Looking for free/cheap weight reduction idea's

[Grn92LX]

My car is friggin heavy and needs a diet. Last time on the scale it was 3260 with me. I'm 135lbs soaking wet so its not me I need some free weight reduction idea's besides what i've done already. I'd like to know what you've removed AND what it weighed.

I have aluminum heads -50lbs

No swaybar -22lbs appx

No smog/lines -10lbs

No a/c -40lbs

Removed the board in the trunk of my hatch -7lbs appx

Aluminum flywheel -15lbs or so

Aluminum driveshaft -5lbs appx.

I also have a tremec tko and a mcleod SFI scattershield which add weight. My car used to be under 3200 with me and my t5/stock bell.

 

[SAY GO]

remove heater core, gut everything under the dash
remove all the sound deadening underneath the carpet
remove back seat

 

[dragnazz5.0]

remove the dog bone under the rear end. remove back seats, tubular k member (not so cheap), fiberglass hood

 

[1SLO306]

have u removed the spare tire and jack? u proly have just didnt mention it

 

[Jason5.0]

remove sound deadening in interior quarter panels, 5 lbs or so, remove front bumper support(its plastic anyway, but damn heavy) about around 30lbs, charcoal canister thing (mounted low on pass. frame rail) about 3 lbs, cruise control follow cable from t.body about 2-5 lbs, airbags, heavy?

 

[Mr. Potato Head]

I want to remove my bumper supports too but I heard they cause the bumper covers to sag and/or blow in the wind. What's the story?

 

[Jason5.0]

well i didnt have one in my 84, now i dont have one in my 88, look fine as long as you have all the rivets on the cover still holding it to the headlight rack, and the braces are still going from the corners of the fenders to the chassis, never had a problem

 

[bryce93lx]

Having hit a tree at 50 and seen the impact that the bumper absorbed i cant image the weight savings being worth it, take the pass seat out on track days, or what ever else but it seems unsafe to remove what is the only thing that absorbs impact in a crash, every thing behind that isn't very tough, motors in the front seat suck

 

[Tonys96Cobra]

Dont forget wieght transfer, which is just as important. Move the battery to back, puts the weight where it works for you.

 

[Grn92LX]

I am not going to remove safety supports in the bumper. I know its a decent weight reduction but its not worth it to me in my street car. Same goes for my spare and jack. That is something i need in my street car. I don't wanna get stuck at 2am with a flat.

I forgot to mention I removed the charcol canister.

I am interested in removing all the sound deadning, windshield resivior and cruise control.

I have considered a battery relocation but I didn't wanna deal with doing a cut off switch for the track. I will consider it though and put the switch behind my liscense plate with a flip down bracket. Anyone got a link?

My next mod is going to be building up my rear with 4.30's and 31 spline shiit but I wanna do weight reduction too. I will be saving 12+ lbs by going with lightened axles. 12 lbs of rotating weight

 

[Matty469]

With some mods you can change your doors out to the old school crank windows. I am pretty sure the early 80's are the same as 90's in size and shape. The window motors and the electric locking motors are heavy.

 

[Roland69]

I got lucky and bought my 88 and it is plain. No power nothing (except lumbar) and no A/C. Any one know what my car would weigh. I have not removed anything but the air baffle. No heavy subs or amps just a cd player.

 

[90mustangGT]

Complete Deletes (no replacments)

Front Bumper w/ Shocks
Fog Lamps w/ Lamp Support Bracket
Side mouldings
Airbag System w/.Bracketing & Sensors
Hood Prop
Hood Latch Assembly w/ cable w/switch
Washer bottle
Evap Cannister
Front Swaybar
P/S System
Smog System
A/C System
HVAC unit under dash
Stereo system w/speakers
Cruise Controll System
Sound Insulation Material Deleted (from firewall to hatch)
Rear Seat w/all Bracketing and Belts
Sub-brackets on Dash Support Frame
Center Counsil Supports
Differential Dampener
Padding under carpet and hatch
Quad Shocks and Brackets
Spare tire and jack
Rear Bumper w/shocks
Quad Shocks w/brackets
Tailpipes
Brake Booster

Lightweight Replacments: (replaced with lighter components)

Alumimum Heads
Alumimum Pullies
Front Coil Over Conversion
Tubular K-Member
Tubular A-arms
Flaming River Manual Rack
Catless Mid-pipe
Alumimum Driveshaft
Weld Wheels (15x3.5 & 15x8)
Drag bucket seats
LX trim.

 

[Grn92LX]

Jason, how much did the sound deadning weigh?

 

[Roland69]

Your car is 3125 pounds I don't think thats friggen heavy for a hatchback.

 

[Roland69]

From the looks of your avatar your car is a hatch right. I think 3125 is respectable isn't it.

 

[5spd GT]

My hatch weighs 3180 without me in it.

 

[90mustangGT]

The sound deadening does have some bulk. I threw it away as I peeled it off, never weighed it. Used three plastic sacks, and some say 40lbs, which sounds reasonable. The padding under the carpet and that mat under the back seats that resembles the blanket they put on you when your getting x-rayed also carries a lot of weight. I guess that is sound deadening. I bet if you added the actually deadening material, the under carpet padding on both the cockpit and hatch/trunk and that led blanket, I bet 100lbs would be reasonable.

Hatches are heavier because of the actuall hatch, with it's huge sheet of glass, it adds a lot of weight, but not that much.

The weight most important to loose is rotational weight, then nose weight and then unsprung weight. You can knock off three birds with one stone by getting lighweight wheels/tires/brakes. Not only do they rotate, but they are unsprung, and the front are nose weight. K-members are great because they reduce weight on both the nose and somewhat on the unsprung weight.

Rotational weight includes pullies, driven accesories, flywheels, driveshafts, ect. Don't forget the diff carrier, the stock one is pure iron and weighs a lot. Of course brakes/wheels/tires as mentioned before.

 

[mob]

I wanna get my car weighed, but i would suggest battery relocation, cleans up the engine too, and thats a good amount of weight in the back man. And how hard would it be to isntall the old school windows? I wanna do that for mine, my motors are gone and i dont want to spend 80 bucks each motor, and its a good amount of weight. and how about a fiberglass hood?

 

[Matty469]

I am not sure on the differences on the insides of the doors to conert them over. I'd say order a new set for the early 80's would be your best bet. Paint them up when you paint the fiberglass hood up and and the newer style trim to disguise the older model doors on the outside. I'm wondering if the fiberglass fenders are lighter than the stock ones. I would think so anyways.