weight savings

**zero_proto** · 12-10-2008, 06:20 PM

So i was going to do an aps twin turbo build on my 99 camaro. Well after having almost everything out, as i sat there and looked at the car. I thought to myself what am i doing. I put the car back together and brought my 69 camaro out of storage to work on it and build it up. You can look it up from the threads i have posted.

Now i am in the process of selling the the stuff from the 99 and i am almost cleared out, last bit is the damn turbo kit. I found out that i had the wrong k-member for it, and i was selling it together but now it is just the kit. So i have all tubular stuff for up front and i am going to put it in.

So here is where i am. I am going to keep my 99, i've posted about drifting before, and i want to make the 99 my drift/autocross toy. The car is already gutted, and i have my roll cage sitting on the side, waiting to go in. I know the tubular stuff will save me some weight, and my hood is a fiberglass hood. The torque arm is also tubular. Is there any other ways to loose weight on the car, i will consider any extreme. I am also probably going to take out the heater/ac core, but that is once i get me another car to drive around, but you really don't need that stuff in san diego. What else is there.

Also thought about the windows, and the rear hatch, what can i do there?

**mark21742** · 12-10-2008, 08:48 PM

if its going to be just for racing, I'd go plastic for the windows.....ive seen kits for some older cars in the past. there is a plastic fabricater 1 mile from my parents house that could make anything you want, maybe you have a place like that near you?
if you haven't already, I'd ditch the bumper, brackets and all, maybe run a small tube to protect the radiator, and run a 3gallon fuel cell.
even further, remove the floor and tie the cage into the subframe then replace with 22 gauge sheet metal or aluminum.
check with the racing rules 1st to make sure you stay legal for the class you will be in

**zero_proto** · 12-10-2008, 09:39 PM

yowsers that is hard core. When the time comes for it. I would like to still go on long cruises so the 3-gallon fuel cell is a negative for me. I won't be driving the car much. but essentially it will be like my dd, but i ride my bike everywhere, i have not driven in months. I don't plan on driving the car much, only when i really need to. I will not be driving it until maybe march. I look into the plastic i have seen that. I removed the floor in my old ass monte carlo, it was a POS though.....ha.

**vetteemt** · 12-11-2008, 06:09 AM

Switch everything over to Crome-moly all the suspension, cage, etc.. Scrap out all the sound deading from inside the car and get rid of any under coating under the car. Wheels and tires, a good set of light weight wheels well reduce lots of weight plus its rotational weight too. A carbon fiber drive shaft well also reduce weight and is rotational weight as well. Switch any body panels to carbon fiber or second best fiberglass. Glass, front windshield to lexan, the rest could go to a plastic or lexan. Also you really should switch to a dry sump oil system instead of a wet system. The extreme cornering g’s you are probably going to make well cause the oil to slosh to one side of the pan and cause insufficient oiling for one side of the engine. This is why the new Corvette ZR-1 has this system so no matter the engine g load oil is getting sprayed to every part that needs oil.

**zero_proto** · 12-11-2008, 05:02 PM

i am going to have to look into the dry oil sump system.

**hot93rod** · 12-21-2008, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by zero_proto

So i was going to do an aps twin turbo build on my 99 camaro. Well after having almost everything out, as i sat there and looked at the car. I thought to myself what am i doing. I put the car back together and brought my 69 camaro out of storage to work on it and build it up. You can look it up from the threads i have posted.

Now i am in the process of selling the the stuff from the 99 and i am almost cleared out, last bit is the damn turbo kit. I found out that i had the wrong k-member for it, and i was selling it together but now it is just the kit. So i have all tubular stuff for up front and i am going to put it in.

So here is where i am. I am going to keep my 99, i've posted about drifting before, and i want to make the 99 my drift/autocross toy. The car is already gutted, and i have my roll cage sitting on the side, waiting to go in. I know the tubular stuff will save me some weight, and my hood is a fiberglass hood. The torque arm is also tubular. Is there any other ways to loose weight on the car, i will consider any extreme. I am also probably going to take out the heater/ac core, but that is once i get me another car to drive around, but you really don't need that stuff in san diego. What else is there.

Also thought about the windows, and the rear hatch, what can i do there?

is the tubular torque arm any lighter than the stock? I would think that it would be about the same, if not heavier

**vetteemt** · 12-21-2008, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by hot93rod

is the tubular torque arm any lighter than the stock? I would think that it would be about the same, if not heavier

The stock one is just stamped steel and is most likely lighter then an aftermarket one. The problem with the factory one is that it is really flimsily and well not hold up to the loads of road racing and auto crossing. Also if you must add weight to car and are looking for better handling you want to add the weight to the lowest point of the car. Most racing suspension part are the same weight or a little heavier then stock, but the reason behind that is they are built must stronger and can handle a lot more g loads then stock. Plus they normally reset the geometry of the suspension to a better design for handling.

