View single post by Mark Rosenbaum
 Posted: 09-11-2005 01:53 am
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Mark Rosenbaum



Joined: 03-12-2005
Location: Kingman, Arizona USA
Posts: 532
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 I'm not a structural engineer but did study the field many decades ago.  I greatly doubt you could cut much weight from the frame, front crossmember, etc., and still have a safe, reliable car.  Presuming you want to remain street legal, you can remove a fair amount of weight if you don't mind ending up with a car that has, at best, primitive creature comforts.

Here's a list of things you could do along with some very poor guesses as to weights:
12# - Remove passenger's seat
11# - Remove heater box, heater fan, ducting, ball vents, defrost vents
  6# - Replace heater area structural plate with aluminum equivalent
25# - Carpets, floormats, padding, upholstery
  6# - Flywheel lightening
  1# - Remove carbon canister, hoses, fuel tank to canister pipe
  8# - Replicate front and rear suspension arms in aluminum
  2# - Lighten road wheels
  7# - Replace 2nd muffler in exhaust system with a pipe
25# - Replace front & rear bumpers with dinky little bits
  1# - Remove timing belt shroud
  1# - Replicate rear motor mount in aluminum
  1# - Replicate rear stiffener (driveshaft catch loop) in aluminum
  2# - Remove side marker lights
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108# - total weight removed (remember, this is a poor guess)

This is about a 5% decrease in weight, and accleration, brake stress, and cornering would all improve by a somewhat similar percentage.  If you were also to add 7 HP to the engine, acceleration might improve to 10% total.  Is it worth it?  Only you can decide.