I have a MazdaSpeed Spec exhaust with a resonator welded in and I had no issues with sound at Laguna. Probably the most affordable way to get a light weight, < 92db exhaust.

 

Has anyone done a fiberglass overlay of the entire front in 1 piece? (hood, fenders, and bumper)

 

seeking help. 30lbs!? wtf do you guys do to get in the 15lb range? and how to get the effen door bar out? just work away at it with a body saw?

 

whats a common curb weight for a stripped street na?

 

Unless you plan on keeping the stock windows and motors, you're not even halfway done with those doors.

 

So i read through this thread and unless i blacked out during some of the more tedious sections and don't recall reading it, i have a question. Those of you that have gone extreme in weight savings, what difference in your lap times did it make on the track? my track car appears to have had no real effort put into weight reduction other than removing the carpet, gutting the drivers door for the door bar, and standard ditching of some interior parts. it still has the full stock passenger door with roll up window and all, somehow they made the door bars fit with that side all stock.

it's a pure track car, not street legal so to some extent i don't care what it looks like. I'm willing to start ditching parts when it gets home, but I'd like to know what kind of returns you guys are seeing from the effort. anyone have before and after weight reduction times on the same track to share?

 

You'll be hard pressed to find consistent enough times in this "amateur" crowd to see what the difference 50lbs will make. Too many variables.

Instead of lap times, look at 0-60 and 60-0 times. With less mass to accelerate, in both positive and negative vectors, you'll see the biggest difference there.

 

For those that have removed the bumper substructure, did you add back a nerf bar, or just leave the area behind the bumper cover empty?

 

mine is empty. to add back rigidity the bumper is attached to the custom dibond under tray and it seems to work. my car did not come with the support so had to do something and for now it seems to work fine.

 

Mine is empty both in the front and back. Bumpers seem to hold on just fine. I think the rear is only a couple screws and a bunch of zip ties.

 

Also the metal gas tank cover behind the seats under the carpet.

 

you cant remove that piece for at least some groups. mine was removed from the car when I got it and and tech said I needed cover that area before the next NASA event per their rules something something gas tank and associated plumbing must be separated from the driver. it is a very light panel but i know it all adds up.

 

So cut it in 2.. cut the passenger side off of it leave the drivers in tact? Or do you remove the one in the trunk instead?

 

The one in the trunk covering the filler pipe can come out, the entire interior cockpit must be separated from the gas tank. Flames will wrap around a "cut in half" cover.

Spec miata guys even have some panels to more completely cover the gap:

http://www.saferacer.com/miata-cage-...?productid=545

Here Keith talks about it during his original Targa build:

http://www.targamiata.com/diary.php?UID=482
http://www.targamiata.com/diary.php?UID=483

 

unless you want to fab something you need to leave the 3 covers in place. one small one on the driver side the large main top piece and the large 90 degree pan that covers the plumbing. I would not bother trying to make something. the stock parts are light and fit well. I had to modify a NA unit to fit in my NB and it was a pain in the ***. I had to make the NA unit longer so I hacked up a second NA and added the pieces to fit the NB. I paid 15 bucks for one and got the other for free, plus several hours to cut and rivet everything together and then paint. looks pretty good but I would recommend just leaving that area alone.

 

Keiths diary entries are interesting, because I know the SCCA and NASA have specifically bitched at people for not sealing up all the small holes in the package deck. Those saferacer panels are for the stock seatbelt locations IIRC.

I would be really interested in getting an interpretation on the barrier method for fire protection...

 

I think the EP car bryanlow put up is a great example. I LOVE this example, Miata's make cool sports racers. This is the direction I'm going with my car:

The car will be close to 1850 wet, but I'll need to ballast up to 1925.

Cheers,

Craig

PS. Re A-Arms! AWR make adjustable rear arms that are 8.5 lbs. not sure if this thread listed stock arm wt., would be nice to list that w/alternatives/wts.
Control Arm - Rear Upper Adjustable Bare - AWR Racing Store

 

I think you can make a cool looking car without a windscreen.

 

Door bars are worth almost 12-13lbs.

 

Fully caged '90 with FE3, 6speed, 7" rearend

1949lbs Dry - No real effort given to weight reduction

Weight Dist after corner weighting with driver

FL 26.2% FR 25.6%
RL 25.2% RR 23.0%