maximum weight loss tips please

[dantheman]

Remove the paint! Having just sprayed mine, the weight of 5L of paint and 3.5L of primer has gone somewhere, its weighed alot when it was in the tin so its safe to assume thats now been added to the car!

yep, then let nature do the rest. after a few months if you are lucky you might be able to shed 100kg in rust

[Keri-WMS]

I want to get my shell blasted then yellow zink plated now!

[revturbo]

Basically, if you don't need it to drive around a track for 20 minutes - bin it! I got my MR2 Championship car down to 1020kgs in full race trim -- so that's with roll cage, fire extinguisher etc installed. There was still a good few kilos to remove as well, as I'd concentrated on removing weight from the rear of the car for balance and I still had a full size battery and hadn't skinned the bonnet etc.

We always leave the bumper bars in place on our race cars. They're worth having given the likelihood of an impact!

Hi Patrick,

How much does the roll cage and all the other racing 'gubbins' weigh?

basicly, how low (in weight) can you go?!

[Kongaroo]

Was going to change doors for grp and glass for plastic.Bonnet and boot lid also
Does anyone know if full replacement kits are available as apposed to kits which just go on top of existing wings etc and actually add weight?

I've been looking into weight loss too as he final bit to do on the car but didn't want to remove the 'comfort' parts like the air con or sound deadening, lol. I swapped some parts for their light weight counterparts and although there are some weight savings to had it's an expensive way to do it Still it's an alternative (or adjunct) to gutting the car I suppose.

Here are my notes on weight savings over the stock parts on my own car using the same scales to weigh them:

Fibreglass+carbon bonnet - saved approx. 6kg (full carbon bonnets could save along the lines of 8 to 9kg)

Full carbon bootlid - approx. 3.5kg to be saved. (A fibreglass one overlaid with carbon would save you maybe 1.5kg)

Fibreglass turbo engine lid rain shield 0.7kg saving.

Fibreglass bucket seats with sliders and lightweight aluminium sidemounts - approx. 6kg saving from swapping out both cloth seats (yup - just a measly 3kg saving per seat, lol. Less than I was expecting after I had read what other people were supposedly saving)

Titanium+steel single exit exhaust 14kg saving.

About 11kg savings to be had by putting similar width 15" Volk TE37s on instead of the stock 15's.

Soon to be added - lightweight alloy alternator bracket - anticipated saving of 3kg.

Removing the rev 3 boot spring will save 0.8kg and the front bumper bar 7.4kg.

I couldn't bring myself to swap the battery for a light weight one as the car is my daily drive and I don't want to struggle in the winter, lol. Would be interested to hear whether anyone can recommend one and how they got on with it though

[ashley]

http://www.varleyredtop.com/

Awesome batteries, can be mounted flat or upright. They don't like being left for a long time with a drain- so no good if you want to leave your car for extended periods with an alarm/imob enabled.

You'll be amazed how small they are- I've got a redtop 20 in my NA and it's working fine (was on another car I used to have so I thought I'd give it a go!)...but I have no permanent drains like imobs, etc on it, and no heavy electrics for it to run like spal fans, guages etc.

I plan on trying it in my tubby- but I will have seperate switches for charge cooler pump, spal fans etc so they aren't running when the car starts to minimise the current required.

I'm keen to know more about the lightweight alternator bracket you mentioned- that is one heavy chunk of iron- but I've been advised not to go alloy due to the centrifugal forces the alternator puts on it. Definately room for a massive weight saving there I reckon

[Kongaroo]

http://www.varleyredtop.com/

Awesome batteries, can be mounted flat or upright. They don't like being left for a long time with a drain- so no good if you want to leave your car for extended periods with an alarm/imob enabled.

You'll be amazed how small they are- I've got a redtop 20 in my NA and it's working fine (was on another car I used to have so I thought I'd give it a go!)...but I have no permanent drains like imobs, etc on it, and no heavy electrics for it to run like spal fans, guages etc.

I plan on trying it in my tubby- but I will have seperate switches for charge cooler pump, spal fans etc so they aren't running when the car starts to minimise the current required.

I'm keen to know more about the lightweight alternator bracket you mentioned- that is one heavy chunk of iron- but I've been advised not to go alloy due to the centrifugal forces the alternator puts on it. Definately room for a massive weight saving there I reckon

Nice one - let me know how you get on with it on the tubby. Can you also do a quick weight comparison between that and the stock battery when you swap them over?

My alloy alternator bracket was a one off I believe - I bought it from Andy F recently. It weighs 1.9kg. I have read that the stock bracket is in the region of 5kg+ but will weigh it when it comes off the car - hopefully next Friday

[ashley]

I'll get the scales out tonight and do some weighing- I've got a stock alternator bracket lying around that I'll weigh as well....I'll report back

[Keri-WMS]

Standard backbox, behind the new bits = heeeavy (I should weigh it really!)


