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Weight reduction? Zx3 @ 2,250 lbs. w/pics 56k???

3.1K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  ARNIE  
#1 ·
Well my car is officially a race car now, and I am finally ready for the ¼ mile track. My friends think I took the weight reduction thing way to far, but hey cheep way to go faster. Who needs passengers? The cross weights are not accurate but the base weight is. I have 15” 16 spoke wagon wheels with bfg’s drag radials in the front, and Moroso ds2 front runners in the back. I plan to go to LACR on Friday to see what she can do. I hope 14.5 or less, But at LACR I guess 15.0 would be good. Famoso Raceway doesn’t have a test day for a week. I am working on a ram air set up to force air into the FS cool-flo intake. I am done for now except maybe the new more power full Powerworks kit coming out soon. The car Feels a lot quicker, and runs through the gears fast. Rpm never drops below 4,900 and that is right where my most power output is. I could list all the weight reductions I did, but it is preatty much gutted with a cf hood and hatch. Thanks to Carbon Focus for finding me a good deal on the cf hood & hatch. Anyone want to go to LACR on Friday?
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#3 ·
your car looks really good....

and It doesn't Look bad at all....
If I consider going with the full race car spec like your car, I'd like lay down one layer of fiberglass all the way around the bare metalness, then paint...

Great job and thanks for posting pics. I now know what my white zx3 looks like naked.
 
#4 ·
Your not done yet. I still see sound deadening, glass side windows, front door panels, a glovebox, a center console, and I won't even start into the bodykit parts weighing more....
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But I like it. I don't know how much I'd want my car like that without at least a rollbar though....
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#5 ·
true i could take out more
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The little sound deading you see is to plug 4 small vent holes in the chassie. I was getting some exhaust fumes in the car. I may put speaker box carpet in the back and sides like I did the front because it is realy light and easy to form with little contact spary. The stock carpet front and rear actually weights 30 lbs. I wish sometimes I had built a "sleeper" because almost every lowered Honda & Integra out here in Valencia rev at me and want to race. Roll cage will come after more power, brakes & coilovers. Figure I'll go power first though
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The picture below is befor the cf parts, and with the 17" ICW daily driver wheels.

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#7 ·
below is a picture with the driver, and the front scales leveled. Working on leveling the rear right now my garage floor is not level. Also, I need to get the gtech pro rr working so I have shift lights tommorow.
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#8 ·
take out the dash.. remove everything behind it etc and cut the dash where it hast he big crease so you just have the upper half left, you should be able to get way below 2250 with more weight reduction tahn just the back half
 
#11 ·
The fit an finish was a pain in the a**. I used stock hatch assembly to make it easier & less vibration. The cf hatch fits really well. Not perfect, but every car is different. To get the hatch to line up corectly the four bolts on top, the latch, & the part on the car the hatch hooks into all need to be moved around and tweeked a little to make it work. Direct fit = no. A little hard because mooving it one way effects everyting else. I used 3/16" light smoked lexan. Made a template, jig saw, sand, drill, & paint the edges so you can't see the foam between the lexan and the hatch. Took me 3 full days to complete. I have to go rent a trailer now the one I borrowed is to scary. Anyone know of a nice open trailer for sale in so. Cal.?
 
#12 ·
The fit an finish was a pain in the a**. I used stock hatch assembly to make it easier & less vibration. The cf hatch fits really well. Not perfect, but every car is different. To get the hatch to line up corectly the four bolts on top, the latch, & the part on the car the hatch hooks into all need to be moved around and tweeked a little to make it work. Direct fit = no. A little hard because mooving it one way effects everyting else. I used 3/16" light smoked lexan. Made a template, jig saw, sand, drill, & paint the edges so you can't see the foam between the lexan and the hatch. Took me 3 full days to complete. I have to go rent a trailer now the one I borrowed is to scary. Anyone know of a nice open trailer for sale in so. Cal.?
What did it cost? I'm going to make my own lexan windows on the rear 3 windows, and might think about switching over if it is not rediculous expensive.
 
#13 ·
The lexan peice for the back is about $50 from M.A.S. plastics in Burbank. If you are going to do all the windows, a 4'x8' peice costs around $180.00 get LEXAN not acrylic.
 
#16 ·
ARNIE where do you live... when i lived in cali i lived like 1 mile from LACR i grew up there... i actualy lived in palmdale... how close are you to LACR and hows that track looking its been so long since ive been there...? PM me maybe?
 
#17 ·
Take out the headliner you dont need it either. I am 2595 but I have a few more silly things that need to be removed. Plates, latches, sunroof, electric windows and a few more odds and ends.
 
#18 ·
I just weighed mine today and it is at 2580. That is with the full interior and 3/4 of a tank of gas. So with my fat butt it is at a total 2700 rolling down the road. So with that weight and my speed in the 1/4 I should be making 205hp at the wheels. Not bad for un intercooled.
 
#20 ·
The only down fall now is the interior noise. I think I might rip the extra padding of the bottom of the carpet, and put it back in.
 
#22 ·
Arnie I think if you just glue down some speaker cover carpet you should reduce the noise by a lot. And it will look good. If I can loose 330lbs off of my car I might be able to get into the 13's. Next time I go to the track I think I will be striping out the seats and see what it will do.
 
#23 ·
If you look in the front of the car in the pictures ,I did use speaker box carpet up there. I will lay some in the back of the car, and see how it looks. Maybe the sides to. It only takes a little spary 90 to make it stick.