M758

Lightest 944 racing car I heard was 2166lbs. That was with a 968 motor, but I forget about driver.

My 944 spec is 2450 with all steel and no driver. I can get it 2400lbs easy still with all stock body work and glass.

alex

I didn't discount those ideas when I posted, but having worked with CF and being a somewhat familiar with the cost, it is so unrealistic for a 944.

If you have that kind money, you are starting with a more modern chassis and engine set up. Maybe even building a chassis.

We're talking about a 944 here. Just isn't worth the cost.

Chads996

Agreed. And I have too (carbon fiber that is) See - Boeing Company.

But point of the whole conversation was can it be done? Answer - yes. Just add money. Lots of money.

C.

M758

If you really want a light car once you lower the weight of the body you need to look at the mechicals.

944 Turbos tend to be heaiver then 2.5L NA's since they have heaiver parts. So to get really light in the sub 2100lbs range you need to look at making the engine lighter. Figure 75lbs off a complete engine. How???

Well delete balance shafts & housings, lighten crank. Cutt of dead weight on the engine block, ligther pistons. maching head and cam housing. Then do the same to the gearbox. Aluminum torque tube.


All can be done, but it will take good planning to not causing the motor to fail due to over zelous machining.

V2Rocket

how expensive is an AL torque tube?

bad_monkey

More money makes everything better, huh

The kokeln rear subframe is supposed to save you 25lbs -http://www.kokeln.com/rear_suspension_kit.php

There are also carbon-fibre wheels from a few places which really help the rotating and unsprung weight (of your wallet!)... lightweight batteries...carbon intakes & headers...

I haven't seen a cf torque tube, but that would surely be a good thing. It would be pretty simple given the correct size carbon tube to bond it into flanges at each end...

You can lose a lot of the floor at the back, and I'm guessing you could lose the passenger and driver area and replace them with nomex honeycomb sandwich panels without much impact on chassis stiffness... I don't think you'd save much weight there.

Then there's giving the remaining shell the swiss-cheese treatment. Drilled, dimple-died and gusseted till there's only just enough left. (look up the Opera s2000)

Umm... helium in your tyres?

V2Rocket

+1 on rear floor, i guess you could cut out the whole hatch area and secure the tranny with a special mount and then just have a fuel cell...

onefastviking

Yeah, I really didn't want to throw a fortune at it, as some have said afterall it is just a 944, not to bash 944's they just are not the best investment.

No Alum. torque tubes for me although I do really like that idea. I won't do the bal. shaft delete, but will do the flywheel and any extra eng. weight I can. I have considered the crank fillet even though it had a fresh rebuild on it, it's not a big deal to go thru again.

I think I will just go at it the old fashion way and see where I can get it. The car use to be my PCA club racer years ago and has been parked for awhile. I can't remember the weights on it back then but I remember I had lightened it as much as I could legally then and added a cage and still had to add quite a bit of ballast to to be correct/legal. The steel Fabcar control arms are heavy but will stay since they are strong, light,placed low, and already paid for.
I'll put it on my scales tonight and see where my starting point will be, and then start looking at how much I can take off with gutting doors and the normal removal of unneeded stuff and then start looking into CF, fiberglass and lexan savings to see if it is even possible to hit my target.

I will update as I go along with it.
Thanks,
Viking

bad_monkey

Yup, just secure the tranny to a crossbar and the crossbar at either side, and triangulate to the cage.. then get the fuel cell down as low as possible.

Cutting out the spare wheel and side storage mean you should be able to run and undertray that sweeps up to a rear diffuser. Aero>light weight in my books.

Exhaust should be as short as possible - exiting at the fender - and that saves room underneath as well as weight.

Beyond that you're probably best to start with a tube frame and add things to it rather than the other way around...

schwank

Holy crap. I'm at 2750 stripped, no AC, one racing seat, bare bones only. Either my cage is heavy as hell, or who knows, but I cannot figure out how to drop more weight without going to plexi or stripping undercoating. Headlight delete I guess.

But my race car is a pig.

onefastviking

Ok, curiousity got the best of me so I threw the scales under the car and my current starting point will be 2673 lbs. That is with some ballast, ac still in, full cage (although it is a bolt-in Autopower), drivers race seat, one stock power seat, rear seat, interior is all still in although no radio, all stock metal and glass still.

My target will be under 2000 lbs and I will work on it over the next couple months as I have time. There is a NASA TEXAS race at Eagles Canyon in Oct. I believe, I would like to make that race and see how I can do with it.

I will update as it gets lighter, if anyone sees any cheap lightweight panels available please let me know.

Thanks,
Viking

Reimu

Maybe you're fat

Wipeout

No, that'd be me. I squeezed into that car this weekend just to drive it to the trailer. Emphasis on squeeze. Schwank here is...uh...narrow.

onefastviking

Looking at some quick numbers with what I know are some weight savings the first 450-500 lbs should be pretty easy, but after that it will get harder. I will still keep my target at sub 2k.
I am actually getting pumped up over my old race car again, I love a challenge !

V2Rocket

maybe just cut the car in two after the seats and make it all tube structure from your *** back...lol