DIY backbox (excuse the welds!) = 8.07kg

[Kongaroo]

Your custom exhaust looks good

I weighed my standard rev 3 turbo back box and it was 14kg. The stock B-pipe was 6kg so the total stock exhaust system is a surprisingly hefty 20kg!

[ashley]

Right....all weights are approx as measured on some bathroom scales:


Standard alternator bracket of rev 3 NA = 4.4 / 4.5kg

Standard battery (may be low on water) = 15.2kg

Varley redtop 20 = 5.2kg (although website states 4.9kg)

So my weights may be slightly overstated going by the Varley website, but looks like ~10kg savings over the standard battery


I'm going to look into getting some alternator brackets made up in lightweight alloy (cost dependent)- possibly scope for a group buy

Do you guys know if the NA and Tubby alternator brackets are the same?

Kongaroo- any chance of posting a few pics of your alternator bracket- I'm curious to see if it is an exact copy of the original?

[Kongaroo]

I'll ask Peter on Friday about the N/A and Turbo brackets.

My own bracket is at SBITs at the moment - will try and get some photos when I'm over there on Friday but I suspect it is a copy of the original in a light weight alloy.

Do you know what CCA rating your Varley and the stock battery is?

Thanks

[ashley]

Have a look at their website mate- all the technical data is there:

http://www.varleyredtop.com/products_20.htm

In theory the redtop 20 is underspec'd for a 2litre engine, but like I say- I had it sat around doing nothing so seemed worth a shot...you'd probably want a redtop 25 really:

http://www.varleyredtop.com/products_25.htm

The only thing to bare in mind with the red tops is that they don't use standard battery leads so you either need to make up a converting lead, or chop your existing lead and solder on a spade end. I've gone for the first option at the moment, but will do it properly eventually...

Curious to see if the alternator bracket is beefed up at all - or literally a like for like casting...

Cheers buddy

[swampy]

really interested in this sort of item so any pics and prices contacts etc etc

guess it could add up to a significant amount if there are other similar items that could be made.... any ideas.

Ive heard of lightweight starter as well for other cars... anyone no of such a thing for the mr2?

How about certain areas of body/floor etc that can be removed safely???
How about the front boot floor could this be removed and replaced with a thin alloy panel???????

Also heard of of people removing varous supports that are not necassary.....may be a bit dodgy that one but if a car is all caged up and it meets with racing regs then why not?

Keep the ideas coming chaps all apreciated

As mentioned in the beginning this is going to be a track/race car only ...it will not be seing roads or mot stations anytime soon...

[MartG]

If £££ were no object, take a look at how the Mk1 Group B rally car was built ( pics in various places on the web ) - it looks like they literally sawed off the front and rear of the bodyshell, and fitted the remaining centre section around a spaceframe chassis

[Century Motorsport]

I got a MK2 down to 1000kg's.

Fibreglass doors
Fixed persepex windows (all bar windscreen)
Carbon door cards
Carbon bonnet
Lightened std boot lid
Every spare nut, bolt, washer trimmed
Remove dash
Remove sound deadening
Remove surplus brackets off shell
Smaller ally rad
Smaller GT4 alternator
Custom alternator brackets (saving of 3kgs!)
Carbon seats
Small varley battery
Side exit exhaust
Cut back wiring looms
Non ABS brake system
Remove power steering


More could have been lost by -

Smaller, ally fuel tank
Mag wheels
Tubular engine mounts

Bare in mind this car had -

Full Roll cage - approx 60kgs
Full boot mount intercooler kit - approx 20kgs
Swirlpot, 2 extra fuel pumps & mammoth fuel lines - 10kgs ?
GT40 turbo (heavy!)
Nitrous kit - 10kgs?


There's a lot of weight to be lost... its either taking the time or spending the money

[swampy]

Whicj rad did you go for?
Is this a good idea for a race car????


How much was the alternator if you dont mind me asking? and where can i get the brackets?

This is what i am trying to achieve 1000kgs or less to help on the power to weight

[ashley]

I don't suppose you've got any pics of the alternator brackets you used Nathan?

[Century Motorsport]

i'll try and get a photo for you tomo

[loudandproud205]

the standard lighs weigh alot also so if you never plan on running it on the road ditch the lights and motors and put the covers back in place or cover with carbon if your feeling wealthy

if you do still need lights look for some quad lamps

[Century Motorsport]

the standard lighs weigh alot also so if you never plan on running it on the road ditch the lights and motors and put the covers back in place or cover with carbon if your feeling wealthy

if you do still need lights look for some quad lamps

Good point, i went to quad lights also.