Has anyone cut the metal out from behind the front bumper and replaced it with aluminium? I saw someone replace it on a V8 RX7 and thought there could be a few KG's to be saved.

 

That part holds the frame legs together a bit.
An extremly tough shock tower brace might replace the function (i.e dump the structural support in front of the subframe).

But I would never touch it, I have had a lot of use to the fat plastic bumper support (the bumper cover lasts much longer when racing).

At the same time, the crumple zone might help you when you run out of luck (but a lighter and more efficient crumple zone can always be developed).

 

Kilograms. Oh, you silly Europeans :P

 

Its pretty damn light as is on these cars, not like a huge steel rebar that other cars have.
I dont see you losing any significant weight by replacing it but if you're up to it give it a shot

 

There might be 10lbs there. Just the supports were worth 6lbs iirc from The Red Beast.

That's a little under 5kg to you people with a real measuring system.

 

I took quite a bit of **** off, but I haven't started cutting yet:

 

Paging Savington and TheSnowBoarder.


BTW, move your oil cooler and resize it to something useful.

 

That's not my car. Just used it for illustration. Would be interested to see some pics on an Mx5.

 

Leave it or tube it.

 

I didn't do it to save weight, I was just clearing up the airflow to the intercooler, so I didn't have the presence of mind to weigh it vs. the steel bar I put in, but it was rather heavy.

I'm sure someone will chime in saying doing so is a bad idea, but my car's been fine for years like this, and sees a lot of hard use.

 

But it's so CUTE!

 

What is that, a transmission cooler?

Mine is still intact. There isn't much else that locates the frame and thus the front subframe, so I've always been a little nervous about removing it entirely.

 

LoL i was just thinking of something similar but with the headlights pointing forward and some kind of keg coutout as a bumper.

 

Gotta be better than no oil cooler surely?

 

I would agree with that. However, I'm sure the sentiment is that if you're going to add the weight and the cost of an oil cooler, do it right and get something that will help significantly.

 

Mine is gone, not by choice exactly, the guy I bought the car form had already done it in the search for more efficient cooling and a huge intercooler. I'll be engineering something to fill the void. It does open up tons of space though.

 

mine didn't have it when i bought the car and still doesn't. i wouldn't get rid of it to save a couple lbs. (kilo's) but don't know much it has hurt anything. i thought about welding a bar back across there a while ago, but haven't done anything as of yet.

 

I've been thinking about putting something there to replace it. Seems like it would help the front end a bit with cooling, that bar is wide. Seems like a good portion of the radiator is behind it. But then again maybe it won't matter.

 

Unless you're planning on running a vader front end or opening the mouth a lot it wont make a difference.

 

I'll probably hold off doing this on the initial build, I've got too much on my plate as it is. But when the turboz goes in, anything goes.