Project lightweight 914!, PO-MANS ELISE! Options

[Rough_Rider]

We'll if your considering GF panels then your already down down the rocky road to excessive lightness, although i don't think there is such a thing..

Other idea's:
Lexan / perspex windows. Both the 3/4 windows & rear window are dead easy. Windscreen is harder & way more expensive.
Strip interior, tar, carpets etc.
Cut down wiring loom for any auxiliary wires your no longer using. Eg trunk light.
Remove every piece of trim which doesn't directly assist in you going forward :-) so clocks, interior lights, backpad.

[redshift]

QUOTE (Mueller @ Jun 22 2005, 02:48 PM)

when Sherryl and I left Marks last Saturday....

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

[URY914]

Easy:

Change all bolt on body pieces to f/g
Remove the following:
Heater boxes and related crap
Fresh air crap under front hood
all sound proofing.
Back pad
carpet
cut out sheetmetal shield over the muffler
Change rear window to plastic
Cut out the wires that don't do anything
Cut out or remove everything that doesn't make it stop, go or turn.

Done (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

Paul

[redshift]

If anyone should know..

M

[Greg Bell]

So, for my 73 2.0


Where is the best place to buy fiberglass bumpers, hood, trunk and engine lid?

Does the rear glass have any structrual purpose? I don't mean to be silly, but will it change anything if I take it out? Heck, why not take it out alltogether?


Any ideas on how to replace the wiring harness? I was thinking about ripping out the old one and just doing a to bare minimum. Heck, my wiring is so screwed up it will probably help!

Hey, I am losing weight! I have lost thirty pounds in the last three months! More to come, hopefully! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mueba.gif)

How much would a fuel cell save?

[ArtechnikA]

QUOTE (Greg Bell @ Jun 22 2005, 05:57 PM)

Where is the best place to buy fiberglass bumpers, hood, trunk and engine lid? Does the rear glass have any structrual purpose? I don't mean to be silly, but will it change anything if I take it out? Heck, why not take it out alltogether? Any ideas on how to replace the wiring harness? I was thinking about ripping out the old one and just doing a to bare minimum. Heck, my wiring is so screwed up it will probably help! How much would a fuel cell save?

i like Getty. there is also at least one East Coast glass shop that seems to be reliable.

the car will be INCREDIBLY LOUD without the back glass, plus it keeps out a LOT of rust-forming water. if you don't think so, ask the guys who've had leaky windows about their inner firewall rust... but structurally? nothing...

a proper wiring harness is a PITA but it is not rocket science - it's "just" a matter of keeping track of dozens of wires and making sure they get the proper connectors where they need to be. i'd suggest you get as many different colors of wire as possible, and try to keep them as close to the original color code as possible. do not scrimp on gauge - the factory already did that, and going smaller is probably not a great idea.

the factory tank is mostly just space and not that heavy, and gallon for gallon, a cell won't save you that much in weight. the big difference is in leaving out gasoline - 6.5 lbs/gal. if you put only 6 gal in your stock take, you've saved 65 lbs.

[Greg Bell]

"the factory tank is mostly just space and not that heavy, and gallon for gallon, a cell won't save you that much in weight. the big difference is in leaving out gasoline - 6.5 lbs/gal. if you put only 6 gal in your stock take, you've saved 65 lbs. "


that is a good point!

[Greg Bell]

How much weight do the fg bumpers save?

Howsabout the hood and lid?

[Brett W]

I called on that 72 so I may go pick it up. It would be really cool to slap a subaruy motor in it and run with no windshield and no glass. Just like a speedster. Low, wide, light and powerful. How much better could you get? I bet you could get a running street legal car to sub 1800lbs with mostly steel body.

[Mueller]

QUOTE (Greg Bell @ Jun 22 2005, 03:19 PM)

How much weight do the fg bumpers save? Howsabout the hood and lid?

front hood and rear lid:

10 to 20 pounds depending on brand and thickness of 'glass
(my carbonfiber lids wiegh ~15 each compared to the 30+ pounds of the stock parts....exact numbers posted someplace)

same for bumpers if it's a '74 or older...much more weight savings if '75/'76

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (Greg Bell @ Jun 22 2005, 02:19 PM)

How much weight do the fg bumpers save? Howsabout the hood and lid?

It depends entirely on the parts you put back on. The front and rear deck lids weigh 30lbs each, and early chrome bumpers (no bumper tits) weigh about 25lbs each. So, leaving the parts off completely saves about 110lbs. The only set of FG decklids I've had on hand weighed about 15lbs each, and the bumpers about 5lbs each. So, 50lbs less total. CF lids are likely lighter still, but more costly.

One problem with running a CF front lid is you have to come up with some alternative method of holding it up when you fill the tank. The springs will HAVE to be removed, as the 'glass lids are too floppy to retain them. A hood prop that works on the hinge itself is probably the best bet here.

The rear glass doesn't weigh much, maybe 3 lbs. I'd keep it.

I'd construct a race only harness by hand, but I'd find a full road car harness more daunting. This consumes a LOT of time if you're doing a good job. You're not going to save a lot on weight here, either.

Besides the 'glass lids and bumpers, there's no much farther you can go before you get into race only territory. A look at Paul's car shows you how far you can go on a dedicated racing car (1300-ish lbs), but on a road car, I'd say 200lbs is about the upper limit before you're removing things you'll regret later, or you spend so much for the extra weight that it's just not worthwhile. By modern standards, anything under 2000lbs is very light. Even the US Elise is 1900lbs. Most current "sports cars" are way north of 2500lbs, and plenty are over 3000.

[Joe Ricard]

Grant I just won the hawker PC680 Battery. When it shows up I'l give a full report. @ 12lbs it's gotta be cool. Hope the hell it starts the car (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)
Rear glass is more than 3 lbs. Pretty sure....
my 155 lb helps make my car the fastest Teener on the Gulf Coast. Well Me and KarlP from the bird board. we never met yet. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wavey.gif)

[9144guy]

heres our shop car 1760 lbs, lexan windows excp. for the windsheild,,so far..striped to bare bones and fiberglass, with alot of bracing including bracing the tranny mount body points.All outer and interior coatings striped.no dash board but the cluster part.

[9144guy]

as you can see this fuel cell i custom built 9 gal. the no motors at the headlights save 8 lbs or more, use 911 old shocks and a release cable,

[9144guy]

the windows are 1/4 inch thick so you dont need window winders, you simply push the up and down, there tight

[9144guy]

aNOTHER

[9144guy]

battery

[9144guy]

cluster

[9144guy]

has a 930 front susp. qand a stock brake caliper with a 1' spacer between the caliper so you can run a drilled and vented 911 rotar, and still have a park brake

[9144guy]

sorry about the spelling and lost words, its late here (i dont know where that time clock gets off saying its like 9:00 when its like 12 or so on the page) but..wife is hollering....late