Tuning Weight reduction

[fingers99]

Lathe is the best tool -- for scooping the ends, too.

But rust will become a real issue on a road car unless you replate and don't expect the MOT man to be very happy.

Stainless, titanium and high tensile aluminium (the latter absolutely not for significant stress loads, while the former need careful selection) are out there, but don't come cheap.

 

[Siecentocrazy]

Drilled stainless fasteners it is then

 

[Siecentocrazy]

I have access to a lathe

 

[Brooky]

Use the search and have a look though the threads.
I've chopped my dash in half, and no interior apart from one bucket, the seat is not the lightest (cobra Suzuka technology) but a hell of a lot comfier than the much lightEr magnums I used to have.
My 15" wheels and 280mm 4pots are both lighter than the originals.

 

[Siecentocrazy]

Magnums do look uncomfortable

 

[blu73]

some decent aftermarket brakes like some wilwood calipers or the like are so much lighter than the stock calipers..

Your car got a sunroof? replace that and rear windows with poly carbonate stuff will save quite a bit.

Pretty sure i read in a thread on here y'day that all the sound deadening adds upto about 18kg so thats well worth it if you don't mind noise

buying wheels for the weight rather than looks makes a big difference, even on a stock motor you can feel the difference of really light wheels. Most oem fiat wheels are pretty heavy. And obviously if you keep it on 13s acceleration will be better - and if you get aftermarket calipers rather than the usual PGT ones people use you can keep to 13s no problem.

The oem seats are really light so if you go buying a bucket seat make sure its a light one.

Removing charcoal canister will save a bit of weight too, don't think anyone mentioned that yet.

Plenty to keep you going for a bit.

 

[Ralf S.]

Forget the "nonsense" ideas - they're pointless if you happen go out for a drive after a big breakfast without having taken a dump first...

The easiest way to lighten the beast is to take the rear seats out, plus the spare wheel and jack.

Those will weigh more than all the sound-deadening, door bins and roof-lining, in the whole car put together... and easy (5 minutes easy) to pop back in if you need them.


Ralf S.

 

[blu73]

well i kinda think that rear seat removal goes without saying really when your talking to someone who once drove a stripped out rally mini, i think he'd have figured that much out for himself.. Ultimately weight saving is all about the accumulation of all the tiny bits that add up to a real difference, i don't think just dumping the rear seats can be called proper weight saving.