How much to gain by putting the GN on a diet?

[V8KILLR]

You can see my time below. I think with the right stall that dropping to low 11s should not be a problem. My question is, w/ my combo and times that I think the car will do, what time do you guys think that I'll be able to hit by putting the GN on a diet? Please list the areas that I'll be dropping the lbs off of, i.e. the hood, the bumpers and so on.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[V8KILLR]

TTT

 

[TR Custom Parts]

The two items I can comment on are the sound deadening under the rear seat, about 20-25 lbs believe it or not. Converting to the aluminum bumper braces will lose about 37 lbs if you do both of them. 17 lbs for the front and 20 lbs for the back.

 

[turbosam6]

Hmmm....I never removed the sound deadening under the seats. This is a stupid question, but what exactly do I need to do to do this? Like how does the seat come out, is the stuff glued down, etc.? Does it make a big difference in the noise in the interior with the windows up?

Sorry, didn't mean to thread jack you there.

 

[tim87tr]

1--The obvious, jack and spare tire = 51 lbs.
2--Ministarter saves around 10 lb, and front sway bar another 26 lb off the front.
3--Alum rear drums saves, and lightweight wheels such as the T wheels are rotating weight savings.
4--Fiberglass bumpers = ?, if it's not a street car, and fiberglass hood and trunk = ?

 

[V8KILLR]

Thanks Mark & tim87tr,
Any more? Over all, can I drop what 100, 200, 300......lbs? If all I'm looking at is 100 lbs total, not sure if it is worth it. Yes I know, every little bit helps, but was thinking along the lines of 500 lbs total droped. I have power seat, power window, know that they will go some time. Keep it coming.

Thanks again,
Jason

 

[Scott Atk]

Another benefit to dropping weight is how much easier it will be on parts. Your 200 4R and 28 spline axles will thank you.

 

[V8KILLR]

TTT

 

[Louie L.]

As stated before rotating weight will gain you the most in the weight removal game. But foremost it will matter where you take the rest of the weight from. By removing weight from the front the benefits will be 2fold youll be getting closer to 50/50 bias and get better weight transfer.

For weight loss in the front:
FG hood
FG bumper
Alum Radiator/F-Bod/Summit alum
Alum Rad core support
Plastic headlights
RJC alum pulley set


Theres lots more to remove and or replace if you are looking more at a Strip car

No AC
Aerospace front brakes(rotating)

 

[GNSCOTT]

hood and deck lid would be my last choices. It saves maybe 60#'s and cost alot. The parts alone are close to $1k, installation and then paint can bring the total over $1500. If its a street car, wheels, switch to GM alluminum bumper brackets (the aftermarket ones are not made to handle any kind of shock, the sound deadener behind the rear seat (seat just pops out, play with it a little) remove the AC, and thats about it. Anything else like glass bumpers (save about 80 #'s) doors, removing the brace in the door, or removing the front sway bar can be very dangerous on a street car.

 

[V8KILLR]

TTT

 

[ijames]

I think Louie and others pretty much covered the list of what (except I'll add plastic headlights and carbon fiber helmet). As for how much it helps, average rwhp=197 * weight in lbs / (et * et *et), where weight is total weight going down the track. Rearrange that for et=(197 * weight / rwhp)^1/3, where ^1/3 means cube root. For example if you are putting 450 hp to the ground and total weight is now 3800 lbs, your estimated et is 11.85 sec. Keep the hp the same and drop 200 lbs and the et drops to 11.64 sec. Go nuts and get the weight down to 3300 lbs with you in the car, and the et would be about 11.30.

 

[GNSCOTT]

Then add a roll bar because you are in the 11's.

 

[blueta]

Manual steering rack will lighten it up a bit. You could also remove the front passenger seat, and rear seat if you want. That's a little extreme for me though

 

[tom h]

did anyone mention wheels?

stock GN wheels are 28 lbs each.

a lighweight aluminum street wheel, like Centerline ConvoPro, is about 12 lbs each.

Total = 64 lbs saved.

 

[V8KILLR]

Thanks Tom!

That was one of the first things I did - ProStars. Going to Bogarts when I take the car off the road soon.

Jason

 

[gnx7]

.................or just start with a lighter car .

My '87 RX-7 has factory aluminum hood, aluminum front calipers, aluminum rear hubs (IRS), aluminum radiator, aluminum jack, alumunim 16x4" spare..... factory weight is anywhere between 2600-2700lbs depending upon options. Mine came a/c delete, manual r/p, no c/c, manual windows, no power locks, no rear wiper etc.

Car post GN conversion with no a/c or p/s and alternator on a custom mount weighs 2760lbs in street trim.... and 2670lbs in race trim. Race trim means no carpet/soundeadening and passenger seat removed and glovebox empty plus spare/jack removed and 16x4" aluminum skinnies up front with Bogarts out back on 26x8.5" slicks.

So the car running 11.30's with 3300lbs just became a 10.70 car at 2700lbs...... plus the .29cd aerodynamics helps and smaller front area.

But then again we are talking Regals . 3300lbs would be a good goal.

-GNX7

 

[Mike_G]

hmm lets see
Manual seat
manual windows
30 lbs pulling the crash bars < If the car has a cage>
front sway bar
Pull the AC <all of it>
Aluminum core support
Powersteering Champion makes a great accessory bracket to eliminate it
40lbs by going to Wilwood front brake system
sound deadening is definatly heavy
a cheap rug from JC whitney will not be have the backing the factory rug has = less weight
RJC pulleys definate savings + less recipricating weight
same with a good 9in converter
Alum wheels
Glass bumpers, glass hood, deck lid
mini starter
Lexan windows ?
spare tire/jack
speakers
power ant
I'm sure there's more... some are extreme but theyre possibilites.. more drag oriented and not reccomended for the street

 

[I eat Z06]

Everyone is naming off cheaper things to do to save weight. Here is some "not so" ways to save.
Alluminum Block
Alluminum Heads
Alluminum Radiatior
Alluminum Wheels
Alluminum Drive Shaft
Light Weight Pulleys
Light Weight Starter
Lexan
Heated Rear Window Equiptment Delete
Hotchkis Total Vehicle System (TVS)
Hotchkis Tubular A-Arms
Baer or Wilwood discs at all corners
Fiber Glass Parts - dont reccomend rear bumper
Sparco Seats
Sparco Steering Wheel
Harnesses W/ Removal of Stock Seatbelts
Headers
Crossover Pipe
No Cat or Gut
Single 3" Cat Back
Underbody Sound Deadning Removal
No Subs of AMP
Smaller Radio Deck
and the hardest one of all YOU! shave some lb's of that beer gut
They are expensive but you get what you pay for

Nick

 

[Roger]

My old BGC catalog lists a COMPLETE carbon fiber body for $5500.