AFARR

Not an easy question to phrase in just the title line.

Say I bought a 928 (year, etc. doesn't matter quite yet--we'll get to that later).

Now, I want to track it (casual), but be able to drive it to the track (so, the headlights, etc. have to work).

What year would you find to strip down to the max? (Or, looking at it in an alternate way, add to a rolling chassis to make it work)?

The root of this question is looking at the sunroof, climate controls, rear wiper, A/C, Power Steering, power windows etc. etc.--I am wondering how much of the spaghetti tangle of wiring is really needed to make these cars run well, and how much is just for comfort, etc.?

Could you take a rolling frame and body and put together a 'lean-mean-911-eating-machine' or are we stuck with a Lazy car?

I mean--frame, steering, lights, engine, electrics for ignition control, brakes, trans, gauges, couple of seats, front wiper only, and be good to go fast?

What year would you start with to subtract things from?

Thanks!!

rixter

there are many folks running street legal at or below 3000lbs
EuroS 5spd with 300hp and lightened using the techniques discussed here recently and you'd have a lean mean shark

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

I think Mark K. just posted recently he is @2700 and still drives on the street.....although he is bumperless.

You can get down to 2900 and still be very streetable. At least I know my car was still legal was I passed through that weight on the way down.

AFARR

I had caught the weight reduction threads--

I was more concerned with Functionality after removing parts....

As in:

Ok to remove A/C, PS Pump,....but you really need to keep the AFM and the wiring harnesses to the ...etc.

Weight Reduction is fine, but I guess I was asking if pulling most of the existing wiring out and just going with a bare minimum (ECU, etc.) will make it work better.

AFARR

AO

Just don't pull the radio. Gotta have the radio if you're gonna keep it onthe streets.

Randy V

You can save quite a bit of weight by removing the engine - as long as the road to the track is all downhill...

Seriously, weight reduction on the 928 is typically a personal journey of seeing what works best. There's no real 'boilerplate' methodology like may be available for 911s that have been going through that process for years now.

Parnelli Joneser

I've got a bare early US non sunroof chassis in my driveway that I'm stripping down to do exactly what is being discussed. I also have a Euro S with minimal Federalizing (no rear bumperettes). I haven't torn into the Euro yet, but in tearing down the US chassis and looking at what's behind the plastic, I have to wonder what exactly running "bumperless" means. Just pull the back bumpers off and go with that? It seems like the sub-assembly would need to stay especially in the front...just curious.
I'm planning to use the Euro S, which has a slavage title and evidence of a heavy right front impact, as parts donor for the 928 SLR build-up. (SLR isn't specific to M-B, me thinks, as it's what I want, a 928 for S-Sport, that's L- light(licht im Deutsch), and probably for R- racing(rennen). Ergo- 928 SLR. Why not?

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

I didn't run bumperless on the street, so can't help you there. Personally I would be apprehensive about doing so, as I suspect they provide some personal protection.

As Randy suggest, what you remove is a matter of personal preference. A/C system is commonly removed, but P/S pump is not. Taking weight off doesn't much more than time....

With regard to the wiring, I don't know how easy it would be to remove "some" and still keep it streetable. In my case, there was no AFM, so the process was simpler. Most 928 electrical issues are in components not used on the track, right?

PorKen

I run pretty bare for the street, but I've kept the view when sitting basically stock: dash, door panels, console (but no parcel trays, or radio).

After driving around for a week or so at ~2925 (3125 with yours truly), I'm frankly a little scared of the acceleration now! She goes so much faster with the same amount of pedal. I have so much torque with (my cam advance, and) the torque converter, I pull hard from any gear, without much effort (noise) from the engine.

I need to go through my rear brakes, because I have flat spotted my fronts a couple of times already, having to stop quickly when I am going faster than I thought.

I am considering backing off the cam advance, or maybe trying retarding, to slow down a bit, and get more than 20.5MPG on the highway.

Like the front fenders, which are flimsy when removed, but stiff when installed, the bumper covers hold their shape when mounted, and don't depend on the metal bumper assembly for strength.

The rear metal bumper assembly (extruded piece + shocks) can just be unbolted. The front requires some bracketry to hold the stock components on. Turn signals, fog/driving lights, grill. If I were to put the stock parts on, I would probably use a drilled aluminum panel with the shape of the back of the bumper to hold everything.

mark kibort

I could put in a lot of nice stuff for 200lbs and still be 2900lbs! right now, its streetable(barely) and pretty comfortable on the street. I have a real nice stereo that is totally removable with sub woofer so the tunes are good going to the track and the store on weekends!
tough question. dont think its a good idea to strip a car just to make it lighter and have it still be a street car. if that is the goal, put in light weight seats, take all the insulation out, but then replace the carpet. take out the bumpers and get the lightweight suspension set up, as you will need something other than stock to make it a dual track street car anyway.also, buy a real lightweight battery like the 14lber or even the 22lber. (i used these for years while it was still more of a street car) then, you will be in the 3100lbs range and thats just fine for an S4 or 85-86.
get the headers race exhaust, and big wheel and RA1 tires and you are ready to go
(and still have a nice looking car that has auto windows and AC,but is a terror on the track too!)

Mk

m21sniper

I've got mine down to about 3000lbs + driver, and yeah, it's a hell of a lot more peppy than before, and it was never a dog.

I still want to lose about another 150lbs so i'll be at 3000 even with my tail in the drivers seat.

Rich9928p

Don't remove the PS. My '79 Euro track car was prepped that way. It is quite driveable once out of the pits, but at the end of a weekend you feel like you've been in a weight lifing contest. I'm sure that for what ever little weight is removed and what ever HP is saved, in the long run you'd drive faster with PS.

Gnarly 928

The 928 has lots of "Pork" that you CAN do without, but getting rid of it is not usually that simple. Many of the electrical systems are inter-related, like alarms that disable ithe ignition and central locking systems and and and. Mark Kiborts car is way out there on the fringes of streetability and quite impressive as a "911-smoosher", but if he ever got stopped on the way to the track, he would be buying a trailer, real soon, or calling a flatbed to get the rest of the way to where he was headed, especially in 'Aaahnold-Land'. I think it'd be a fun project to start with a bare chassis and build a street legal 928 without all the fluff, but you might as well just get a 951 or a 911 in club sport trim and be done with it. Or, as has been said, it is a matter of personal preferrance how you go at it. Once you start into it, where do you stop? Mark Anderson went so far as to sandblast his chassis to remove material from everywhere..If you start reducing weight, you will soon realize how much performance you gain. Then, you begin to question the need for all kinds of "extra" stuff...."Hmmm, do I really need that_______?" The first 100lbs won't be very noticable off a 3500 lb car, but when you get down to 2500lbs, you will feel as little as a few extra gallons of fuel..
My car is running fine with just about 3 relays and maybe 8 fuses..
Don Hanson

m21sniper

A 1000lb weight reduction is the equivelant to adding about 100RWHP.

Yeah, it makes a difference.

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

If anyone wants just a tub to start from.... I have one now