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Gutting rear/half - better, worse or no difference ?
Well as winter is pretty much here, and the never ending list of stuff to sort out on the Z, why not add more ?!
I'm thinking of gutting the car from the seats back, ie remove speakers/crossbar metals etc and have a half cage/roll cage welded in.
Similar to what this guy did: https://my350z.com/forum/media-share...ge-thread.html
I've made the car incredibly uncomfortable on our roads already with a plethora of SPL bushings, and I only really use it for track or a tiny bit of fun on the weekends.
I'm just wondering for those that have done this, is it worth the effort ?
Are there any positive affects to the handling, yes weight is coming out but also a half cage back in.
Or total regret ?
I'm not competing in anything, just like driving on track when I can.
I was thinking of getting a large portable bluetooth speaker for the audio situation on long drives
I did this a few weeks ago and my cage is getting welded in now. If you're going to get a cage welded in, why not remove excess weight? You're still going to be lighter overall, given that you're pulling out the sheetmetal that's no longer being used.
Structurally, putting a cage in will be much more rigid than the sheetmetal, which has no structural benefit. I only caution you to take your time and make your. cuts carefully. I have a few holes in the body that I'm getting patched up while the cage is going in
I guess in your case it's early days yet, however I take note and I'm 99.9% sure that the guy I'll be using will be able to help in that regard too.
Actually I need to take the sill covers off to see how they are.
I'll have 2-3 months to do it as he's flat out, so taking my time = yes
However I will have to buy new tools, which kind of sucks as it's the worst time of year for money.
Just waiting to see if there are any regrets from owners
LOL WHAT?
Unless you are doing/need a full cage for your events I don't see the benefit if doing this.
Practically speaking, since in my case the Z is my dedicated track car, pulling out unneeded sheetmetal and putting in a cage makes the most sense. In my case, the Z is a full build track car and likely will be doing Time Attack so I need proper harnesses, safety, etc. There is benefit as I'm shedding 30-40lb of unused, non-beneficial sheetmetal.
Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing...I don't think we are. I'm talking about the speaker and storage compartment right behind the seats. The sheetmetal connecting the rear strut towers is EXTREMELY important. If that gets removed, it should be replaced with steel tubing.
Hold up guys - this is what I mean - something akin to this.
The cage fabricator I will use works on race cars, drag cars etc, so it would be his design of course.
Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing...I don't think we are. I'm talking about the speaker and storage compartment right behind the seats. The sheetmetal connecting the rear strut towers is EXTREMELY important. If that gets removed, it should be replaced with steel tubing.
Gotcha. The thread he referenced had the strut tower bracing removed in addition to the speakers/woofer mount.
I did find that my car is more nimble and quicker than other comprable cars but dont assume that it will accelerate quicker (from a dig) just becaus it’s lighter … you do need weight over the rear wheels to maintain traction. I do find that I am faster once I get up and going (say above 60mph to 80mph.
Obviously putting a cage in it will help.
I would get some real-world measurements of weight at each corner and do your best to get your weight balance back to 50:50 once the majority of this work is done.
For me I'd prefer an improvement in handling, ie less feeling of weight on track.
Not fussed about speed, it's enough for me whilst I'm building confidence to push and play with the car.
I'd certainly have the car corner balanced, as well as switching over to 'true' coilovers on the rear once the strut towers are reinforced (and paid off all of the Christmas stuff eh).
Just keep in mind... Any race series that requires a cage will require a full cage. I don't know of any series that allows a half cage. Track days are a whole different thing.
Just keep in mind... Any race series that requires a cage will require a full cage. I don't know of any series that allows a half cage. Track days are a whole different thing.
No racing intended and my go to chap knows our rules over here in the UK/EU
Many, many months away from having a serious conversation about that yet though, sadly.
If I do go this 'gutting' route, any tips on removing spot welds, do you use drill bits or the bits with little saws on them ? (they seem to get mixed reviews on the latter)
When I installed my cage I first cut off as much of the metal as I could with a cut-off wheel, then I went back with a chisel and removed the remaining strips along with the welds. This did leave small holes in places that I had to patch, but nothing major.
Cheers guys, I'll see what I can do. I don't have power in my pathetically tiny garage
However, that didn't stop me rebuilding my engine in there (and the living room hah).
I think I can order 5-10kg of dry ice, and will of course get the right protective gear as the gas is lethal from it.
I guess this means I'm going to do it as nobody has posted - DONT
Gotcha. The thread he referenced had the strut tower bracing removed in addition to the speakers/woofer mount.
Yeah for sure. IF you're going to take the strut tower bracing out, it needs to be replaced by steel.
Anyway, when I took the speaker box/cubby out I used a sawzall with a metal blade, then used a hole punch and spot weld drill to get all the spot welds out. Took me a good 20hr combined work over a few evenings to get it all out. Cutting the majority of it out was easy, the spot welds were horrible and took forever, but it got every piece of unnecessary metal out.
It really depends how far you want to go...I've gone a bit crazy (self-admittedly) but it boils down to how much time and how much money you want to spend.
After you do all the big stuff, get lighter wheels, lighter suspension, cf hatch, gut your hood, reduce/eliminate your exhaust, replace steel components with aluminum, etc you will find that you are removing / replacing / re-fabricating items to save a few pounds(kilos) - but it all adds up.
I personally like the challenge. With a turbo kit installed I can get the car around 2800lbs. I was 2815lbs a few years back. Race trim with the flatfloor, 1/2tank of gas, fire suppression bottle, full-size battery, etc the car is probably 2900lbs.
Practically speaking, since in my case the Z is my dedicated track car, pulling out unneeded sheetmetal and putting in a cage makes the most sense. In my case, the Z is a full build track car and likely will be doing Time Attack so I need proper harnesses, safety, etc. There is benefit as I'm shedding 30-40lb of unused, non-beneficial sheetmetal.
I think you are overestimating the weight savings. I've gutted many cars. The sheet metal is almost nothing, then adding the cage I'd assume you'd add weight overall. If someone who has done this has any weight numbers that would be great
Agreed, sheet metal is fairly light, but with all the interior bits and sound deadening it does add up. FWIW, my car weight after removing interior and adding a full cage was right under 3000 lbs. With 90 lbs of fuel and me in the driver's seat it was right at 3300 lbs. More weight can be removed by getting rid of door windows and mechanism, going with a lightweight battery, etc. This is just the gut and cage.
11-30-2021, 01:38 AM
Gutting rear/half - better, worse or no difference ?
