I have a 4 cyl. street car which I'd like to make competitive. Can you tell us all how to reduce weight safely for stree and track/AX and still be competitive even if only to pass tail dragers? What is a good target weight to do this?

Grassyass

The lazy Sunday morning answer is to do a search. Same question was asked yesterday...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?show...c=57484&hl=

Let me wake up and I'll add some more.

Crap! This is my first post in the poddocks and didn't read on to much. I got CF hoods, FG bumpers and FG rockers so far. I'd like to go standard Sheridan FG all around and it might happen once I have a second 914 on the road. This one is gonna be my weekender on the street but will modify it as time goes on "Mutation". I like the Lexan winshield idea but would be hell with wippers on. I will track both threads and hope you all can keep posting. Thank you for the schweet info!

What I have done..
Bought a 70 car les wires less extra crap that come out anyway.
car was already semi done with floor pans stripped and epoxy panted. Has stood up well.
of course no back pad Sparco seats on Sparco rails, early doors that will go gutted and fiberglass skin. Have fiberglass front trunk skin and need to make fiberglass frame for it. front and rear bumpers fiberglass. 12 lb battery carbs vs FI. lighter fly wheel and center line 15 x 8.5 wheels with Hoosier slicks (30pounds total). I estimate 1850 ish
Need to get official measurements some day.

If you don't need it in VA, remove all of the climate control stuff. Between all of the ducting, motor, lever assy, and heat exchangers, it's getting up around 60# extra. Make sure of the class that you'll be running in before you rip the car apart, it may put you up into a class that you won't be able to be competetive in without spending wayyyyy more $$$$$$$$ and time than you thought.

Ya, thinking about it, all that stuff is worthless being that all I have is a header and won't winter drive it. I heard there is a auxiliary electric fan heater I can probably use on the road for defrosting the windshield in the fog and such. Other than that, everything else is toast1 Thanks for the advise which would be over looked.


Can I run other head light a ssemblies and remove the stock stuff. Like a low/high bean light beneathe the bumper? I have FG GT style front bumper and might go with the CF one if the club member still has it for sale. Just sent him Email this morning.

legally???

I doubt it....at least in CA, one must have the healights something like 24" above the ground...you can try it and hope all you get is a fix-it ticket.


a narrow bodied car will be lighter/faster than the sheridan bodied car, less wind resistance, usually much smaller rims/tires, not need for heavy wheel spacers..the list goes on...

If you pull the headlight assemblies that is a big chunk. The wiper mechanism is another and use a small one from a boat if you must have a wiper. Replace the complete dash with an aluminum panel and a digital readout. Replace the doors with fiberglass. Use a small Optima or other racing batt. No stereo, spare tire, jack or other stuff.

a narrow bodied car will be lighter/faster than the sheridan bodied car, less wind resistance, usually much smaller rims/tires, not need for heavy wheel spacers..the list goes on...
[/quote]
Good stuff bud. I always wondered about that and less is more and to improve on the stock, less is probably all I need. That is the exact way to go for me. It is easy to cut it down to a point where beefing up the suspension will make it a really bad street car. I'd like to take it just before it gets at the hard driving point and perhaps add comfort with big tires for the street.

THNX

Good stuff bro. Them headlights gotta go and am glad you agree. All them servo/motor driven hardware items have to be eliminated! Though this stuff will be removed, I learned keeping them is a good idea since all that stuff will be worth something later down the line; specially if I get one to keep stock. THNX!

of course no back pad Sparco seats on Sparco rails, early doors that will go gutted and fiberglass skin. Have fiberglass front trunk skin and need to make fiberglass frame for it. front and rear bumpers fiberglass. 12 lb battery carbs vs FI.


Ya, I agree, the more FG the better! I kinda got hookered to CF and wish to get more of it. I guess its a mocho man thing and I don't really spend on anythig else so I have an excuse.LOL All that sound proofing had to goo! Man that stuff weighed a tone! I will dress it up with some sound proffing stuff; ya and it won't be heavy at all. Neoprene, it comes in roles 3/8" and 1/2" thick with a self adhsive side to it. Total weight to do the floor, back, doors ect. ahhh 5 pounds and it would be attached to the back side of the removable carpets. THNX!

On my car, the biggest potential for weight loss at this point would be a thinner driver! 230 is too much.
I'll spend $500.00 to get 10 pounds off the car, and I'd save $500.00 on food if I lost 20 pounds, but damn, that requires dicipline.

[quote name='JPB' date='Jul 30 2006, 06:53 PM' post='741636']
a narrow bodied car will be lighter/faster than the sheridan bodied car, less wind resistance, usually much smaller rims/tires, not need for heavy wheel spacers..the list goes on...
[/quote]
Good stuff bud. I always wondered about that and less is more and to improve on the stock, less is probably all I need. That is the exact way to go for me. It is easy to cut it down to a point where beefing up the suspension will make it a really bad street car. I'd like to take it just before it gets at the hard driving point and perhaps add comfort with big tires for the street.

THNX
[/quote]


rumor is that the 914 vintage racers (stock class or whatever it is for 2.0 cars) that run the GT flares give up close to 10 mph on the fastest straightaways compared to the narrow bodied cars...

there is no reason why one cannot have an awesome handling car and not have a good ride.........even with 40 series 17" tires, my ride is pretty darn good....

rumor is that the 914 vintage racers (stock class or whatever it is for 2.0 cars) that run the GT flares give up close to 10 mph on the fastest straightaways compared to the narrow bodied cars...


Hmmm, good thing my car is pretty much a dedicated Autocross car. More grip is gooder than aero.

Besides Mr. Mueller them fenders I put put on my car are Damn sexy.
Oh and the Tangerine header cut like 1/2 a ton off the exhaust heater stuff.

That doesnt sound right.

The addition of the flares will cut down on the top speed some. Will it be 10 MPH, I am not sure as my top speed at a track like the CA SPeedway is 135 with or without flares. The flares do give you the ability to go to wider wheels/tires ad some spacers for a wider track so cornering will be faster. You have to ask yourself, where is the largest portion of the track I.E. straights or curves/turns and which do I want to do faster? In Mexico, the street races have very short straights so I can be pretty competitive against Camaros, Corvettes and other assorted hot rods, but those SCCA ITA VWs just kill me as they corner so well!

steel GT flares are going on my car, I don't plan on ever racing it, so I don't care about the extra drag either

JPB,

the list of things to do is endless.
we spent 2 years prepping my chassis in order to save weight.
I have 5 new idea's yet to incorporate.

it never ends.

but I would think that a street legal, 4 cylinder car with LOTS of fiberglass should weigh in around 1800 - 1850lbs.

thats a dang! good weight to shoot for, and I honestly think it would take a lot of fiberglass to do it without gutting the whole chassis and spending the 2 years that I took doing it.

but my car is all metal due to class rules, so I had to take the road less traveled.

brant