Race Prep Miata race-only chat.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Where to remove weight from a track only car?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 11-06-2014, 02:59 PM
  #301  
Senior Member
 
Supe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 538
Total Cats: 64
Default

Originally Posted by OneTwo
I wonder if these would work. Seem small enough and takes an H7 bulb.

My Hella Lights :: FF 75
I use those in the RX7. Whatever version of them I have was considerably brighter than the factory RX7 lights/bulbs. I even night drove with them through Robbinsville, NC without issue.
Supe is offline  
Old 11-07-2014, 12:50 PM
  #302  
Junior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
OneTwo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 396
Total Cats: 36
Default

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I have been exchanging a few emails with Blackbird lighting to see what a universal kit would run, but I have a feeling its going to be more than I want to spend.

These Hella's seem like a pretty viable option, especially given the price tag. I did a bit more digging and found that you can increase the light output in the Hella units with some mods too.
OneTwo is offline  
Old 11-13-2014, 11:34 AM
  #303  
Junior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
sbcrx007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Akron/Cleveland Ohio
Posts: 160
Total Cats: 0
Default

I pulled the popups on my track car and run El Cheapo autozone plastic driving lights mounted on aluminum brackets. Certainly lighter than the OEM lights, but the light output is pathetic. I don't like driving it at night, they don't throw light very far at all and the pattern sucks. Certainly wouldn't attempt any night time track driving with them, but they are at least DOT and bright enough to not get pulled over, which was really my only intention in case I needed to drive it at night. Those Hellas look pretty nice in comparison.
sbcrx007 is offline  
Old 02-15-2015, 12:22 PM
  #304  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
asmasm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: durham NC
Posts: 792
Total Cats: 143
Default

Thread bump.
I am replacing my drivers side door after an accident backing out of my garage. I used it as an excuse to get accurate weights for a bunch of door parts:

The car is a '95 with manual windows and manual mirrors

Name:  SQju4RK.png
Views: 134
Size:  10.1 KB
asmasm is offline  
Old 02-17-2015, 12:02 AM
  #305  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

The weight of a door in grams is pretty hard for a reader to visualize thank goodness you included conversion to lbs.

Yeah, even a gutted door is beefy. Much weight to be saved there.

-Ryan
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 02-17-2015, 12:40 AM
  #306  
Junior Member
 
guttedmiata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 440
Total Cats: 3
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass

Yeah, even a gutted door is beefy.

-Ryan
My gutted doors are not beefy
Attached Thumbnails Where to remove weight from a track only car?-image.jpg  
guttedmiata is offline  
Old 02-17-2015, 12:47 AM
  #307  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

Definitely less beef. Might be some pork or lamb mixed in with that one.

That's about as drastic as one goes with the oem door. Mind sharing the weight of that one?

-Ryan
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 02-17-2015, 11:13 AM
  #308  
Junior Member
 
unk577's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 211
Total Cats: 34
Default

I'm running the CCP fiberglass doors and according to my highly accurate bathroom scale they were less than 5lb each before I bolted on the latch and hinges, compared to my gutted door that was just over 20lbs each. Though I wouldn't recommend the doors unless you have a full cage, preferably with a NASCAR style door bar as there is no structure in them to protect you.
unk577 is offline  
Old 02-18-2015, 10:47 PM
  #309  
Junior Member
 
guttedmiata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 440
Total Cats: 3
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
Definitely less beef. Might be some pork or lamb mixed in with that one.

That's about as drastic as one goes with the oem door. Mind sharing the weight of that one?

