aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

I disagree with it not being worth the effort, but the losing weight off yourself is definately the best place to start, 100lbs off your car makes it handle, brake and accelerate better, it is worth the effort.

Removing bolts doesn't have to make the car rattle, just choose wisely. you are likely to gain a noise increase though.

rolfs_7

lol @ Ricky74. just take unneeded crap out so that doesnt cost you money... like your airpump then you can lose some weight while doing that. then spend it on suspension and lighter performance parts.

elwood

iTrader: (1)

Don't think I'd mess with the seats much. I cracked the back panel on my original driver seat right above where the recline mechanism bolts to it, and it flopped around like a dead fish. Probably too much pushing on the dead pedal during hard cornering. At any rate, I don't think the seats have a very big margin of safety in the design.

stevensimon

iTrader: (11)

ah ok. thanks elwood

i dont really think that i can lose very much weight.. i already have a problem keeping it and im lucky if i can hit 145 on a consistant basis and im 6' even.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

I used to have an '81 with fiberglass hood, fenders, and to save even more weight I had a complete R.B. header exhaust system and I removed the entire exhaust heat sheilding AND all the multicolored stuff under the carpets...So the carpets just layed on the floor (the floor still had the factory sound deadening stuff). I don't remember exactly how much weight I shaved off, but I do know that I drove it like that for six years and the carpet or anything else never caught fire... J.F.Y.I.

Manntis

redistribution can help a great deal too. Moving the battery to the right side storage bin behind the passenger seat relocates about 40lbs from high in front of the left front wheel to low and between the axles.

81gsl12a

iTrader: (1)

what trip is your car? gs gsl gsl'se ?

if you have power windows get crank windows but keep the power window glass. if you have crank windows get power window glass shhhh its lighter

elwood

iTrader: (1)

One more, but not for the faint of heart . . .

If you look at your car as a collection of parts, even the ones welded together, and if you set a goal to remove 10% of the weight from each part, you should be able to save 10% of the car's total weight. This will involve a lot of judiciuos cutting and trimming, but the results can be surprisingly good. This whole process is much easier for engineers on race teams that have access to the original finite element models for the parts. They can cut away the unnecessary mass, run simulations, and have a reasonable idea of the effect on durability. In general, however, you can do some of the following:

1. Scallop Weld Flanges -- the material in between the spot welds adds weight but usually not much strength or stiffness. Honda and some other OEMs do this from the factory.

2. Trim Weld Flanges -- the material outboard of the spot welds is there to make sure the weld guns land on steel every time instead of air. Any leftover is fair game to trim.

3. Remove the Flanges & TIG Weld -- cut those babies off altogether and TIG weld the parts together -- stronger and lighter.

4. Cut Lightening Holes -- door inners, hood inners, decklid inners (for cars that have them) are good candidates.

5. Remove the Bake on Mastic -- this is a pain in the a$$ and it makes your car noisier. If it's too loud, you can add back some dynomat and still be a few pounds ahead.

85rotarypower

I've tried to remove as much weight from my 82 through the years of modding it, and i'm thinking I haven't lost much weight, but I did gain a lot in overall stiffness, with the new floors and whatnot I put in. The car handles like its on rails with even the light front springs with the coilovers (250lb compared to about 300 or more that most are running). I removed the rear sway bar and have springs somewhere in the range of 130-140 lb back there. The rear sway bar looses you about 20lb I think, and depending on your suspension setup it helps handling by removing it. The one thing I did notice is that the rear end seems to be a little loose feeling under hard cornering and quick transitions, but its really predictable. But overall my car is so stiff that I can jack up the whole side from the front corner of the car, front and rear wheels off the ground with a modest lift jack. If I had to guess my car weighs in at 2350lb still even with all the emissions removed, a lighter exhaust, lightened hood, half the interior removed, along with some other stuff, but like I said the car handles like its on rails. It goes like hell in a straight line too, I was actually slower in the quarter than I think the car is capable of because of my serious lack of low end torque.

dj55b

iTrader: (2)

I've removed every last bit of wire that i didn't need, stock radio, amps, power antenna, AC under that dash (previously removed all the other stuff), ECU computer (Emmissions were already removed too) and the total weight of those was close to 42lb of saving in total with all the emmission and ac complete unit, cruise control and stuff. I can see a good maybe 100lb saving.

Another thing that would save a bit of weight would be instead of using a big stock battery, use a small race version which weight about 1/2 the weight if not less.

Iam replacing some component, like the radio Unit is being replaced with a computer, but that actually weight 3 lb less than he stock radio and amps and antenna all combined together as its replacing them all. But still let say i factor in the FI stuff I recon still about 75lb saving from that.

removing the rear speakers would shed a few more pounds like that too if you don't really need them.

Fire85GSLSE

iTrader: (29)

He can do the 79-80 look with no bins.

Manntis

with respect; do the no-bin 'look' to accomplish what? Removing 1.5 lbs of plastic bin, and waste space? Leaving the bins in allows him to relocate the battery yet still have access for disconnecting the terminals when working on the car.

orion84gsl

iTrader: (5)

I have removed my bins, and given them to dj55b. My battery and amplifier are going in the space left and I am riveting sheet aluminum over the holes that are left. The brackets unbolt easily and I can just as easily mount a battery disconnect there as well

elwood

iTrader: (1)

I think what they were referring to was removing the bins and the surrounding metal structure. That's what I did when I installed my roll bar. If you carpet the remainder, it looks like a '79 and saves a few pounds. Here's a shitty pic of my '84 (cause I took it through the dusty quarter window). The mind's a powerful thing; use it to imagine a good picture .

Pele

iTrader: (28)

Anything to back this up? I'd assume they'd use all the same glass.

