bump

 

Resurrecting this as I've started gutting... did full interior gut last night, going to remove ac and bumper brace tonight. For those who have done this, what are other good good places to shave weight? Does removing the metal where the cubby used to be reduce structural rigidity as it bolts to both sides of the car?? I'm doing a full weld in cage so I'm thinking of cutting it out bit would keep it for structural rigidity...

 

The metal structure behind the seats is a functional piece that helps increase torsional rigidity. It is also required in several classes (NASA's spec Z and SCCA Touring 3 to name two), so you might want to rethink that plan. Finally, it doesn't weight much, and cutting it out won't save you much weight.

 

Thanks for the reply. I figured it was a functional piece, just wasnt sure if a roll cage would supplement the rigidity it creates... OP cut his out so was curious. In the weight savings thread he posted is was 26lbs savings. I wouldnt say that its not much of a weight savings but at the same time ill take structural rigidity over losing 26lbs anyday. My follow up question would have been if it is required for sanctioned events, so you clearly are 1 step ahead of me. Thanks again!

 

Figure out your plans for the car , cut it out if possible. If your cage is gusseted to the A, B and C pillar I highly doubt the shelf will matter. But that is just my opinion.

 

Center section is coming out of my car. I really don't think it adds the rigidity some think and it is easily supplanted with a strong cage.

 

For next year im only planning on doing track days to dial in suspension and get back to driving a car on track. Took a long break from cars to do some motorcycle road racing. I am planning on getting into some amateur racing in 2017, an from what I gather in most classes the shelf is required so im going to go ahead and keep it. Im not super familiar with SCCA classes. My Z is gutted, aftermarket seats, aftermarket wheels, stoptech brakes all 4 corners, bilstein pss10 coilovers, spc upper control arms and quaife LSD with 4.10 FD... what class would I be eligible for? I was some mention of a modified class that penalizes you for upgrades accordingly??? Any info on that?

 

Your Z would fit into SCCA Touring 1 (against Vettes, Vipers, Ferraris and Porsches) with no ballast, or you can swap the Stoptechs to Brembos and add enough ballast to weight 3,450# to qualify for Touring 3. Both are d2d racing classes, so a six-point cage and all the other safety equipment are mandated.

NASA also has classes which could fit you.

 

Thanks dkmura, will look into it more.

In terms of weight reduction,
1) how many people have removed front crazh brace? I'm hesitant to do this as I feel like it protects the radiator in case of a front impact with a tire wall or something.... opinions??

2) How many have gutted their hood? Any issue with it at speed? How did you gut it? Grind the rivets down and it pops out?

Thanks!

 

1) Removing the aluminum brace up front compromises YOUR safety as it's designed to crush in a controlled manner in the event of a shunt. Same for the crushable brackets it mounts to on the front subframe. It not only protects the radiator, it protects the rest of the monocoque from damage and isn't worth the risk to remove IMHO.

2) The hood is another area that doesn't have enough weight to make much difference. Besides being made of aluminum, the inner cover weights ounces, not pounds, and many racing classes don't specify their removal either.

 

Thanks again, just looking for areas where more weight can be shaved... considering removing the heater core as well, anyone know how much that weighs? Fair game for SCCA?
If I can pull that then I can remove rest of the dash..

 

OK- I know you're hot to trot on pulling every bit of weight out of your Z, but you might want to keep things like a heater core for days like this:



And believe me, there will be days just like this when the rain comes down and you'd give your left nut for a clear windshield with no fog!!!

 

Really how could you tell (sarcasm). Most organizations I run with require windows be down if you have them, regardless of weather.... that pretty much eliminates the fog problem which is why I wad thinking of yanking it.

 

Sarcasm aside- most of my racecars had NO side windows and you'd still be surprised how foggy windshields (either glass or lexan) will get when the rain is heavy and the humidity high. Having a functional heater in most cases really helps- take it from someone who has run hundreds of races in all kinds of conditions.

 

Noted, will be keeping it.

 

BTW- if it does rain and you use the heater to help w/fogging, the key is to turn it on EARLY and on HIGH setting. Since you have no a/c, don't expect any instant de-misting any longer. Get that windscreen nice and hot to eliminate most of the fog. Like my last race at Road Atlanta, I left it on the entire race and had no problems.

BTW- are you still using your Z as a street car? If not, swapping the cats for a good set of test pipes will offer both a weight savings AND the potential for increased performance when you tune the VQ.

 

Sweet, ill keep that in mind... only time the z sees the street is on the way to the track. Since im going a bit more extreme now it may be time to invest in a trailer.

Already have test pipes installed, need to get some sort of catback exhaust since my stock pipe is starting to leak in some places due to rust... From what I understand there isnt too much that can be done to the z NA.... I have a DE so all im planning on doing is JWT flywheel + clutch, plenum spacer and test pipes (already have them). Once I have the plenum in ill go get a dyno tune. I dont think the DE benefits from raising the rev limiter either, is this correct? Saw a thread where someone installed new cams, raised revs and got almost no gains.... doesnt seem worth it to me.

 

Unless you're extremely slow on the upshifts, I don't see where raising the rev limit will help the performance of a DE. For further weight savings, consider using a single exhaust. That should save 30-40# right there! I cannot recommend going with a titanium exhaust, as it's expensive and the stress of d2d racing tends to break down those expensive welds. Ask me how I know...

 

You may want to start a new thread on your build and even this topic. For trailering, I give the same advice to any aspiring racer: put some money into a good, used enclosed trailer. Yes, it may mean you need a change of vehicles to something that can pull something like a 20-24' enclosed trailer, but it's something you'll need, sooner or later. I've been towing with the same mid-80's trailer since I first bought it in 1992, and while I've swapped tow vehicles three times, it's never been anything to regret.

 

More good advice... breaking a titanium exhaust sounds expensive and a bad day, i feel for you. Lessons learned the hard way I guess.