-Ryan
Sorry, no idea.
guttedmiata is offline  
Old 03-01-2015, 02:52 AM
  #310  
Senior Member
iTrader: (8)
 
joyrider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 586
Total Cats: 4
Default

So who gor rid of the whole trunk floor ? Did you add some aero work while doing it ?
joyrider is offline  
Old 03-01-2015, 10:25 AM
  #311  
SADFab Destructive Testing Engineer
iTrader: (5)
 
aidandj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Beaverton, USA
Posts: 18,642
Total Cats: 1,866
Default

Yeah, 1993somethingsomething has. And some cool aero to boot. Don't have a link right now though.
aidandj is offline  
Old 03-05-2015, 12:20 AM
  #312  
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
BenR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: ABQ, NM
Posts: 1,838
Total Cats: -7
Default

Originally Posted by joyrider
So who gor rid of the whole trunk floor ? Did you add some aero work while doing it ?


I haven't weighed it yet but I'd be surprised if the bucket section alone is 5 lbs. The weight seems to be mostly in the boxed sections.
BenR is offline  
Old 03-05-2015, 12:33 AM
  #313  
Senior Member
iTrader: (8)
 
cyotani's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Azusa, CA
Posts: 1,407
Total Cats: 116
Default

Originally Posted by aidandj
Yeah, 1993somethingsomething has. And some cool aero to boot. Don't have a link right now though.
post #242

cyotani is offline  
Old 03-06-2015, 03:13 PM
  #314  
Junior Member
 
unk577's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 211
Total Cats: 34
Default

Originally Posted by joyrider
So who gor rid of the whole trunk floor ? Did you add some aero work while doing it ?
On our 97' chumpcar the trunk floor weighed 9lbs. Replaced it with the thinnest sheet of aluminum(excluding foil) I could find and riveted it in.
unk577 is offline  
Old 05-11-2015, 11:56 AM
  #315  
Junior Member
 
speedj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 67
Total Cats: 1
Default

For a racer or a track only car, do most of you: 1) remove the rear bumper understructure? 2) build a nerf bar out of tube steel? Or, do you run with the factory Aluminum bumper bracing?
speedj is offline  
Old 05-11-2015, 12:43 PM
  #316  
Cpt. Slow
iTrader: (25)
 
curly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oregon City, OR
Posts: 14,179
Total Cats: 1,129
Default

I'm guessing this is an NB, since NAs don't have the aluminum piece.

I'd say leave the factory. Free, requires zero time, lighter than Steel, and won't transmit as much force to the chassis in a smaller impact.
curly is offline  
Old 05-11-2015, 05:17 PM
  #317  
Junior Member
 
FatKao's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 491
Total Cats: 32
Default

Racers will leave OEM so they don't cave in the bumper covers in bump drafting. Less important for a HPDE car.
FatKao is offline  
Old 05-11-2015, 07:11 PM
  #318  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
emilio700's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,325
Total Cats: 2,373
Default

Originally Posted by FatKao
Racers will leave OEM so they don't cave in the bumper covers in bump drafting. Less important for a HPDE car.
Yup. All the SPM's have OEM front and rear bumper supports for "convincing". Our HPDE cars have none.
__________________


www.facebook.com/SuperMiata

949RACING.COM Home of the 6UL wheel

.31 SNR
emilio700 is offline  
Old 09-28-2015, 05:34 PM
  #319  
Newb
 
proctorsilex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 7
Total Cats: 0
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
Does anyone have a reason NOT to go this route?

I wanted to get a lithium battery until I spoke with a Miata racer in COMSCC (summer 2015) who said that his caught ablaze. The fire crew just filled his trunk with water and waited for it to burn out. No serious damage, but he is back to lead. I am not saying it will, but I have not heard of lead on fire.

I read the whole thread, but I did not notice the intake manifold brace. Is that one obvious? I plan not to remove but drill it. I am in the camp that it must have some useful purpose even for track cars.

I am putting my DE NB on a diet this off season. I have been pondering what is truly necessary for me and it is enlightening.
proctorsilex is offline  
Old 09-28-2015, 08:04 PM
  #320  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
asmasm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: durham NC
Posts: 792
Total Cats: 143
Default

Drilling the intake manifold brace is probably a waste of time. I weighed it at 1.72lb when I removed it. Best case scenario from drilling it you remove .5 lb.
asmasm is offline  


Quick Reply: Where to remove weight from a track only car?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:31 AM.