I thought i remembered back to someone saying a reduction of weight by BLANK was equal to BLANK HP increase, interms of acceleration and handling? Do anyone recall this information? I am talking to my brother about it....

Thanks!
Erich

 

I was thinking it was like 20lbs = 1 HP.

 

I thought it was slightly higher than that...in terms of HP i mean...

 

For a good sense of the effect, check out the PCA Club Racing stock class specs. They bracket cars by weight, hp, and power/weight ratio. This can give a decent real world reference point to percieved quickness of various P-cars.

 

Thanks Dave i'll check out the PCA website for the specs.

Erich

 

While I myself can't prove the numbers, the common numbers that have been thrown about are 17lbs weight shed = one extra HP, although IMHO there has to be some relativity/flexibility to that ratio.

I can tell you that when I shed a bunch of weight in one day in my car (seats swapped for light race units, deleting the back seat and shade, etc), the next drive I did in it, the butt-dyno told me that I found some extra HP. YMMV

 

example: the 1989 944S2 has a power-to-displacement ratio of 53hp per cylinder. Pretty damn good for a four-cylinder, back in 1989!

 

On average every 100lbs is worth .1 in the 1/4mile (about a car given its faster then 15's)

 

Thanks guys for all the info. I was recently thinking about sheading some weight from my car and i wanted to know the benefits of doing so.

On a little aside note while searching a little i learned last night that the 924S is slightly lighter than the new mini cooper S.


Erich

 

Shedding weight is the Tao, hence my car lightening obsession.

 

Take your hp, divide by weight and you get a number thats acurate for YOUR car.
If we use 3000 lbs for a generic 944 series weight (my car with me in it, full street trim and an almost empty tank was recently 3080 lbs and it's already had some excess weight removed) and 150 HP (85.5-87 NA) we get an even 20 lbs/hp for an NA. A stock turbo weighs a couple lbs more but we'll call it 3000 to make it easy (lighter driver!), divide by 217 HP and you have 13.825 lbs/hp.

BTW, that S2 HP/Cyl # should have been 52.

 

Come to think of it, I've removed 50-60 lbs from the car (no CC, lighter battery, etc) but the bigger sway bars, harness bar and harnesses, strut bar, etc. probably put half of that back on. Oh well, at least I've lost 10 lbs (20 more to go )

 

Manning you are responsible for me thinking about this As i constantly read your signature and see all the stuff youve done... Hey arent the euro bumpers fiberglass? That would be some weight for me right there...

Later!
Erich

 

I felt a carbon fiber hoos at 944fest and was amazed at how light that thing was. A stock hood is what 40 pounds? This hood seemed like it weighed 2 pounds, although expensive I thought it was incredible how light carbon fiber is.

 

Heck, even if the bumpers aren't lighter, which they are, the fixing irons are WAY lighter than the US spec bumper shocks. You probably save ten pound minimum right there per end.

By the way, I don't have the Momo seats in my car listed because I don't know for 100% sure how much the stock seats and tracks weighed as a comparison.