91 camaro 383

i didnt really know where to start this thread but im ripping my camaro back apart this winter and i was wanting to start a thread on a list of items for weight reduction so if anyone wants to add what they have done we can get this thing rolling and kyle can get some ideas for this winter

86rsproject

If you take out your engine you could probably lose a lot of weight...

91 camaro 383

ya then maybe i could push it over the finish line a little faster

Lo-tec

there is already a 5 or 6 page thread about this

to0kold

fiberglass body parts, aluminum drive shaft, replace for tubular suspensions pieces like a arms, lightweight rims, lexan windows $$$ but mad weight gets shaved, bunch of other little things you wouldnt think would matter but add up like. taking out the carpet from behind your back seats, replacing engine parts with aluminum parts. bucket race seats (stock seats are heavy). just be creative.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

for most weight savings... here we go.
replace stock hood with pin on fiberglass hood... (bolt on fiberglass are lighter and open like normal hoods but the "pin on" ones are even lighter... prob is that u lose the abilty to open it up with gas charged hindges like the stocker.

biggest weight savings is gona be ditching the iron block and heads etc... an aluminum block will save 100lbs over a stock iron block and thats just the BLOCK! u can save 50lbs over iron heads with aluminum. right there is 150lbs.

other things like AC delete(compressor, AC core, lines, and AC delete box will shed like 60lbs... compressor weighs like 45lbs lol. this is a good time to delete the smog pump and all the smog equipment to shed even more weight.

stock seats weigh 37-40lbs each (without electric motors, thought sum had these) i replaced my driver one with a racing polyethene seat from summit (60$) and almuminum adjustable mounting brackets 25$... total weight was 10lbs with brackets installed on seat.

you can ditch the stock carpet and use and aftermarket carpet, the stock carpet has heavy rubber lining underneath and switching to an aftermarket one will be alot lighter, i used newark auto and it was a bunch lighter. rip out the rear seats and all the seat belts from the rear. remove spare tire etc

ive even taken out the front bumper support (heavy ABS honeycomb support aka 5mph bumper support) and that was some pretty heavy plastic. u can do the same for the rear if you really wanted to but beware and accided and u can bet your flimsy polyurathane bumpers are gona collaspe in.

if your even more serious u can gut the doors, remover power motors, glass, HEAVY A$$ door supports (inside door skin for support) and replace door panels with aluminum.

most wieght is gona be reduced from the motor, and trans and replacing glass with lexan. An auto trans weights a bunch more than an automatic and autos take more HP to work. hope this helped

Guro 305

If I may add some to CBB's and from personal experience, yes, the hood is a good start. Also, if you can replace the stock rear glass with a Lexan rear glass that will knockout a good amount of weight so much so that I've read several people going to the Lexan rear glass have relocated the battery to the back for added traction.

Depending on how light and/or ugly you want your car to be, do exactly have CBB said to do. Don't go without a form of spare so if you are gonna toss your tire and tools, get yourself a Corvette Z06 style tire inflator that is an air compressor with slyme bottle option. Don't buy them from the dealer as the price is ridiculous. Get them from Tire Rack like I did, they are about $80 and weigh a few pounds. Also considering how old these guys are now, another great form of weight reduction is to replace alot of the old steel and rubber suspension components with aluminum and polyeurathane ones.

Remember the less PPL (parasitic power loss) you have, the more power to the pavement your tranny can deliver. Lose the stock steel rear brake drums and get some aluminum ones. Lose the steel DS and get an aluminum one with greaseable u-joints. Replace your stock springs and get some lowering ones. Replace the old shocks and get Bilsteins or some KYB GR2s (I got the latter myself) gas shocks. Replace alot of those old rubber bushings with poly ones. Replace the steel A-arms with aluminum ones. The aluminum underdrive pulleys are great for some but some say you'll lose a little bit of a charge at idle. You get the idea.

Also, if your car has glass t-tops (and you REALLY have to get lucky on this one) replace them with some Lexan ones. The list goes on and on my friend. You need to work within your budget....that's most important.

89Camaro89MI

iTrader: (2)

I saw a fiberglass rear hatch that supposedly saved 100+ lbs. And they dont look half bad. rear window size gets cut down, but if you have the cash, that wouldnt be a bad place.

You also might consider re-doing your exhaust system. On top of getting better performance - you could lighten up.

Plus, pretty much all the non-essential / creature comfort systems. Audio, AC, interior lights, headliner, carpet. Things like visors. But even with this, you might only be able to eek out 100, or 150 lbs. But, hey, that's about .1 sec for a 1/4 mile, right?

...and, yeah, all the emmision stuff, if you can get around the ECM complications.

...if that's what you're shooting for.

FueledSoul

iTrader: (18)

weight reduction starts by reducing band with and using search

RED_DRAGON_85

basically if you dont need it, ditch it.
if it were me, id remove every power option you can.
i am saving up for racing seats as well.
another neat trick is not only to remove weight but to relocate any weight you cannot remove lower in the car.
if you can move the CG down an inch your car will feel about 200 lbs lighter when you turn hard.
you can get extreme with it if you want.
lower the gas tank an inch or two
lower the engine
lower the battery or relocate it to the trunk
move your alternator to a lower mount rather than an upper mount.
route your spark plug wires under the headers rather than over them... (jk, but its worth something if you think about it)
mount the seats lower to the car
ect

Guro 305

Oh yeah, and if you're fat lose weight!!!

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

moving the motor back something like 2" will increase launching at the track considerably. ive seen some wild combos like the motor coming into the cabin of the car kind alike a dodge van/ford Eclass van.

lowering the engine could be interesting but would make a difference. of course lowering the enging will lower the trans which will negativly affect pinon angle on the DS to the rear end. i mean if your willing to do that and route the spark plug wires under the engine lol u might as well do something like in the new batman movie and have it so u lay down in the car and drive through a computer screen while on ur stomach... hey it could happen

Fords88Bird

Interesting, didn't know there was a rear glass replacement with Lexan. Later.

Guro 305

Oh yeah! They are expensive!!!!! They run something like $400 but do shed about 90lbs off the car. I've seen them on Ebay before.

jccaclimber

I've driven fully enclosed 3 wheel contraptions where you use a computer screen and an external camera, you don't want to be going down a drag strip with that as your only control, trust me. It works, but your response time is way slower.

There was a post somewhere on here about lexan windows scratching easily and possibly cracking during street use. I don't know if that is a concern for your vehicle, but you would find out with a search. Also, the aforementioned 5 page weight reduction thread is on the first page right now.

racing geek

iTrader: (5)

Unless you modify the floor, you can't get much lower then what I have done with my seats. The seats I use are Corbeau Forza fixed back racing seats. The don't have much padding so that helped lower me a little, but that also netted me ~15-20 pounds per seat. I didn't lower the seats for a lower center of gravity though... I lowered them because I'm 6'3" and with a helmet on (for autocross) I just barely fit in the car. Even now it is a tight fit with my helmet unless I slide my butt forward in the seat and slouch a little. The link to the thread below has all kinds of pictures of the modifications I did to my seat mounts and how tall they are when bolted in the car.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...ng-racing.html
If you have any questions about it just let me know.

Mike