Some one suggested doin a little weight reduction would get my 86 GT moving faster, but I'm having a hard time finding stuff to take out. For instance, I'd prefer to keep the spare and jack in the car with me.

Seats- Are racing seats any lighter, like Sparcos or something? Will they bolt right in?

Doors- The doors are ridiculously heavy as you all know. Can something be done about that? I know its not the window motors cause I have a replacment one and its not that heavy.

Other ideas? Thanks for any thoughts guys!

Well, you could go easy on it or very extreme depending on the use of the car, some of these ideas would be only for racing purpose cars.

- (remove) front and rear steel bumbers
- (remove) complete A/C unit
- tubular control arms
- use flush mount headlights(lighter-no motor)
- use aluminum radiator
- use lighter weight wheels
- lose the power stuff, trunk release, windows, mirrors, etc.
- (remove) carpeting/padding, and engine capartment padding
- (remove) gut the insde/underside of dash
- (remove) interior panels
- use Aluminum hood or decklid
- racing seats are lighter, could always go with aluminum racing seat, custom fit
- Lexan front, rear, and side glass.
- modifying the rear storage area(trunk) and make it less deep. it removes alot of steel. Reinforce the tail fascia as airflow under the car could damage the fascia. Aerodynamics will change by doing this. Probably not noticable until 130mph corners.
- lighterweight battery
-radio removal
- *dangerous if not careful* putting lightening holes on the front cross member.(not recommended for street use or rough racetracks or by non-expert mechanics/fabricators)
- Aluminum Rear Cradle

I know some of these are extreme and small amounts of weight, but as a racing fabricator, you look everywhere for the smallest weight reductions, it all adds up, BUT SAFETY ALWAYS COMES FIRST, so by all means, things such as removing the steel bumbers, could make a large difference when trying to drive through a tree.

Many of these options are not recommended for street use/daily driver cars.

You mentioned gutting the dash, although I didn't see you talkng about complete removal of the interior vinyl and carpetting, insulation, and sound deadening. It doesn't help comfort levels, but would make the car a bit lighter. Racing seats would help a bit, but they are pricey. Remove all stereo equipment, a/c, power windows, all the comfort stuff basically.

If this is a street driven vehicle then you are limited due to safety concerns, although if you had a roll cage with side bars, you could remove the big cross members in the doors to make them much lighter. Just keep in mind that any time you remove large 'frame' pieces like that, you compromise safety.

As mentioned, cutting out the trunk metal (and ditching trunk carpet) helps with weight, and pretty much any place you can remove non-structural material (front trunk area perhaps?).

Start with unsprung weight and go from there. Focus on the biggest areas and move on from there. Interior materials are going to create more savings over other things.

If you drive on the street-Do Not remove safety equipment! This includes bumpers and side impact beams. These are the things that allow you to walk away, instead of being peeled up and washed away

I wouldn't use Lexan in the front window. The windshield is a structural piece and would compromise the integrity of the passenger compartment. Plus, it's kinda expensive.

Are you serious about the windshield being a structural peice on the fiero? That is nice to know since I am eventually putting in a lexan window in it when one becomes available at work. Can someone tell me more about this, like in which way it reinforces something. I know lexan is safer and wont break as easy(though they scratch up easily, keep the cats off of it). Anyways, I would like more info on this if you can direct me somewhere.
thanks,
kurt

most of the weight reductions that you can do are at the front of the car. remember if you are looking for a car that handles good 50/50 distribution is the key. soooo since the car is already 56/44? think about if u want to handle or light to light

------------------
FieroGt3 Website! Check it out.

Very VERY (!!) NOT for street use, but you can kill off about 8% of the weight of the car by taking your doors apart and gutting them to a shell, then slapping in fixed lexan windows.

A loaded door weighs in at about 100lb's (I've got a stack here - I should chuck one on the scale!). A gutted one is about 5-10lb's! And yes, I'm talking about taking it down to the outer frame and that's IT.

Pull out all the carpets and padding as was mentioned - they weigh a TON!

Between those two things alone I bet you shed 10-12% of the whole weight of a base coupe.

I nice modifications is to remove the front spare tire and jack, and then more the battery from the rear to the front. It leads to a better 50-50 split. You can do what I do, just carry a can of fix-a-flat, and the number to Triple A.

For the drag track, or racing just remove the passenger seat. When I went on long trips and needed the extra room I would take it out also. They are quite heavy but easy to remove. Just four bolts.

How can nobody ever recomends, that the driver too loose some weight?

------------------
" My intention is to " give a different point of view ", not to offend in any way; peace."
Link to car pictures of PFF members: http://fieroz.com/photo.html

heh, I just found this....and as old as it is, I don't care, I'll add my $.02 anyways

You could exchange your fastback rear clip for a notchie......they are much much lighter. Just thought I'd add that in

Hope it helps....probably won't at this point

Austin

------------------

Practice makes perfect, but since nobody's perfect, why practice?
If life gives you lemons, take them and throw them at people you hate.

Here is what I have done to my Auto X car.
Gutted complete interior. Dash heater controlls carpeting even the duct work.
Removed front plastic spare tire holder. Better air flow once hood vent is installed.
Removed the GT trunk and installed a luggage rack lid.
I would have gone more crazy but I am still planning on putting it back on the street someday.
Total weight reduction is arouind 100 lbs. The dash and heater ducting are 65 lbs of that. The trunk lid swap netted around 25lbs weight lost from the rear. That lid is heavy!
Still using the stocxk seats. I also have rules to follow and any more weight redustion bumps me up to the next class. I dont have the money to race in that class yet. I will be building a fiberglass dash and interior for my car with new aftermarket gauges. Its also getting some scoups installed and a repaint to yellow IMO dont gut the interior plastic trim. It weighs nothing and makes you car kinda ugly.
------------------
85 GT 4 speed 2.8L auto X'er

[This message has been edited by red85gt (edited 01-15-2004).]

No one's mentioned the engine yet? .....Get a lightweight aluminum engine. That should save a good amount of weight.

Carroll Smith does.

quote Originally posted by FIEROZ.COM: How can nobody ever recomends, that the driver too loose some weight?

have you ever taken off the decklid or the hood? Those fiberglass pieces are very thick. You can take off the structural parts on both of those and shave the underside down a lot.

They are built the way they are so that they don't wobble or come undone at high speed. The solution: hood pins. The front already has 4 corner mounting points, but the rear has 1 center, and 2 in the center about a foot apart.

I plan on either refabbing a rear decklid that's much lighter, or shaving down the current one.

If it's an auto, remove your left leg.

take everything down to the rolling chasis. remember all those body panels are heavy

take out teh interior use a pair of pliars for a steering wheel and use a milk crate for a seat, then you will have a lightweight fiero

hello, If this car is street driven do not remove the spare tire that is essential for the frontal impact energy absorbing protection. You can replace your front end with the haid laid tilt front end from www.normsfiberglass.com the entire front clip weighs little more than the stock hood alone not to mention the heavy pop-up lights and misc. metal trimming. then move the battery up front under the spare tire for better weight distribution. Have fun with your car as there is so much you can do with the Fiero. Thanks Norm.

------------------
Norm Vandermee

lol, I didn't think this topic would get anymore replies when I replied to it. It was just one of those random urges (whatever). I wonder if he's even seen this yet since he started this 10-10-03 and here it is...... now 1-15-04 Oh well.

Austin

------------------

Practice makes perfect, but since nobody's perfect, why practice?
If life gives you lemons, take them and throw them at people you hate.