Weight reduction, is it worth it?
Weight reduction, is it worth it? Hey,
I'm considering stripping around 200 LB out of my car, and I'm wondering if it's worth it, and will it feel much different? Where I live there's lots of narrow twisty lanes, so I'm thinking this will help to make my car more nimble.
Sure, better tires and driver mod would be great, but will 200 LB off my car's weight really make much difference?
BTW, I've just got a driver mod sorted with an instructor at Brands Hatch in 2 weeks time, yeehaa!!
Also, JFMI, if YOU knocked 200 LB off your cars weight, how much time would you expect to knock off a track 1.5 miles long?
Thanks alot for the advise and info
I'm considering stripping around 200 LB out of my car, and I'm wondering if it's worth it, and will it feel much different? Where I live there's lots of narrow twisty lanes, so I'm thinking this will help to make my car more nimble.
Sure, better tires and driver mod would be great, but will 200 LB off my car's weight really make much difference?
BTW, I've just got a driver mod sorted with an instructor at Brands Hatch in 2 weeks time, yeehaa!!
Also, JFMI, if YOU knocked 200 LB off your cars weight, how much time would you expect to knock off a track 1.5 miles long?
Thanks alot for the advise and info
youre really only going to tell on a track. i seriously doubt youd ever feel a difference, even on the track or street, until you get to a level of driving that you can drive the exact same, every lap. only when you get good enough to actually tell a difference in 2lbs of air pressure will you be able to tell if a car performs different by losing weight. take 500lbs out, then you can tell.
maybe in lame *** drag racing you can see a difference in weight loss more. the usual formula is 100lbs = 1 tenth.
maybe in lame *** drag racing you can see a difference in weight loss more. the usual formula is 100lbs = 1 tenth.
Weight is weight and anything will help, especially in braking and corner bite.
There are varying degrees of weight removal effectiveness and it's location dependent. 150lbs off the rear and 50lbs off the nose won't yield the same results as 150lbs off the nose and 50 off the rear.
Right, I'm considering removing :
37 Spare & jack
33 rear seats & belts
4 hatch cover
20/30 sub+amp
2 rear floor mats
20 bumper reinforcement
Rear = 120
30 AC
25 lightweight carpet
15 lightweight battery
20 racing seats
5 cross member
20 bumper reinforcment
5 Driver (!)
Front = 120
So I guess it's about 50/50
Total 240 LB, BUT I'm not sure I want to swap out the front seats, I may just swap out my driver power seat for a manual, or is removing just the motor worthwhile?
I can feel when there's a passenger, or a full tank of gas in the car. Sure I'll be quicker without the weight, but by much?
I'm sick of scubies and evos being able to hang with me around the lanes, would this weight reduction help me much?
Thanks for the honest advise
37 Spare & jack
33 rear seats & belts
4 hatch cover
20/30 sub+amp
2 rear floor mats
20 bumper reinforcement
Rear = 120
30 AC
25 lightweight carpet
15 lightweight battery
20 racing seats
5 cross member
20 bumper reinforcment
5 Driver (!)
Front = 120
So I guess it's about 50/50
Total 240 LB, BUT I'm not sure I want to swap out the front seats, I may just swap out my driver power seat for a manual, or is removing just the motor worthwhile?
I can feel when there's a passenger, or a full tank of gas in the car. Sure I'll be quicker without the weight, but by much?
I'm sick of scubies and evos being able to hang with me around the lanes, would this weight reduction help me much?
Thanks for the honest advise
Last edited by taws6; Mar 17, 2010 at 08:17 AM.
I'm sick of scubies and evos being able to hang with me around the lanes, would this weight reduction help me much?
Think of that last sentence very carefully. I'm not saying it cant be done in an Fbody with a good setup and good driver vs a crappy AWD setup and bad driver.
Dont get discouraged you could always just graduate to C5 and watch the traction advantage slowly disappear.
Good luck!
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I recently stripped my stock T/A...removed all of the brackets in the interior, removed front bumper and all of the interior minus the seats. I have removed the passenger airbag but it still has a good bit of weight in it (glass windows and the hvac stuff which is coming out this weekend). I have shredded at least 200 lbs and I can ABSOLUTELY feel the difference. Furthermore, the lighter your car is the easier you will be on parts (i.e. brakes, tires, etc.).
But.. to answer your question, I have no idea how much time you will gain.
