Ok so here is my question. You guys who go trackin...and take out all this weight (manual mirrors etc)...

Why not just get on it with a sawzall and cut that spare tire well off and weld a plate on top of the hole? That seems like a pretty good weight savings, plus then you could fab up a neat Ferrari style rear underplate

I am sure I am not introducing something new..so post picts.

 

Let alone how much easier it makes dropping the transaxle...but where would you put your lightened track subwoofer?

 

At this point, I have so much removed from my car that the only thing left is to start cutting parts out as you suggest or replacing with fiberglass and lexan. The problem for me at this point is that I already think that I'm front heavy, so cutting the well out may not be in my best interest at the moment. I'm in need of a good corner balance!

 

i think the spare tire was just put there so they had a reason to block the ugly back of the gearbox from the rear view of teh car.

 

Tim, have you weighed your car? Any ideas what its at?

I think a big problem witih lightening our cars is that the easiest weight to get out so to speak is all in the rear. Spare tire, hatch carpet, rear seat back to name a few. The only things you can lighten in the front are a power steering delete, delete a/c and maybe drop stuff like foglights.

 

Did you move your battery to the back? That helps alittle.

 

woulding cutting out a giant piece of sheet metal ruin the balance of the car? you'd have to add ballast back there to counteract taking all that out, wouldnt you? i'm just asking because at first i thought "whoa! what a way to save weight!" then i thought "i need more weight over the rear wheels, i cant keep this thing stable in the rain anyway!"

 

Well the shape of the spare tire well also helps keep the back of the chassis stiff. It would be one thing if the car is caged. Then I would say go for it but that sheet metal can't weigh 10 lbs so to much work for the returns.

 

The picture above just got me to thinking......

I mean no one here has modified the spare tire well to drop caltrops or anything yet...no smoke screen machines, no oil slicks, so I figured it would be an easy clean cut.

As far as weight goes...I agree the rear end is were you loose it all....being that the counter-weight is the engine.

Ok so move the drivers seat rail back a few inches and get pedal extenders

 

[QUOTE=testarossa_td] As far as weight goes...I agree the rear end is were you loose it all....being that the counter-weight is the engine.QUOTE]

What do you mean. I have a trak car and there is little to remove.

The only big loss is switching to a lexan hatch,removing the wiper and the electric latch control... Thats it

 

if there's one thing i need more of, it's leg room.

.....on that subject.. if someone deletes the rear seats, color-matches the carpet, and covers that area...wouldnt you be able to move the seat rails back a whole lot? no one can sit in those back seats with me, and my 5'11" german "st.pauli girl" girlfriend in there anyway.

(i'm 6'7", 390 lbs possibly the most meat that's ever been fitted to the driver's seat of a 944 )

 

With the front-end would changing out the front bumper to a lighter-weight alternative be illegal for track use? I'm not familiar with the rules, but I do remember the bumper being pretty heavy when I removed it.

 

The front bumper is a boat anchor. Euro bumpers or a modified front bumper will save a good deal of weight.

A light flywheel will save some weight up front.

The balance shaft debate...if you are in the camp that thinks the enbgine is OK without them, there's a few pounds each.

The usual A/C compressor and condenser, the windshield washer pump system and tank, stationary headlights (or delete them all together if your track habits and climate allow), manual crank windows, lightweight swaybars.

There are ways to lose weight from the center or the front of the car, and while they aren't always as easy, they are probably more desirable from a handling standpoint. But try to keep the weight balanced. IE, if you remove 20 lbs of weight from behind the rear axle, try to do the same from the front.

 

[QUOTE=evil 944t]
I mean, that most of the wieght reductions come from the rear.
That most of the non essential weight saving items come out of the rear.

Though the powersteering, and ac probably account for the lionshare of the front.

Could you cut your bumpershocks short and loose a few pounds ounces there?

Maybe cut out one of the horizontal bumper supports....or swiss cheese them?

Ok I am done

 

There are ways to take weight off the front of the car - assuming the rules allow it (or you don't run to any stinking rules).

In addition to the ideas mentioned above, you may consider the following...

eh) Fiberglass/ carbon fibre hood.
be) Fiberglass fenders (or just remove the 30+ pounds of sound deadener from inside the fenders).
si) gut the doors and use a cable to pull the latch/ lexan door glazing.

I haven't done much to take weight off my Porsche - but I did on my EP Colt. It started out as P class Rally car used in the late 70s and early 80s. When I got it - it weighed about 2600 lbs. When I finished building it, I got it down to 1550 lbs (with 1/2 tank of fuel). Had to add 130 lbs of ballast to bring up to the class minimum at the time. Now the class minimum is 1600 lbs. So I took the passenger seat and harnesses out and tossed out 20 lbs of weight discs.

Weight is the enemy.

OK - I couldn't hold back. Here are a before and after shot of my autocross car. The first was taken in 1981 at the Sunriser 400 rally in Ohio. The second shot is me earlier this year at the Oscoda CenDiv Solo. Some features to saving weight:
Remove the 2.0 liter stock (Production class) motor, the stock 5-speed transmission and the 4.62 gear. Remove all lights, glass, interior bits and remove excessive parts from the roll cage. Remove any unused brackets, braces, etc. from the unibody. Drill holes in stuff to make it look like Swiss cheese. Make parts from alternate materials. Use fewer fasteners where possible.
Put back only what is necessary to a) meet the rules and b) make the car go, stop and turn:
Add fiberglass fenders and hood, lexan windshield, install a 1600 C2 race engine, a close ratio 4-speed, 4.22 LSD, C2 race suspension, Recaro seat and harness. Cover all openings from things like wipers, door handles, tail lights, side marker lights, c-pillar vents, etc with a single layer of fiberglass. Remove everything from the doors with the exception of the original skin. Make headlights and front turn signals from a single layer of fiberglass and bond to the plastic grille. Run Hoosyear or Goodier racing slicks mounted on genuine magnesium Minilight wheels. Go fast - have fun.