81gsl12a

iTrader: (1)

there was a thread about it once apon a time.. i cant find it now but the reasoning behind it was so that the power windows wouldint not strain as much lifting the window up... the thread had the weight for both power and non-power windows... if some 1 has a non-power window and weighs it i will weigh my power window

dj55b

iTrader: (2)

I too have read that thread somewhere in here.

inuissus_cendi

Precisely. I was the one that first suggested it and thats exactly what I meant. After seeing (or imagining really) your picture I think I might go ahead and do it myself.

ogre_power

I agree with removing all the useless creature comforts.

-Power steering
-A/C
-Stock stereo & speakers
-Power windows
-lame modular body add ons (spoilers, cowls, louvers, etc)

If it is on or in your car and does not effect the performance, get rid of it.
I have a gutted a lot of weight from my 85 GS. Runs and handles better. Manual steering will give you "Pop-Eye" arms however.

speedturn

iTrader: (1)

I have gone thru a full weight reduction diet, but my goal was a race car, not a full street interior. Here are a few random thoughts based on my experieces:

The tar pads in the floor of the Mazda are not that heavy - keep them on a street car. The stock seats are about 42 to 45 pounds each - a race seat will be much lighter. The rear hatch glass is 28 pounds, and a flimsy 1/8" piece of lexan with a couple of alum braces weighs in at 8 pounds - a whopping 20 pound saving, reduced from high up in the chassis - a double bonus on handling.

I don't know what you mean about heavy cast suspension parts - the spindle and the steering knuckles are about the only cast/forged parts that came on mine.

Stock carb and intake and air pump are heavy - an aluminum intake and Weber are major weight savings.

The doors are 60 pounds each with glass and door beams. Replacing the glass with lexan, and going inside and surgically removing the door beams can get them down to 20 pounds each, but then you don't have that stock interior look anymore.

A Racing Beat street port exhaust system makes good power, but it is heavy. An ISC stainless steel header is much lighter, and a system built out of .06" wall tubing will weigh less than the RB .12" wall system.

Your weight/pwer ratio is probably currently around 20 pounds pwer horsepower. You have to loose a LOT of weight to make up for your feeble near stock engine. Boost the power up, get the weight/power ratio down lower, and then you will really notice your car diet. My 1st gen road racer is now down around 7 pounds/horsepower.

The first hundred pounds comes off real easy, then it gets harder, then it starts getting really expensive to loose a few more pounds. The last mod I did cost me $50 per pound of weight lost.

Here is an old round track racer rule of thumb: loosing one pound of rotating mass feels like loosing 10 pounds off your car weight. No, that is not an exact formula, it is a rule of thumb, good for showing you how important loosing rotating mass is. Four heavy tires and wheels are like four big flywheels you have to rev up and slow down. The only good rotating mass I know of is having big brake rotors - they make up for the extra inertia by adding great, reliable stopping power.

13BTOY

iTrader: (1)

Havent weighed mine yet but you get the idea. I know this is not what your after but I thought I would show you what it looks like. Maybe you'll change your mind. LOL! BTW this is an 85 base.


Thanks, Ed

1stgenNutt

iTrader: (3)

go on a diet

81gsl12a

iTrader: (1)

i know this is a lil more then you are wanting to do but this is my street car but if you have a plasma cutter or air saw you could cut out most of the metal behind the panles just leave the clip holes so the panle will clip back into place and you can have most of the metal gone from underneath there are a few more places you can take metal from like the head lights.. you can remove the motors and cut 80% of the bracket and flip the head lights up by hand and over extand the 1 arm that is left uncut

slayerx7

iTrader: (4)

I have the same goal of wanting to hit 2000lbs. Simularily, I want the 'near stock look' of the interior. The logic being that anything you dont see that has no use, goes.

Like what I will be doing as far as interior goes: fully gutting and trimming the interior, then replacing with ONLY what is needed, light racing seats, the dashboard, door panel covers (Gotta have a door handle, and they only weigh like 2lbs), and carpet. I plan to leave my bins in place because they are very convienient. I will not sacrafice my stereo or speakers, because those are just plain necessity.

This way it will look stock to the eye, save the shape of the seats and possible belt harness,

Plastic windows I have no experience with, but one of my friends who does says they tend to fog up like crazy. My rear window has never fogged since I tinted it, so perhaps thats a solution for plastic ones?

-----

Just for info, I had to pull over on a road trip cause my friend spilled a drink. It just happen to be a truck weigh station. On they way out I thought 'why not' and stopped on the scale.
With, no emissions, a/c, air pump, or muffler (stock exhaust and cats). Equipped with a Holley carb, RB aluminum intake manifold, ACT racing clutch and stock interior,

The car weighed 2650. With 2 people, and the back was loaded. At the time I weighed 180, my friend 150, and all the stuff had to have been another 50.

So the car by itself weighed 2270.

Hope this helps give some ideas

slayerx7

iTrader: (4)

1 more thing.

I should say that my exhaust was stock from the manifold to the aft most cat.

-----

Perhaps its foolishness, but I love convertables and targas. Cause who wants to let the roof get all the sun on a nice day?

I have thought about cutting it off, like a targa top, and perhaps installing a canvas(like a Jeeps top) cover that snaps in place over weatherstripping (perhaps even have it snap to a rollcage).

Its just an idea, and theres potential flaw, but if it works thatd be awesome, and from the inside it would look like a stock soft top (hopefully your passenger doesnt know there never was such a thing, save for an aftermarket company that made like 100)

There was a custom candy black targa for sale here recently, perhaps the nicest 7 I have seen, but I dont know if it retained the hard top or not.