...is the metal panels in the hatch before the outside panel used for structure.... because eh, i cut it out to pound a dent out.

 

Its not like I am ripping the entire floorboard with bracing and everything out!! lol!! Some of you people think I'm just gonna cut it in half, no, that was not my intent. I plan on cutting out the spare tire area, and if i feel like it after, welding a flat peice of metal there, that would chop out a few pounds.

Some of you people grossly underestimate the weight that can be removed from a car when you get serious. Dashboard, HVAC, A/C, P/S, complete interior, hood, trunklid, storage bins, etc etc etc, that stuff is VERY heavy, and slows the car down dramatically.

 

cheese port the whole car!!!!!

mike

 

i think it was pontiac who sold a car in the early 60's with a swiss cheese frame aluminum exhaust manifolds, fenders, bumpers etc. mercedes, and bmw have done the same, swiss cheese the car, why cant you?

mike

 

my drill bits suck and I'm too cheap to buy new ones, lol

 

here's my .02

It's a great concept and all, but I can't see it actually working. I can't see you being able to pull it fast enough to get it to start. Unless, of course you are mussle-man from hell. in that case, you'll be destroying the bearings in the alternator. If you could attach it to the E-shaft, MAYBE, but as it sits, with the pulley ratio making the e-shaft spin even slower, I can't see it actually working.

I hate to discourage such an interesting concept, but I don't believe it to be practical.

Lets say it does work for a second. why not just leave the hood off... less weight, and easier access to the pull starter.

 

Cant we all just get a ??

 

The hood is off most of the time. I just dont wanna attract too many cops when driving around normally.



And the pull starter has been effectively put on pause for the time being, seeing as how you need a battery for the engine to start. Something about the alternator not providing current unless its first charged by the battery or some crap.

So if I cant remove the 45lb battery, theres no point in removing the 5lb starter. Ya know?

My battery is dead, so I gotta get a new one, but after the car actually starts, I will attempt to pull start it just to see if its possible before ripping it off the car.

 

Get a lawnmower battery, they only weigh like 10lbs.

 

Where the hell was this thread two months ago? Woulda made an excellent April fools' joke.
Having said that, there is a much simpler way to make this car go very fast. How does 0-60 in under 5 seconds sound?
All ya gotta do is push it off a cliff!

 

Arrrrhhh, Bye! Does a body good to be clubbin' baby harp seals in the Newfoundland spring!

 

The battery thing musn't be true.... because if you have a dead battery, you can push-start a standard, and drive it on a dead battery. The main thing is that the dead one must be able to conduct current. It doesn't have to HOLD a charge.. hell we used to push or jump start my shadow every time I turned it off for a month until I got another battery.

Jon

 

The coils on the alternator must be somewhat charged to generate electricity, because there are no permanent magnets. Even a dead battery will pump out some voltage, usually between 6-8V. This is enough to at least enable the alt to become self-sufficient at a rpm slightly higher than idle (and make enough juice to get spark). This is why you can push start on a dead battery. No battery on the other hand, just won't work, period. A small tractor/lawnmower battery might work to start the car, but if its 6V, it will be tough especially pull-starting, and you won't want to leave this battery attached for long after starting.... it just won't like the 14.4V for long.

 

The last step in your weight reduction exercise, Raptor13X,would be to remove all 4 wheels. Oh and I still want that video of the pull starter in action.

 

Anyone ever see the Sport Compact Car Magazine issue where they used a Milwuakee Sawzall to cut apart a Nissan Sentra? They butchered it down to the BARE minimum. It was essentialy the chassis, a seat, and a steering wheel.

 

I'm using a 13 lbs battery in my RX-7. Wouldn't that be a lot easier than making and using a pull start?

 

If you really want to reduce wheight to the max, you should indeed start by throwing out all useless items, such as complete interior (except 1 seat, and the steering wheel), and get a straight exhaust. You'll need one muffler to be allowed anywhere. Get very narrow, leightwheight wheels. Since you'll never have much HP from that engine, you won't need very wide tires. And about that 150hp 12A: it's not a big deal: RB exhaust, Weber or Mikuni carb, and all emision-controls removed.
Further wheight reduction: swiss-cheese treatment on bellhousing, lightwheight flywheel (get balestic blanket, the whole thing will kill you, or at least cut off your legs when it explodes).
Stay away from the unibody structure though. All is there for a reason. For example: in an old '80s Peugeot 205, removing the windshield will bend the car! You'd never know that if it wasn't told you... But if you'd take the windshield out, and then leave the car for a week, it wouldn't fit in again! So who knows what's needed in the Seven?
Another thing to get rid of wheight is put yourself on a diet: no sugar, food just once a day etc... Once you're like 55kg/110 pounds you're going to be just that little bit faster