But.. to answer your question, I have no idea how much time you will gain.
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weight is felt everywhere with a car. Especially in cornering. If you dropped 2-240lbs, it WILL make a difference. Adding/removing some power isn't always felt in places, but weight is felt everywhere. If you can remove some unsprung weight on all 4 corners this helps tremendously. 1 lbs of unsprung is closer to 2-2.5 lbs of normal weight.
and do you really think hes going to be able to tell the difference, from one day to the next, by losing weight? hes obviously not a professional racer, and this could be his first and only track day to date. you REALLY think losing 200lbs on a street car for a track day will make a damn bit of difference, with a first time driver??? if youre racing professionally and every ounce counts, yeah fine, cut threads off bolts if you want. but if this is your first time at a track day, WITH an instructor, what the hell difference will 200lbs make? this isnt timed. hes not racing against an identical car but 200lbs heavier.
how much do you want to bet many people, the OP and myself included, could NOT tell the difference in cars with 200lbs weight lost? NO ONE said theyre a professional racer where tenths of a second count. hes going for a track day. if you really think the best thing to do for a track day is take your AC out........
how much do you want to bet many people, the OP and myself included, could NOT tell the difference in cars with 200lbs weight lost? NO ONE said theyre a professional racer where tenths of a second count. hes going for a track day. if you really think the best thing to do for a track day is take your AC out........
I agree, seat time is absolutely #1. At the HPDE level weight does not matter at all because the point is for drivers to learn how to drive and concentrate on technique not car performance. Is losing A/C and such for a few HPDE track events a year worth it???... no probably not.... especially if the car isn't a dedicated track car...
Whether one can feel the difference in 200 lbs or not is going to depend on the driver... I am certainly not a professional race car driver but I could feel a difference on the street. But to get back to the point... no stripping your car for an HPDE event is not necessary unless he is already prepping the car for a certain division to race in while trying to acquire his comp license. I don't know what his goals are... I was just answering his question about the feel of the car after you put it on a 200 lb diet.
Whether one can feel the difference in 200 lbs or not is going to depend on the driver... I am certainly not a professional race car driver but I could feel a difference on the street. But to get back to the point... no stripping your car for an HPDE event is not necessary unless he is already prepping the car for a certain division to race in while trying to acquire his comp license. I don't know what his goals are... I was just answering his question about the feel of the car after you put it on a 200 lb diet.
and do you really think hes going to be able to tell the difference, from one day to the next, by losing weight? hes obviously not a professional racer, and this could be his first and only track day to date. you REALLY think losing 200lbs on a street car for a track day will make a damn bit of difference, with a first time driver??? if youre racing professionally and every ounce counts, yeah fine, cut threads off bolts if you want. but if this is your first time at a track day, WITH an instructor, what the hell difference will 200lbs make? this isnt timed. hes not racing against an identical car but 200lbs heavier.
how much do you want to bet many people, the OP and myself included, could NOT tell the difference in cars with 200lbs weight lost? NO ONE said theyre a professional racer where tenths of a second count. hes going for a track day. if you really think the best thing to do for a track day is take your AC out........
how much do you want to bet many people, the OP and myself included, could NOT tell the difference in cars with 200lbs weight lost? NO ONE said theyre a professional racer where tenths of a second count. hes going for a track day. if you really think the best thing to do for a track day is take your AC out........
The stripping of a car for a tenth on the drag strip or handling on a road course is a personal decision. I couldn't do it to mine, so I sold my street car and bought a car I didn't mind stripping.
My nephew has a fire-breathing FireHawk, putting down 450RWHP on 315 V710s on all 4 corners. It's at full weight, topping the scales at 3480 no driver.
He took my 250RWHP, 3050lb CMC car out for a few laps and said it felt like a go-cart. Lap times didn't vary that much either.
Weight makes a HUGE difference that can easily be felt by the most novice of drivers.
This.
The stripping of a car for a tenth on the drag strip or handling on a road course is a personal decision. I couldn't do it to mine, so I sold my street car and bought a car I didn't mind stripping.
My nephew has a fire-breathing FireHawk, putting down 450RWHP on 315 V710s on all 4 corners. It's at full weight, topping the scales at 3480 no driver.
He took my 250RWHP, 3050lb CMC car out for a few laps and said it felt like a go-cart. Lap times didn't vary that much either.
Weight makes a HUGE difference that can easily be felt by the most novice of drivers.
