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Less weight = more power; Have you lightened your Z?

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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 02:41 PM
  #681  
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no problem, I like what you are doing here.

I generally pose questions just to either stimulate the thought process or to see if it was already through through not to attack or accuse.
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 11:50 AM
  #682  
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Anyone ever take off the bumpers under the bumper covers? I know on certain Turbo kits to mount the intercooler u have to remove the bumper in the front.
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 06:10 PM
  #683  
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Originally Posted by twitch579
Anyone ever take off the bumpers under the bumper covers? I know on certain Turbo kits to mount the intercooler u have to remove the bumper in the front.
I thought about it, then realized the tow hook threads into the front piece, and a hook is required for most events I go to. As for the rear, I have a tire carrier mounted to it, so they both stay. In total, however, I'm down about 300#, so I'm happy with that.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 04:46 PM
  #684  
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Well, I weighed my car today.............3045. That is actually better than I had thought. This was also with a stock weight battery, and I plan to put a pc680 in this weekend. I had a braille, but that thing went dead on a whim. I also still have most of the stock plastic panels, and the stock leather/power/heated seat.

Savings:
No Pass Seat ~50#
OS Giken Clutch Set-up (27 pounds for the whole assembly) ~25#
Exhaust & Y-pipe (TurboXS) ~20#
Test-Pipes ~15#
Gutted Trunk ~55#
Rear Wiper Delete ~5#
Weld Racing 15's w/ MT Drag Radials ~20#
Carpets ~10#

Pics:




I think I can get another 100# off without really "chopping" into it. I am going to remove the airbags....put a sparco wheel w/release hub, single racetech seat, obviously pc680 battery, and likely switch over to the shockwave single. We'll see. I plan to turbo the car over the winter. I'll probably also go ahead and cage the car, which means in tern I will gut all of the pastics, etc.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 07:16 PM
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A good read! I just can't justify shaving comfort for performance! At that point I would just Boost.

Would never toss my A/c or carpets. I don't care to hear every stone that hits the chassis. Taking the plastic inner fenders out seems extreme! Will have road spray everywhere! To each their own i guess.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 08:47 PM
  #686  
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Originally Posted by Lakeside
A good read! I just can't justify shaving comfort for performance! At that point I would just Boost.

Would never toss my A/c or carpets. I don't care to hear every stone that hits the chassis. Taking the plastic inner fenders out seems extreme! Will have road spray everywhere! To each their own i guess.
Fair enough of course. Boost changes the entire game. Not only from an upfront cost POV, but the added complications of balancing the boost with the motor reliability, as well as managing the heat, etc. I already have a high-powered car that I need to babysit the gauges - not this one.
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Old Oct 22, 2009 | 11:59 PM
  #687  
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Originally Posted by twitch579
Anyone ever take off the bumpers under the bumper covers? I know on certain Turbo kits to mount the intercooler u have to remove the bumper in the front.
I think its aluminium, not sure.... so it shouldnt way too much.
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Old Oct 23, 2009 | 07:21 AM
  #688  
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Originally Posted by SemperFiV12
I think its aluminium, not sure.... so it shouldnt way too much.
They are Al. Maybe 10# each or so (but I can't remove mine).
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Old Oct 23, 2009 | 09:28 AM
  #689  
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There is pull down brace located on the driver's side rear, 6" behind the bumper toward the front of the car about 8" right of the left rear fender panel. I was told by a mechanic who works for Nissan that the pull down brace is used to secure the cars while transporting them from Japen. The brace is kinda of useless now a probably weighs a least 3lbs maybe more. It can be unbolted easily and doesn't affect the structual integrity. Has this been mentioned before? I read through thread about a month before and can't remember anything about it. And thanks to the guys for posting pictures of the hatch back interiors with all the plastic panels removed.

Last edited by BrazenZ; Dec 18, 2009 at 12:19 PM.
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 01:44 PM
  #690  
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Kirk roll bar and G-force seat harnesses have been added to the Z. It now weighs 2980# - with both seats in, which is 200# lighter than when I bought it even after adding the roll bar and tow hitch. In track form, it's likely 40# lighter from the track wheels alone.

