I finally (! :hail: !) finished buying all the parts for my drivetrain for my '86. I think it's now time that I start considering the weight reuction factor. I'm considering the following:

Speedglass kit
fiberglass SS hood
aftermarket K-member with spring perches and lower control arms
plastic gas tank
performance seats
rear seat removal
jute padding removal
possible A/C removal, heater only (want to retain as much streetability as possible)
remove spare and relocated battery to trunk
front C4 brakes/ rear LT1

Already purchased aluminum heads, headers, LT1 intake, T-56 (dunno if there's a reduction there), and other 'typical' lightening components/mods.

Has anyone done this? I noticed my car is very responsive to weight, so I want to reduce it as much as possible without making it a friggin rollerskate. Anyone accurately know the total weight loss? My car is an '86 IROC, and my goal is 3000# curb weight. Of course, less is better

Oh, and yes, I did a search. Didn't find what I was looking for though...

 

definetly feasible with the things you want to do. i was down to 3205 w/o me. mine was a v6 car that i swapped an iron headed sbc into. did the ac delete, and put on a factory fg hood. can't think of anything else significant. oh yeah, i pulled the rear seats, but i had a roll bar and subframe connectors too. don't know if i helped any.

 

Have you read this article? Hope it helps.

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...ngpounds.shtml

JC

 

Atkin's diet.

 

you don't need to remove your jute padding, it weighs about 2 pounds at the most all together.

also C4 brakes will weigh more simply because they are bigger.

they stop better, but they are bigger.

 

relocating battery to trunk isn't gonna make much of a difference but a plastic gas tank will

 

a regular 5 speed weights about 80 pounds your new 6 speed weights more than double just something to think about

 

Yeah but it'll also handle more than double the power. To me that's a fair trade.

 

True!

My stock carpet is in good shape, but heavy. Wonder if there's an alternative...hate to take it out if I dont need to though.

Not too worried about the weight of the brakes. The new ones are bigger but aluminum not cast iron...should make up the difference.

Lexan glass should make for a nice diet too. Anyone have experience with it?

Pretty much chosen to remove all A/C stuff for now. Will help cooling and loose more weight...can always reinstall later. Never worked anyway, not since I had the car...heater is great though.

How much do you think that K-member and those controls arms will save me? I think that will probably be the biggest weight reduction on the car...

 

i am not a big fan of speed glass or lexan. i have yet to see somone make it look really good. if you ever plan to drive it on the street, good luck cause it is not DOT approved and has many fines along with it.

 

Well if he went with a plastic gas tank and lexon wouldn't moving the battery be a good idea since he is lightening the back of the car more than the front? Just my idea, i'm far from an expert on this subject.
For free weight loss, go on a diet

 

A good set of wheels way less than factory wheels especially if you get some magnisum ones. Rubber weigh more than aluminum so big wheels less rubber. Aluminium drive shaft(not a big loss but will reduce your rotating mass). Go with a notchback on the rear, it weighs less than the glass and will look better than lexan. Like you said racing seats weigh less than factory ones. Fiberglass bumpers weigh less than the factory poly ones, but they are not good for street but as long as you dont hit anything they are good. The only gfx that really help are the fronts, the side cuts some off but not nothing to worry about under 180 mph aero drag isn't anything to worry about under 100 mph and really dont effect anything under 150mph

Aluminium radiator, few pounds and better cooling.

Do you have T-Tops if so find some lexan ones.

knocking off the what 500 lbs will be just a few pounds here and there. Any weight you can lose front of the front wheels is better. but don't add weight pass the rear wheels. If you are losing your rear seats, mount your battery in the spot where the pass rear seat was. Don't put it pass the rear wheels. A torqReduction starter will weigh some less than a stock one.

Electric water pump. no weight loss but HP gain.

All the rear links go to aftermarket tube links like what spohn has.

And what has been said.

 

ummm mag. wheels? i don't know about any of the other sacntioning bodies, but the nhra made those illegal back in the 70's when people would break them and the car would crash. i wouldn't suggest mag. wheels.

 

mag wheels are not magnisum wheels mag wheels deal with how the lugnuts are, they have a shank that goes through the wheel. Magnisum is the material they are made out. Most european race cars have them.

 

For drag racing, wouldn't it be best to have the battery as far back in the car as possible? The wheels would act as a sort of fulcrum for the battery, and the battery would put more weight on the rear wheels.

for road racing though, I have heard the theory that you should keep as much weight between the wheels as possible, and that makes perfect sense to me.

Not saying your wrong at all, I'm just curious

 

well for road racing or daily driving between the wheels is best. Thats why cadys and some other high dollar cars have the battery under the rear seat.

Drag raceing it depends on how much hp you are turning. If you can pick up the front wheels on a launch put it in the center if you are below that point, well before the car moves the weight is transfered as much as possibe to center of the rear wheels. so in that case the best place it to the rear.

I was assuming street / road not drag.

 

It's a street/ road race car. Dont plan on using the car on any day that isn't sunny and nice, so the lexan glass isn't something I'm to concerned about....it's the weight savings I want. I put the battery where the spare tire was to keep the center of the rear open for small cargo, but for the most part I was thinking of installing a couple small subs back there and didn't want interference of any kind possible. Now I'm thinking against that. When I get my N20 kit installed, I'll install it on the opposite side of the battery.

Some corvette wheels are magnesium. If I'm not mistaken, my C5 widespokes that are on my '94 Z are. I chose to go with black 17x11/17x9.5 ZR1 wheels on this one. Worth the weight if you ask me...

Got the aluminum radiator and have an aluminum water pump. May upgrade to an electric pump, but they're only good for a couple more HP from what I've seen. Would rather put my money in my LS1 crate motor to replace this one later on...

Even gonna mount my MSD digital 6 in the dash to set the weight further back and keep it cool.

k-member should help out alot with front end weight, but I dont know exactly how much weight they save with the spring perches and lower control arms. Should make for alot better weight transfer and improve the front/rear weight ratio.

Not too much of a fan on the notchback hatch on a Camaro. Look best on T/A's. Besides, I have a rollbar back there now, and there would be interference.

 

this guy installed Lexan front whindshield and rear hatch, but intalled them in stock manner after some trimming, looks pretty good, I'd use the speedglas stuff to try and prevent some scratching though. I like how he painted the edge of the windshield to appear as stock but left a bowtie-shaped opening for the vin number.

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/403007/2

 

Lexan windows, fiberglass hood, fiberglass hatch

Hey, you can tub it, gut the interior, and fully cover the interior with aluminum and still be streetable