The stripping of a car for a tenth on the drag strip or handling on a road course is a personal decision. I couldn't do it to mine, so I sold my street car and bought a car I didn't mind stripping.
My nephew has a fire-breathing FireHawk, putting down 450RWHP on 315 V710s on all 4 corners. It's at full weight, topping the scales at 3480 no driver.
He took my 250RWHP, 3050lb CMC car out for a few laps and said it felt like a go-cart. Lap times didn't vary that much either.
Weight makes a HUGE difference that can easily be felt by the most novice of drivers.
Teching In
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I have driven Athornt2's stripped '94 TA, and I then immediately hopped in a full weight '95 z28. Both cars totally stock... and I am going to disagree with EchoMirage here... the difference is *very noticeable* (even to an f-body novice like myself). Whether or not you should strip the car, however, obviously depends entirely on your future plans for the car. If you are just doing a one time only track day for fun... you should probably not strip it - but as Mitchntx said, its a personal choice.
bitchntx is an ******* and hes only saying that to disagree with me. what nearly everyone is not reading is that its JUST a street car for a TRACK DAY. sik02ss even admitted he didnt read the post. this is NOT a race car, and the title of the thread is, and i quote "weight reduction, is it worth it?" i answered the question in regards to HIS car, in THIS situation. its a street car for a single track day. is it really worth stripping the AC and even bumper supports just for a track day?? what advantage will he get? its not being timed......hes not racing against other people. there will be an INSTRUCTOR in the car with him, thereby adding whatever weight he just took out, effectively bringing it back to STOCK WEIGHT anyway.
were this a stripped, gutted race car, then again, as i said before, have yourself a ball cutting threads off bolts to save weight. but what the hell will it matter if its just a track day?? ive had 20+ track days over the last 2 years, and the only 'weight reduction' ive done is a lightweight battery, and only because i got a deal on one used. the rear seats are out, #1 because i NEVER have anyone back there, and #2 i have a harness bar, rendering the rear seats useless anyway.
and stripping the entire interior just to put in a lightweight carpet?? if he really wants to feel a difference, then get good tires and brake pads. i defy any 'professional' here to disagree that good tires and pads will make less of an effect then losing 200lbs in an equal car.
were this a stripped, gutted race car, then again, as i said before, have yourself a ball cutting threads off bolts to save weight. but what the hell will it matter if its just a track day?? ive had 20+ track days over the last 2 years, and the only 'weight reduction' ive done is a lightweight battery, and only because i got a deal on one used. the rear seats are out, #1 because i NEVER have anyone back there, and #2 i have a harness bar, rendering the rear seats useless anyway.
and stripping the entire interior just to put in a lightweight carpet?? if he really wants to feel a difference, then get good tires and brake pads. i defy any 'professional' here to disagree that good tires and pads will make less of an effect then losing 200lbs in an equal car.
bitchntx is an ******* and hes only saying that to disagree with me.
Why do you get all butt hurt, so fast?
Sad part no matter how much you polish your opinion, guy is probably still going to strip the car and say he felt a difference. Now what?
I've been autocrossing for 5 years, and just did my first HPDE 2 weeks ago. I can't tell a difference with a passenger. And to be honest, I prefer when someone is riding with me from a fun stand point. I am NOT against the idea of dropping weight, but to me, it's not really an issue. I rather throw some parts on it (brakes, suspension) vs. dropping items I might still want on the car. Heck, I never even take out my spare tire or jack when I race.
for a street car (like mine, I put 12K miles on it last year), keep the safety and comfort features in there. For a car that sees very little street time, I would consider it, however.
for a street car (like mine, I put 12K miles on it last year), keep the safety and comfort features in there. For a car that sees very little street time, I would consider it, however.
Teching In
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Hell I would take out a sub, amp, and any other unnecessary and easy to remove components just in case the car gets wrecked... and yes... I have seen that happen with an HPDE group (may not even be your fault). I really dont see the reason to get all bent out of shape.
Teching In
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Posts: 30
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From: nj
Bottom line on all this is weight makes a big difference whether its 2 lbs or 200lbs it will make your car better. Handling, stopping,accelerating and wear and tear. It is simple physics. You really dont need to feel it when you KNOW your car is faster. The question of is it worth it is all owner preference. I have no problem driving a gutted car to events, just ask yourself how hardcore do you wanna be.