Hank Cohn

Greg, DJ:

If I remember correctly, the stock headers, cats and mufflers weighed 78 lbs. New headers (I used S-Car-Go) are pretty light, about 25 lbs. I think. If you aren't going to drive the car on the street, you can also remove the front and rear aluminum impact beams and bumper shock absorbers for about 50 lbs. more. Removing the sunroof and its associated hardware and welding in a steel plug saves about 25 lbs. If I were going to do that again, I would remove the entire roof and install a non-sunroof roof and get rid of the rain gutters.

Hank

E. J. - 993 Alumni

[quote]Originally posted by Hank Cohn:
<strong>the entire roof and install a non-sunroof roof and get rid of the rain gutters.

Hank</strong><hr></blockquote>

That is one ballsy mod.

E. J.

Greg Fishman

[quote]Originally posted by Hank Cohn:
<strong>If I were going to do that again, I would remove the entire roof and install a non-sunroof roof and get rid of the rain gutters.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

I want to see the DIY for that project. I totally agree with EJ's assesment.
Greg

SundayDriver

You guys left one out - crash repairs. If you race you will crash, eventually. If you race a production based car in PCA, POC, etc there are pretty strict rules about contact, but it doesn't protect you from that surprise intorduction to a wall - repairs can be quite expensive. In SCCA there is no 13/13 rule and some classes are well known for rather rough driving (not to mention any in particualr) but I have a sizable fiberglass budget.

The real big one is that if you race, you have to be prepared to write off the car. It may not happen to you, but it happens. I guess this is one of those things where if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it, so don't ask, just go ahead and after a couple of years you will realize that you could have bought a 360 Ferrari with what you spent. Most racers will tell you they would rather keep racing than have the 360.

Hank Cohn

Mark:

Good point. Several of us carry racing insurance at approximately $450 per covered day for $100,000 in coverage with a max deductible of 10%. This is for a club race/practice day. A pro weekend such as a World Challenge event is much closer to $3000 for the same coverage. That definitely has an impact (pun intended) on the racing budget.

Hank

Hank Cohn

Greg and EJ:

Why do you guys think that is such a drastic mod? If you have a custom welded-in cage, which you would really want to have if seriously racing the car, that is also welded to the A and B pillars and tied into the suspension mount points, you would not decrease the structural rigidity of the car by having the rain gutters removed and the new top seam welded in place. In so far as a DIY, you are on your own. On an earlier 993 of mine, we (Autometrics Motorsports) fabricated and welded in a steel plug for the roof. The only problem was that after two years of racing, the filler developed a few cracks in it which had to be redone. A new roof would just be a much cleaner install, IMO. I don’t see this as any more drastic than a 3.8L kit or revised gears or removing all of the rubber from the suspension. I am not in any way talking about a street car or even a street/track car.

Hank

Greg Fishman

Hank,
Maybe it isn't that big of a deal but it sure seems like one. I guess it is just the thought of the roof being removed that concerns me. I am sure the most important thing (goes without saying) is to use a shop that knows what they are doing.

Who are you using for your insurance now? Conseco quit carrying the coverage I bougt from them last year. If you could give me the contact info it would be appreciated.

Greg

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Gents, I still say removing the rain gutters is ballsy - DIY or not. I thought that that was the seam for three seperate parts and it served to strengthen the car? Anyway, to weld on a top of a car without a sunroof means you still need to find a car without a sunroof.

Certainly Gordon knows what he's doing. Other than the obvious aero advantage, what is the benefit of removing the gutters?

E. J.

Hank Cohn

E.J.:

Let me be clear. I have not done this, and I would only consider doing it if I had a full cage as described in my earlier post. Other than the aero advantage, it looks very clean and is more rigid than a patched sunroof. Several folks have done it. Also, you can order a non sunroof top directly from Porsche. I can't imagine trying to cut one off of another car in the hopes of welding on to yours. This is probably not worth doing to a car with a good top, but if a tree fell on it???

Hank Cohn

Laura

DJ,

Instant weight loss, we'll try you at 2100 lbs. next week!! Yee haw!!!

Mike A.

If you have a racer with a serious roll cage then it's not a bad idea to lose weight from the roof.
I think it was Lindsey Racing that marketed a complete fiberglass roof replacement. This takes significant weight off the roof of the car and therefore also lowers the center of gravity. A good roll cage will not only protect the driver but will stiffen the car. Lighter, stiffer, and especially a lower center of gravity will enhance the handling characteristics of the car. Don't forget, only increasing the wheel base or lowering the CG will decrease load transfer. So while you're at it flare out those fenders, and use wider wheels with big spacers.

DJ

[quote]Originally posted by Laura-Hergesheimer MotorSports:
<strong>DJ,

Instant weight loss, we'll try you at 2100 lbs. next week!! Yee haw!!!</strong><hr></blockquote>


YES!

Finally, even I won't feel fat.

When do you want my seat?