Weight Reduction

Karma wrote:

.

(Hey Robo, just wait until you add all that weight back with fibreglass and bondo... )

Oh God I hope not!
I think I might have stumbled on a way to save the disaster that my front bumper has become.I need to use Fleece as a pre-cover leading then to the fiberglass.If I make it happen with the materials that I have left,I might be able to finish the bumper and still have it lighter than OEM.
The rear bumper is going to be the challenge!

Easy weight reduction -
1 - leave your spare tire and jack at home. (maybe bring them on a long trip)
2 - only fill gas tank to 1/2. The rest is excess weight.
3 - don't keep your coolant reservoir or washer tank full. (hey liquid is easy trimmings)
4 - start removing things. A/C system, seats, etc.
5 - get out holesaw.

As you can see, it's not that easy to lose weight. Robo has done it. If you have the need and the skills follow in his footsteps! My best track times were with the spare tire and rear seat bottom out but I stopped doing that at the track for my sanity. I just drive in, remove center caps, adjust tire pressure and race. Standard toolbox still in the trunk (tools for pulley swaps!) No switching tires or leaving half my car out in the pits.

Derek how's your '08 VW Passat Wagon? i always liked them.....is it still fun?

deekster_caddy wrote:

5 - get out holesaw.
.

Has anyone identified optimal holesaw areas? AKA non structurally critical fat metal areas that can get swiss cheesed out?

I think the roof would be a safe place to start, and effective, too. Keep the center of mass low on the car!

With the exception of the rear cast motor mount and portions of the RSSA,a hole saw hasn't been near the car.Speaking of hole saw holes,I haven't convinced myself that there would be much to lose in the way of holes?From what I can tell the Riv isn't comprised of super heavy gauge steel to begin with.jmo.At least I haven't seen it? the heavy stuff is in the front & rear rail assembly,the RSSA and the engine cradle.All other panels are from what I can tell 15 & 16 gauge steel,Can anyone confirm that?Oh yeah,the Riv glass as everyone knows is HEAVY!!! And the trunk lid is a a lead paper weight too.

The sunroof weighs about 55 plus pounds.Thats alot of weight to sit up high.I never use it so.. I dont know? If I had the skills to work an English wheel I might tackle the sheet metal work for a sunroof delete.Takes lots O skill to put a gentle curve in sheet metal.

...and the Riv body is made from some very smart and well engineered steel.I mean,there are strategic dimples and convolutions that make the body super strong and ridgid.I haven't seen many cars with the same amount of thought engineered into the body.And I'm around cars all day!

stan wrote:

Derek how's your '08 VW Passat Wagon? i always liked them.....is it still fun?

It's still a blast to drive. With the 6 speed and turbo you can really blast around when you want to. It handles like a big german car, but is still good for an easy 32 mpg hwy, without trying. Trying I can get 34 or better. It still puts a smile on my face when I drive it (it's my wife's car so I don't get to drive it a lot).

Calculate 1/4 Mile ET From Horsepower and Weight

http://robrobinette.com/et.htm

according to this, 300HP and a 3,300lb car should go ~13.654449676220349

I like that.

Stock specs:
3,788lbs @ 240HP =~14.6 seconds

charlieRobinson wrote:

Calculate 1/4 Mile ET From Horsepower and Weight
Stock specs:
3,788lbs @ 240HP =~14.6 seconds

The stock 240 is at the flywheel, not the wheels so its a bit more accurate to what a stock riv would run at 15.4. 14.6 is closer to what a GTP or Regal would run, I believe.

That is OEM weight with no driver and calculated with flywheel HP.

charlieRobinson wrote:

That is OEM weight with no driver and calculated with flywheel HP.

I think it might have reset to wheel HP on you then because I got something different. 14.6 is close to late 90's Mustang GT territory. The Riv would need a little bit of modding and prep to run that assuming its not a freak in a perfect race, imo.

The numbers came out right for your lightened, 300HP car though!

th3fr4nchi5e wrote:

charlieRobinson wrote:

That is OEM weight with no driver and calculated with flywheel HP.

I think it might have reset to wheel HP on you then because I got something different. 14.6 is close to late 90's Mustang GT territory. The Riv would need a little bit of modding and prep to run that assuming its not a freak in a perfect race, imo.

The numbers came out right for your lightened, 300HP car though!

You're right! Thanks for catching that!
15.400785862821609 for a stock Riv, no driver, ghost racing!

Just didnt want anyone thinking there was something wrong with their car if they run slower! 14.6 is a pretty awesome time, especially for a big, heavy car like the Riv!

Quote :

15.400785862821609 for a stock Riv, no driver, ghost racing!

FYI, at stock weight, with a 165 lb driver added in, ET would be 15.62 according to your calc page. Very small difference!

