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shedding weight up front

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Old 12-22-03, 03:28 PM
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Travis is right, not to stray from companies like Corksport and such, but damn! $450 for a piece of Lexan! Go to your local plastic supply company and save your self $375 or so.

As far a weights, I will be redoing my corner weights in the next month and will share them with you. I will be looking to be right at 2350 without fuel.
BP is the SCCA SOLO2 class I run my car in and yep, it's a boost buggy class!

As far as fiberglass body panels, AWR sells EP style flares designed to fit the common roadrace size applications. Tri-Point will handle flares for larger stuff, like BP & FP Solo2 stuff (funny our tires are larger then roadrace FC). AWR sells a FG hood that does not have cutouts for headlamps. There is also the widebody kits on EBay, no idea how well they are made or what wheels they fit. There are a few other places like Japco that sells FG.
Old 12-23-03, 06:49 PM
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Originally posted by DrifterFD3S
hey ralph, im curious where you got your lexan rear hatch and windshield...............................and Travis, do you know where i can locate fiberglass fenders and hood?
I just made mine. The windshield is very easy as all you need to do is cut it. There is very little bend. I just laid a 4 x 8 sheet in place and marked it. Cutting is a little tricky. Per recommendation from a friend, I started with a jigsaw. But, I found that difficult, the blade binding and sticking a lot. So, I put a cutting wheel in my dremel and cut the rest of the way. It goes a little slow, but makes a nice cut.

The rear hatch was more difficult. I removed the entire rear hatch, and then separated the glass from the metal hatch frame. I discarded the metal frame.

I positioned the glass across some workhorses, with the center section down and the left and right ends sticking up. I laid the lexan sheet across the tow ends of the glass before heating it.

For heat, I used a handheld propane torch. I concentrated on the area of the lexan where it would have to bend to match the curve of the glass. As the lexan heated, it became more pliable, and I was gradually able to push it down into the glass so it would adopt the curves of the glass.

Though time consuming, the effort went surprisingly well. I'm guessing I spent about 30 minutes heating and forming. You have to keep the torch moving so you don't get an overconcentration of heat in one spot. If you do, the sheet eventually becomes workable without discoloration or deformity.

As I am prone to do, I lost concentration at one point and got too much heat in one spot. The lexan has bubbled and deformed there, but, for less than $100 I have a lexan rear hatch.

I made sure the sheet was as large as the metal rear hatch frame so it covers the entire hatch opening, without need for the stock metal frame.

As for fiberglass, try making your own. Before making the full lexan hatch replacement, I had decided to make a fiberglass replacement for the metal frame and was going to mount the lexan in the fiberglass frame. To make the frame, I cleaned the metal hatch frame thoroughly, and then waxed it with a couple coats of regular car wax. Then I applied my fiberglass, using the cleaned and waxed hatch frame as the mold.

When the fiberglass hardened, it popped right off the frame with no troubles.

I am considering doing the same for the front hood and fenders, maybe even making it all one piece. Since I got an aluminum hood, this project has fallen a few notches down my priority list. But, don't be afraid to use your existing body panels as molds, it worked well for me when I made the rear hatch frame.
Old 12-23-03, 06:58 PM
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Originally posted by 25BP

As far a weights, I will be redoing my corner weights in the next month and will share them with you. I will be looking to be right at 2350 without fuel.
I'm surprised/disappointed at your weight target. Silkworm is at 2450 with ITS preparation. We can remove a lot more stuff than he can. I was hoping and anticipating we could get FCs in Prepared class down to 2100 or so. A friend runs his FB in E Production/F Prepared and is at 1800. I have a hard time believing we can't come within 250 lbs of that.

I hope someone running an FC in E Production chimes in with their weights.
Old 12-24-03, 09:18 AM
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Well, we BP'ers could run 2200lbs last year, but this year the new weight is 2300lbs + 50lbs for 12" wheels.(Thanks Steve! j/k)

The FC will still be competive against the Vettes.
Old 12-24-03, 10:50 AM
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wow thats really cool how you used the glass to mold your lexan! i am definately trying this one...although im not very adept at making things with fiberglass...i may just re-use the metal frame. but ill see how it goes and try the FG hatch frame anyways!

thanks alot for the ideas

Charlie
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