The other shot is my boxes of interior parts.
Attached Thumbnails Less weight = more power; Have you lightened your Z?-scotts300-dec09-with-roll-bar.jpg   Less weight = more power; Have you lightened your Z?-scots300-all-interior-parts.jpg  

Last edited by scotts300; Dec 9, 2009 at 03:22 PM.
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 01:52 PM
  #691  
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^Wow Scott, That is some serious fat of your Z! Must feel like dream to drive it lighter.
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 03:31 PM
  #692  
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Originally Posted by BornSlippyZ
^Wow Scott, That is some serious fat of your Z! Must feel like dream to drive it lighter.
The car does feels great all around. I did a rough calculation to equate weight loss to the amount of rwhp that would need to be added - at full vehicle weight - to be 0.9rwhp/10#. Meaning, that my net loss of >200# is equal to if the car came with an additional 18rwhp from the factory at full weight. However, this car made 235rwhp and 22xrwtq stock, and now makes 266rwhp/250rwtq and is that much lighter (I wish this car made it to the scales in as-stock form, but I figure it was about 3250#).

The weird thing is that I'll get into my wife's 04' ZR and do a pull, and that car pulls hard. I'll need to do a real side-by-side with a few other Zs, HRs would be best, to really see the impact of the lightening procedure and the bit of extra dyno power.

More importantly, it's less car to have to slow down and make transitions in at the track with the added safety and security of the roll bar. Next event is this Sunday at Thunderhill Raceway, so we'll see how she feels with the extra bracing and the harnesses!
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Old Dec 15, 2009 | 09:50 PM
  #693  
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yeah mines around 800 pnds lighter now... just tried going to track.. feels like its pulling much more.
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Old Dec 15, 2009 | 09:56 PM
  #694  
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800lbs??? Uhhhh......
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Old Dec 15, 2009 | 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by IN350Z
yeah mines around 800 pnds lighter now... just tried going to track.. feels like its pulling much more.
Are you sure about that? Is there a drivetrain in it? So you've had it on a scale, and it weighs? ? ?

Originally Posted by 03threefiftyz
800lbs??? Uhhhh......
2nd.
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Old Dec 16, 2009 | 08:41 AM
  #696  
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Originally Posted by Lakeside
A good read! I just can't justify shaving comfort for performance! At that point I would just Boost.

Would never toss my A/c or carpets. I don't care to hear every stone that hits the chassis. Taking the plastic inner fenders out seems extreme! Will have road spray everywhere! To each their own i guess.
Rule of Thumb:

No matter how awesome a car is, it's even more awesome when it weighs 100lbs less. Ad infinitum.

Plus, once the RE050A get down to around 5/32 or less at the front end, you won't hear anything but the tires.

Last edited by T_K; Dec 16, 2009 at 08:45 AM.
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Old Jan 21, 2010 | 07:16 PM
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lol @ 800 lbs

front bumper enforcement is made of aluminum and weighs only 7 lbs.. the brackets weight 3 lbs each so thats 13lbs from the front bumper..

the rear enforcement is a lot heavier
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Old Jan 27, 2010 | 03:48 PM
  #698  
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Ok, headed back to the scale this weekend, as I had to put the cats back on to pass sound at Laguna Seca (+26#, minus the test pipes weight - which I will weigh - but likely about 8#). I also need a new battery, as the Braille has stopped accepting charge.

Last edited by scotts300; Jan 28, 2010 at 07:36 AM.
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Old Jan 28, 2010 | 01:49 AM
  #699  
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How long have you been using the Braille? Any conditions contributing to it's failure? I've been considering a light weight battery.
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Old Jan 28, 2010 | 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by misterniceguy
How long have you been using the Braille? Any conditions contributing to it's failure? I've been considering a light weight battery.
I bought it used from a local guy who used it for a period of time. He raced for at least 2 years, so I'll guesstimate that he used the battery for at least that long. I've used it for about a year.
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