what do most of you do to reduce weight in a car you daily and use to auto-x or other use, while staying with most "creature comforts" ?
what do most of you do to reduce weight in a car you daily and use to auto-x or other use, while staying with most "creature comforts" ?
Depends on the autox class
At the very least (stock), you can...
If you go to ST or SP classes, there are a lot more options...
I eliminated nearly everything but power steering and power windows. No insulation. No AC. No emissions equipment. No heater. No radio. No nothing. Daily drove that for a summer. It eliminated over 400# from a fox body. I still could have hacked out another 100, but I didn't have the time to do it.
In Street Modified, I got very quick at pulling the back seat out of my E30. It's an easy job anyhow, but after a few tries it gets so easy you're not even tempted to leave it in...
Clean it. 
Fiberglass hood, smaller battery, replace iron with aluminum, replace aluminum with plastic, smaller mufflers, lighter seats, lighter flywheel/clutch...lots of stuff. I've shaved nearly 300 pounds off my SC and it still has AC, power everything, and full sound deadener.
A lot of variables that will influence the options for weight reduction. ( class,vehicle, budget and personal acceptance of compromises)
I look at from the perspective of pull weight from the highest point and the ends of the car first then work down and toward the center.
Do the free and cheap stuff first(if legal for class) then look at mods/changes you may do anyways( cat back exhaust,front swaybar,wheels etc...) and look for the lightweight part vs the cheapest or maybe best performing. As an example exhaust system A may offer a couple HP more then exhaust system B but weighs more. Remember weight reduction helps acceleration,braking and handling.
Pull sound deadening,smaller battery,rear seat and seat belts, non sunroof car or replace with plexiglas/carbon fiber, stereo systems,empty washer fluid bottle,less fuel in tank. Look at all rotational weight(wheels,flywheel driveshaft lug nuts and studs,pulleys etc..)Updating/backdating and subtle mid year or model changes like lightweight RX-7 scissor jack, Turbo Thunderbird aluminum spare wheel and aluminum bumpers/bumper supports etc.. If you really wanted to get crazy you could cut all bolts to minimum length and then center drill them and cut hoses to minimum length too.
Lite weight battery is the biggest single reducer.
Go on a diet?? 
In reply to Klayfish:
Over the last decade, my Alfa lost 50lb. Without changing a single part. 
How badly do you need that back seat and all that paneling back there?
When its gone, you'll see how gawdy it was anyway.
I was able to reduce the weight of my ZX2SR by almost 100 lbs. Gennesis battery and then removing various bits and pieces not required for DD. Kept the AC and PS. Never weighed the wheels.
alfadriver wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Over the last decade, my Alfa lost 50lb. Without changing a single part.
That's great, but rust doesn't count, I was talking about the driver losing weight. 
i may go with a lightweight battery, eliminating the heater core and lines, and taking out the sound deadening , but putting the carpet back in , and will start to look into what parts swap over from other models to my car . i have a 94 325i sedan, supposedly they weigh right on 2900lbs , any more accurate info on that?
Klayfish wrote:alfadriver wrote: In reply to Klayfish: Over the last decade, my Alfa lost 50lb. Without changing a single part.That's great, but rust doesn't count, I was talking about the driver losing weight.
Stop picking up the remnants and putting it back on my car- rust weighs more than steel!
(man, gives one some rather bad ideas for a uuber light weight challenge car. And it wouldn't be pretty...)
stealthfighter1 wrote: i may go with a lightweight battery, eliminating the heater core and lines, and taking out the sound deadening , but putting the carpet back in , and will start to look into what parts swap over from other models to my car . i have a 94 325i sedan, supposedly they weigh right on 2900lbs , any more accurate info on that?
If you are going to take out the HVAC system like that, I would suggest learning the art of making fiberglass/ carbon fiber parts. Hood, trunk, and then read the box flare thread a few times over again. If you want a hack, but not art- here's one way that it's been done (and posted here) http://midwestattachments.com/hood.htm
I think the Alfa spider hood is at least 20lb. And that thing isn't all that big.
If you are nuts, and you know nobody will sit in the back seats, ever... well, glass the back doors, too. As well as lexan the windows.
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