Loose weight, keep comfort?

Hock

Registered User
So how would I do that? I have already removed the ABS and ARC as well as the wiring and computers for them. I'm planning on tossing the spare in favor of a can of fix-a-flat. I so have a system in it, I'm brain storming and where to relocate the subs as I plan to make some fiberglass enclosures for them to cut some more weight and I plan to remove the factory power antenna with a hidden antenna. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hidd...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories Besides the obvious MkVIII parts and fiberglass hood where else can I stand to cut some pounds and still keep things like the AC functional?
 
I'm a fan of the comfort that the SC's provide...to me that is a big reason that makes our cars different than others specially in those days...

If you've ever driven a 5.0 mustang is doesn't even compare...325rwhp should get a SC into the 12s
 
The sound deadener from the trunk to the backseat bottom was worth 15lbs. Those factory foglight brackets are some nasty big honkin es-oh-bee's too. You can probably ditch an EASY 2.5lbs (there Will) just by making your own brackets. Under your steering wheel, if you remove that plastic dash there is a big steel bracket directly behind it that you can remove. You usually have to go from back to front and just remove 1lb here, 1lb there....but it adds up.
 
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The foglights and brackets only weigh 1.5 pounds each, so you're off a bit in your estimate, Micah. The glass hood should save around 30 pounds depending on the design; installing a lightweight battery like a Braille saved me 17. Definitely get an aluminum flywheel if your car is a 5-speed. Replace the stock IC tubes (12 pounds total) with mandrel bent aluminum tubing. An aluminum radiator saved me 6 pounds. The stock front calipers are iron and Mustang GT calipers are aluminum, though I don't know the difference in weight. Vogtland lowering springs are a few pounds lighter than the stockers; ST and Eibach springs are heavier. Make your own front coilovers using 2.5-inch ID springs, as I did. What size/design wheels and tires do you have? Odds are you can save weight there unless they're stock. You can save some good weight on the exhaust system using custom components. Plastic idler pulleys will shave a bit of weight over the stock steel ones. How much do you value big sway bars?

On my car I've gone so far as to trim the unused intercooler tube brackets from the PS pump bracket. Plastic flex tubing replaced the chromed steel air intake tube. DD even replaced my aluminum C&L MAF with a plastic SCT one. In general, find steel parts and replace them with aluminum, then find aluminum parts and replace them with plastic ones. Remove all the parts and lumps that don't need to be there.

My car weighs 3,433 pounds nearly empty even though it still has AC, a full interior (except for the stereo), all the factory sound deadener, Cobra R brakes, 17x9 wheels and big sway bars. Half a pound here and there begins to add up after a while.
 
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I'm a fan of the comfort that the SC's provide...to me that is a big reason that makes our cars different than others specially in those days...

If you've ever driven a 5.0 mustang is doesn't even compare...325rwhp should get a SC into the 12s

Yeah I had a 96GT once and it was a crock!

I'm thinking about removing all the sound deadening material through out the car, though I'm not sure if I want to keep the padding under the carpet that stuff is pretty heavy.

I'm also planning on getting a few hole saws and going to town on the front bumper and maybe the rear deck after I figure out how I'm gonna mount my amps on it.

If I can find a non-folding leather rear seat I will swap that out as well and get the brace for back there.
 
Will, I also removed my trans tunnel cover with the rubber boot and have a thin piece of pastic covering it. I found a small black office style trash can that had a nice curve to it for the tunnel and just opened up a hole that fits snugly around the shifter.

I forgot that I removed the two steel brackets that bolt to the unibody right behind the backseats and also all the seatbelts in the back. My single exit exhaust also allowed me to ditch one whole muffler from the rear (and the hangers that mount to the unibody.)

I downgraded my Addco 1-1/8th sway bar in back to stock....I think that was about a 5lb saving alone.
 
Is the trunk pan structural in anyway?

I know that shocks sorta connect in that area but a brace would stiffen that up.
 
If you are going to get that crazy with weight removal, why would you even consider keeping sub woofers? That just doesn't make any sense to me.
 
If you are going to get that crazy with weight removal, why would you even consider keeping sub woofers? That just doesn't make any sense to me.

I know it doesn't, I can't even make it make sense to me but I love the over all feel of the car but its just too damn heavy.
 
If you start getting that drastic with the weight reduction you will loose the current over-all feel of the car. Its all that weight that gives the car those desirable characteristics.

Thomas
 
If you start getting that drastic with the weight reduction you will loose the current over-all feel of the car. Its all that weight that gives the car those desirable characteristics.

Thomas

Well, what I meant to say its more of the luxury items like the seats, ac, ect. I know that the ride will be changed which I am fine with and that can be tuned with the appropriate shocks so I can have it smooth for comfort when I desire that.

The only reason why I still have an SC and not a second gen RX7 with and SC engine in it is all the comfort and the overall size of the car, as well as the sporty looks. Otherwise I'd be sitting one about 2,000 lbs less with one of those. I mean thats still not out of the question, I'm just not ready to give up on this platform yet regardless of how frustrating it is to work with at times.
 
I too am looking at places to reduce weight and although I am not looking to sacrifice comfort of ride or noise. There are things on the car that are just dead weight, no reason for them to be there. I removed the fog lights, never had used them. Some of my chassis bracing underneith the car I used steel and am going to replace with alum. I am kind of working through all this as I continue tracking down electrical grimlins. Today I finished redoing the rear shock brace I built years ago for the car. Not much savings in weight but looks cool

Ken
 

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This is where one needs to deciede what they want thier car to be. Personally if I wanted a drag car it be in the form of a fox body stang. I like the SC because of the comfort. Also IMO I would not remove the noise insulation. I did that to only one pof my cars and what a mistake for a street driven car.
Maybe replace it with something newer, better, lighter but not just discard the idea for a lil bit of weight savings.

Ill admit I have lost comfort with many of my mods related to suspensionan dride quality but imo it was worth what I gave up but you can reduce weight without ever effecting ride quality in a negative way

Keep ride quality and comfort while reducing weight? (and increasing performance)

aluminum pumpkin, driveshaft, mark viii contrl arms, dual piston mustang GT calipers. These mods will loose weight without negatively affecting performance (If anything it increases performance)

Newer more ergonomically designed seats. This has come along way and you can get more comfortable, lighter and better supporting seats today then you could in 1994.

Rear seat delete. You can lose weight here if you dont use it...Me I keep it in for show.

Dont put ridiculously large wheel tire combo. I did...I like it..BUT a good set of tires on the stock rims will kick butt and save you much on weight as well as MPG and ride quality. If your car is a high HP one you may just want to deal with teh wider heavier stuff....But in that case you may be upgrading those brakes as well

Exhaust. People tend to not think about how much thier exhaust weighs. I can tell you its allot especially if you are going to lets say a full magnaflow dual setup or the likes. I never weighed it but its heavy. If your car is basically stock you can get away with saving some weight there with your new exhaust.

Engine wise a nice aluminum rad (plus plus plus) and aluminum pulleys will help. Also as had been mentioned an aluminum flywheel or a smaller converter for you auto guys. Both will effect drive quality a bit IMO, but for some it may not be a big deal and its a performance upgrade. Swapping out the IC tubes is a nice idea but at what cost $$ wise..May not be worth it

Fiberglass hood...

This is without removing the ARC or ABS..ABS I like..ARC..Well....I can do without

Just doing the above would make for a lighter, better handeling, more powerfull and probably more comfortable car without losing comfort or drive quality. CHanging out springs, sway bars, larger rims/tires will certainly do so
 
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