**side2000** · 12-21-2008, 10:46 AM

unfortunately, your f-body already has all the fiberglass on it that it can tolerate. everything but the 1/4 panels are fiberglass (and other crucial structure). you can get tubular k-member, ditch A/C, tubular control arms, and do somethin with that rear hatch. guy i race w/ has custom fiberglass rear hatch, but it shows in his rear sometimes (way lighter). besides obvious minute weight reductions (removin' stuff) that's bout all you can do.

**hot93rod** · 12-21-2008, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by side2000

unfortunately, your f-body already has all the fiberglass on it that it can tolerate. everything but the 1/4 panels are fiberglass (and other crucial structure). you can get tubular k-member, ditch A/C, tubular control arms, and do somethin with that rear hatch. guy i race w/ has custom fiberglass rear hatch, but it shows in his rear sometimes (way lighter). besides obvious minute weight reductions (removin' stuff) that's bout all you can do.

what do you mean it shows in his rear?

as a general note for everyone... what are some good wheels to get for road racing/autocross stuff in a 16" height? I know welds are good for drag, but it seems that autox/roadrace stuff is always more complicated... and that translates to being more $$$

**side2000** · 12-21-2008, 11:08 AM

the weight of the factory hatch helps keep the rear tires on the road. w/o it, it's just easier to break 'em loose.

for autocross you want small sidewall with a dish. a dish helps minimize flex.

**hot93rod** · 12-21-2008, 11:47 AM

now you have me stumped again, what do you mean by a dish? i can somewhat believe what you say about having some weight back there, but i would still make the trade for something lighter... just have to do all the more to balance the weight that is in the front then...

**side2000** · 12-21-2008, 05:15 PM

hmmmmmmm here's a pic of a rim i would autocross with. dish and all.
http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/bo...eshwheels.aspx

weight reduction is all good, depending on what you plan to do. the weight distribution on these cars puts more weight up front anyway, so removing stuff from the rear would make it hard/impossible to get the front low enough for the dist to be close. it's all about what you wanna do and what you prefer though.

**hot93rod** · 12-22-2008, 09:34 AM

so... it basically has to do w/making the lip larger along the edges to some extent?

**side2000** · 12-22-2008, 09:51 AM

yea it minimizes flex. the closer you can get the hub to the center of the rim itself, the less flex you will have when bangin' turns real hard. there is always flex, and you gotta try to compensate for it by adjustin' things the opposite way. the mroe dish you can get out from the centerline of the hub, the more tire there is available to counter the flex of the hub. hope i'm bein clear with my words, not the easiest thing to describe through typin'.

basically, when the hub flexes, the larger dish allows the tire patch and rim itself to counter the flex, especially when negative camber is thrown into the package.

**hot93rod** · 12-22-2008, 11:05 AM

i think i understand now... must be, because i am having a hard time explaining what it is that you said w/o an interactive picture here... that's why i like diagrams, lol

**hot93rod** · 12-22-2008, 11:05 AM

by the way, thank you

**side2000** · 12-23-2008, 07:38 AM

yea np, you gonna get into some road racin? i could help ya out with a suspension combo. . . .

**hot93rod** · 12-23-2008, 07:51 AM

I'm almost afraid to, i really don't want to spend any more money, works real slow right now, i got ripped off when i bought this car (part of a LONG story), and that's why i'm trying to sell off the stuff from my '93, and useless parts from my '95, so i can recoup some of my losses, oh, and i did by some umi rear lca's, panhard bar, and sfc's, none of which were adjustable, that's why i'm afraid, i don't want to have to go back, and put in adjustable pieces, esp. when I wouldn't know what to adjust them to myself anyway =$$$
But, if you're willing to help me along w/that i'm plenty interested, i'm mostly searching for something lighter, and smaller (~16x8) than my 17x9/9.5 zr1's i have right now.

**side2000** · 12-23-2008, 08:49 AM

i wouldn't go to a 16. beside the fact that you cant fit brakes in 'em, sidewall will be bigger which is not good. and, they look funny. adjustable is the way to go, but there are certain brands whose "adjustable" versions are useless. i'm willing to help ya with anything, im always tryin to get another f-body aboard the terrorizin'.

**hot93rod** · 12-23-2008, 09:43 AM

I thought all our cars came w/16's? I know that i have the 15" welds on my red '93 T/A, and had no brake clearance issues. Unless you mean aftermarket brakes, but i seriously hope i don't ever get serious enough to start thinking about that, some front brake kits are 1k+... just for front!