AA wrote:

Quote :

15.400785862821609 for a stock Riv, no driver, ghost racing!

FYI, at stock weight, with a 165 lb driver added in, ET would be 15.62 according to your calc page. Very small difference!

It's kind of funny when you think about it..
300HP and a 3,300lb car should go ~13.654449676220349

How much does it cost to go from 240HP to 300HP and what sacrifices must be made to drop ~400lbs?

ALL FOR 2 SECONDS IN A QUARTER MILE!!! LOL!!! WHY DO WE DO THIS!?

How much does it cost to run a 13 flat!? a low 12? LOL.

I was never about speed anyways... I just want to look cool.

Because 2 secs is VERY noticeable! When you drive a car with significantly increased power, or lots of weight reduction, it's like a different car.

But .2 secs is not something most drivers can feel. It's mostly for track times. Not really my thing, unless it's the difference between 13.9 and 14.1 secs in the 1/4 mile. Then it becomes important!

AA wrote:

4087 lb at Norwalk (pre-trailer hitch). I ran 13s in the 1/4 mile with the jack & spare, subwoofer box and amps.

I like this.

Took out my amps for Nelson Ledges track day, but added a trailer hitch receiver and one Charlie Robinson.

1 year later....


And we're back.


What is the easiest fat to cut out from the riv? Seats? spare tire? lighter wheels? Another other pro tips from the masters? I still need to weigh in to see where I am at (Tyler, let's do this soon) but I want to get down to 3500lbs if possible without sacrificing too much.

PS. the RF 12" subs I just got.. they are for sale now if anyone wants em

I think Robo and Karma are on to it with the idea of just modifying/replacing stock components with lighter ones. If you go to the RSSA thread you can see that Robo hacked up his and saved a lot of weight. The only thing that has never been done is making a new front subframe but that takes time and money. If you poo both of those I would go with coilovers because they save weight and improve handling. F-body brakes would save you a bit and improve your braking AND they're pretty cheap so that's probably where you should start. I would say seats next but I don't ever want to get rid of my dead cows. So, if you want a list, it would be something like this in order of time+money+effort.

A good clean out - you probably would save ounces here, but isn't it nice to have a clean car inside and out?

Spare tire+jack - I wouldn't in case I got a flat, but at the track you could pull them out, go run, then put them back in before you leave.

Engine hoist brackets - not much weight here, but it's in the front so get rid of them. Keep them handy though just in case.

Fenderwell intake - again, not much weight here but the whine of the supercharger and reduced knock makes it worth it.

F-body brakes - lighter calipers, better braking, and since you have a '99 the rotating mass stays the same.

Rims - less rotating weight and more style.

Seats - lose the comfy seats and turn them into furniture. A nice set of manual bucket seats will save you about 50lbs.

RSSA mod - Follow Robo's guide here and save away. He's still alive so structural rigidity doesn't seem to be an issue. The improved handling is also pretty nice.

Rear toe links - Not much weight here but easier alignments and better handling.

Exhaust - you could probably save a few pounds by going to a lightweight steel exhaust. The OEM cat and resonator are pretty freakin' heavy. You'll gain a couple HP up high and if done right you can get a nice noise too.

Headers - Those cast manifolds are nothing compared to a nice set of headers. Again, a couple of HP up high but between these and a full exhaust you'll save a decent bit of weight and reduce knock.

Coilovers - save 100lbs but at a cost. It's worth it for the handling upgrade though.

Custom front subframe - a decent bit of weight can be saved here but it's a critical area of the car. Best not mess with it unless you know what you're doing.

Custom body panels - Go nuts. Make everything fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Gut the interior - You really only need 1 seat, steering wheel, and pedals right? All that carpet and plastic trim is useless. Airbags? Psh. Carpet? It's filthy anyways. Radio? I have a supercharger. Seats? I ain't got time to be haulin' you around.

matt270avian wrote:

Radio? I have a supercharger.

preach it!   

Quote :

Gut the interior - You really only need 1 seat, steering wheel, and pedals right? All that carpet and plastic trim is useless. Airbags? Psh. Carpet? It's filthy anyways. Radio? I have a supercharger. Seats? I ain't got time to be haulin' you around.

This is where most of the weight can be shed. Don't stop at carpet, though. Remove all the loose sound deadening, and if the floor pan has the adhesive goop on it, take a bag of dry ice and a hammer to break it up. Remove dash, ceiling panel, center console, rear seats. You'll be left with a race car Riviera.

Codith took his car apart once. Check the thread for reference.

That sound deadener in the door is actually pretty heavy. Also, that top dash panel is really heavy. Seats save soooo much weight. Stock seats are seriously about seventy pounds. Mine are 20.

Stock seats are 70 pounds?......shit man......haha

Can we get a picture of your new 20lb seats?