild steel K member (i got this for free cause it was broken i probably added maybe 5 lbs of reinfocement steel so its safe to jack the car up from the k membe and it will never break again)
PA mild stel lower control arms
HAL's all the way around
Chromoly adj rod end real LCAs
8.8 has a spool and 31 spline axles
No exhaust just a bullet on the end of each header
No A/C or heat (and all related wiring)
No power steering (and all related lines and cooler)
No radio (and all realted wiring, speakers, amp and antenna)
Removed cruise control and traction control (and all realted wiring, cables and pcms)
No bumper supports (cut off the big *** part of the frame that the front bumper support bolts to)
Cut off the front metal "sub fenders"
Chopped up the bottom radiator support and the support that the air box bolts to.
Chopped up the lower air box (i remounted the air box)
Chopped up the alternator bracket (getting rid of the idler pulley)
Took a 3" hole saw to the front portion of my frame (only from where the k member bolt to forward)
No ABS (and al related wired pcms, wiring, sensors and lines)
Cut out ALL mounting tabs that were no longer in use (like the raer seat brackest rear seat belt brakets, antenna bracket pretty buch anything spot welded to the car)
removed all under car heat shields (along with all spot welded mounting tabs)
replace heavy M6 cross member with a custom th350 cross member
i run a 8" converter
Areospace "drag use only" front brakes
No fog lights (and all related wiring)
No air bags (and all related wiring, sensors and pcms)
installed a Grant steering wheel
Running a Hawker/Oddesy 12 lb battery
Replaced the stock over flow tank with a lightweight Summit one
Took uot both door bars
Have SUPER light weight carpet (thin layer of fleece from the fabric store)
Have two Kirkey seats with custom aluminum mounting brackets
Removed center console
5 point chromoly WELD IN roll bar (i won't be going fast enuff for a 10 point, a 5 point is whats required not a 6 point, and weld in is a bit lighter than bolt in)
I think thats it
I could make it lighter by running justone Kirkey seat, taking out my four stock floor mats, removing all my interior panels, windshield wipers, horn, e brake, switching to manual brakes, window motors and stuff like that. But this is my daily and i wanted it to be light but still look good inside.
What i have planned for more weight savings is
Swiss cheesing my Kirkey seats
Pin on hood
Installing Speedglass lexan windshield and rear hatch glass (might go with pin on hatch but not sure since i put my slicks in the back when i drive to the track)
3" hole saw the deck that the dash bolts to
Chop up my stock metal tank or maybe replace with a plastic one
Replace my mildsteel k member and a arms with chromoly
Replace my modified mild steel BMR shorty torque arm with the chromoly version
Rear Areospace brakes
Replace Weld rims with lighter Bogarts
I'm hoping to get the car around 2800 raceweight and still daily drive it. BTW i myself weigh in at about 190 lbs.
#2
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This is just an informative thread. Maybe someone can get a couple of ideas on making their car lighter or maybe give me a few ideas i havent done yet. But please don't come in here and talk trash. My threads seem to turn into people talkin trash about my car. so please keep it positive.
Thanx
Thanx
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Thats a lot of the stuff I have done as well.
I have rear drag brakes, light weight 12 bolt.. plastic fuel tank..
light weight battery..
I got groceries with my car last sat.![Winky](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_wink.gif)
My car tips the scales at 2660 lbs.
How much you really think you saved by doing some of that swiss cheesing? What about removing the rear seat brackets, how heavy were those?
I still have all the brackets inside my car.
I have rear drag brakes, light weight 12 bolt.. plastic fuel tank..
light weight battery..
I got groceries with my car last sat.
![Winky](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_wink.gif)
My car tips the scales at 2660 lbs.
How much you really think you saved by doing some of that swiss cheesing? What about removing the rear seat brackets, how heavy were those?
I still have all the brackets inside my car.
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Wow, that's some dedication. One thing I might point out is that since this is a daily, You might want to stay away from a lexan windsheild. From the ex[perience I have had with them, they tend to scratch very easily. Other than that, the list looks fairly complete.
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How much interior resonance is there with bulleted headers and turndowns? Is it THAT bad and annoying, or tolerable? Also, what Magnus said, did swiss cheesing things help? How much est?
#9
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Originally Posted by Magnus
How much you really think you saved by doing some of that swiss cheesing? What about removing the rear seat brackets, how heavy were those?
I still have all the brackets inside my car.
I still have all the brackets inside my car.
#10
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Originally Posted by Sandmann120
Wow, that's some dedication. One thing I might point out is that since this is a daily, You might want to stay away from a lexan windsheild. From the ex[perience I have had with them, they tend to scratch very easily. Other than that, the list looks fairly complete.
#11
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Originally Posted by RyanJ
yowza...I gotta see this car (check location). I can see and deal with everything except the no exhaust and no radio thing.
#13
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Originally Posted by Dear John
How much interior resonance is there with bulleted headers and turndowns? Is it THAT bad and annoying, or tolerable? Also, what Magnus said, did swiss cheesing things help? How much est?
but remeber i still have a stock cam.
Driving around town its actuall pretty quiet. kind of like a car with true duals. i've been driving like this for almost 6 months now and never get looked at by cops (except a couple that have given me a thumbs up.
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Originally Posted by SUX2BU
I don't have turn downs just the bullet pointing straight back. Not bad at all. its a little loud the first few times on the highway (3,500 rpm at 70 mph) but you get used to it. I can still talk on the cell going down the highway.
but remeber i still have a stock cam.
Driving around town its actuall pretty quiet. kind of like a car with true duals. i've been driving like this for almost 6 months now and never get looked at by cops (except a couple that have given me a thumbs up.
but remeber i still have a stock cam.
Driving around town its actuall pretty quiet. kind of like a car with true duals. i've been driving like this for almost 6 months now and never get looked at by cops (except a couple that have given me a thumbs up.
![The Jester](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_jest.gif)
So do you think a H/C car might be a little too much for that kind of setup on the street occasionally?
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I've done a lot of that stuff, but there are tons there that I haven't done and I am at 2938 and I weigh about 150 with clothes on. You know you're really nuts when you lose weight purposely for racing. I can safely lose about 10 more lbs for my height.
g
g
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SUX2BU, do you happen to have a lightweight fan...I didn't see that on the list. I was thinking about doing one myself, but wasnt sure which one to get. So many brands, sizes, CFMs, etc.
So what was the weight savings on the overflow tank? What exactly did you buy?
So what was the weight savings on the overflow tank? What exactly did you buy?
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Originally Posted by Dear John
![The Jester](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_jest.gif)
So do you think a H/C car might be a little too much for that kind of setup on the street occasionally?