Time for the Camaro to shed some weight... - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

NJ346 · 03-22-2009, 07:57 PM

well after watching all of these posts of new personal bests, I have the itch to start tearing into the camaro since it's pretty much a full bolt-on car. It has gone 12.5x's@113 on a best 60' of 1.903. The car needs to shed some weight so I can really launch the car and not worry about destroying the rear.(That threat is always there, but less of a possibility with less weight). A new tick master cylinder is waiting to be installed so I can actually launch the car without the clutch getting stuck to the floor. Anyway, where should I start? The backseats have been out of the car for a while. I plan on removing the sub woofer, rear plastics, and passenger seat. Is there anything else that's "easy" weight to remove? I have never weighed the car so I really don't know how much of a pig it is.

Tru2Chevy · 03-22-2009, 08:23 PM

For starters, what are you willing to live without?

You can pull the radio / speakers, the entire AC setup, swap to a smaller lightweight battery, pull the carpet out and remove all of the sound deadening from the back of it....

- Justin

LTb1ow · 03-22-2009, 08:43 PM

Can you run without the catback on>?

NJ346 · 03-22-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

For starters, what are you willing to live without?

You can pull the radio / speakers, the entire AC setup, swap to a smaller lightweight battery, pull the carpet out and remove all of the sound deadening from the back of it....

- Justin

Not looking to go that serious. I think I'll be looking for a lighter battery. I really don't want to take the carpet out. I'm just looking for what easy weight there is left to pull out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shownomercy

Can you run without the catback on>?

Exactly what I was looking for. I run a cut-out at the track anyway so taking the muffler off is a good start.

Mike · 03-22-2009, 08:50 PM

he meant pull the sound deadening off the back of the carpet, and putting it back in.

if you take the muffler off you wont be able to run on "muffled" nights

NJ346 · 03-22-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbrrmike

he meant pull the sound deadening off the back of the carpet, and putting it back in.

if you take the muffler off you wont be able to run on "muffled" nights

I only plan on running at Atco, and with thier tech, I think I'd get by. With the cut-out open, my car isn't that loud. They could just think I'm running true duals dumped before the axle. It'd be a chance, but I'd be willing to try it once.

sweetbmxrider · 03-22-2009, 09:06 PM

i pulled off my sound deadening on the carpet. there are some good pieces on the body as well. lighter wheels and tires are always a plus. headliner and sun visors. door panels come off quick.

Tru2Chevy · 03-22-2009, 09:10 PM

Yes, pull the carpet, remove the sound deadening, and replace the carpet. Vacuum and search for loose change while you are at it!

- Justin

NJ346 · 03-22-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

Yes, pull the carpet, remove the sound deadening, and replace the carpet. Vacuum and search for loose change while you are at it!

- Justin

I'll have to look into that. I know there's a link somewhere on LS1tech that has a list of stuff to remove and their weights.

WayFast84 · 03-22-2009, 09:41 PM

Remove the washer fluid an bottle.Its around 7 pounds in a thirdgen. I used to have a list of stuff I could remove with out being a pain in the ass but I lost it.

The sound deadining, washer fluid, and passenger seat will lighten it up some.

Do you run with the swaybar hooked up?

Mike · 03-22-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayFast84

Remove the washer fluid an bottle.Its around 7 pounds in a thirdgen. I used to have a list of stuff I could remove with out being a pain in the ass but I lost it.

The sound deadining, washer fluid, and passenger seat will lighten it up some.

Do you run with the swaybar hooked up?

the expert has spoken

NJ Torque · 03-22-2009, 10:43 PM

What does it weight? Mine is 3610.. with a full tank and me in it

Mike · 03-22-2009, 10:51 PM

mine is in the 35 range with some weight removed and me in it........

my fat ass truck is 5448

DevilDougWS6 · 03-23-2009, 12:26 AM

i weighed in at 3490 with me in, no spare tire/jack, and a quarter tank of gas.

i removed:
all ac components (compressor, condensor, accumulator, lines etc)
rear seats
washer bottle
air pump

all together weighed close to 70 lbs so thats 3420 give or take.

remove your front sway bar and if you have one your strut tower brace.

there really is not a whole lot that you can quickly remove to drop weight. but you can remove the entire interior in about a half hour or so before you go to the track and just leave in the driver seat. you dont need the console, carpet, visors (headliner doesnt weigh **** and is a pita to remove) passenger seat, rear seats, and plastic panels.

98tadriver · 03-23-2009, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJNETSFAN

Not looking to go that serious.

roughly translated- "I wanna go faster but i dont want to do much work to get there."

its really not that bad to drop the AC, front sway bar, interior, spare tire/jack, and other things of that nature.

seat time will ultimately drop tenths off of your ET. what do u shift at and how fast are you shifting? i see youve cut a 1.90 on dr's ive gone 1.8s on street tires. so u know theres left on the table

i dont run AC until it starts getting hot and i dont go for PBs anymore

and just so you know, a lighter car doesnt mean your rear will last longer

your rear will break whenever it wants to breaks

NJ346 · 03-23-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98tadriver

roughly translated- "I wanna go faster but i dont want to do much work to get there."

its really not that bad to drop the AC, front sway bar, interior, spare tire/jack, and other things of that nature.

seat time will ultimately drop tenths off of your ET. what do u shift at and how fast are you shifting? i see youve cut a 1.90 on dr's ive gone 1.8s on street tires. so u know theres left on the table

i dont run AC until it starts getting hot and i dont go for PBs anymore

and just so you know, a lighter car doesnt mean your rear will last longer

your rear will break whenever it wants to breaks

I probably will drop the Ac compressor then. My AC doesn't work that good anyway, and that's why GM put t-tops in these cars.

So far what I plan to take off:
Front Sway bar
Ac components
Passenger seats
Sound deadening
Muffler
Possibly console-Ron how much does this weigh?

Things removed so far:
Air pump
EGR
Back Seat
Spare Tire and jack

sweetbmxrider · 03-23-2009, 03:25 PM

door panels and speakers? plastics? do the seat belts too with the seats, they have some good weight. remove all unnecessary crap you have in the car like papers and change. pretty much keep you license, reg, and ins card

racerz · 03-23-2009, 04:20 PM

remove the door panels ans use a cutting wheel and remove the side impact bars in the doors savings of about 20 pounds per side. Also grind off any undercoating on the car and paint the underside.

DevilDougWS6 · 03-23-2009, 04:33 PM

you could also remove the bumper support ****, and door bars like said above...but if you get into a wreck, you are ****ed.

NJ346 · 03-23-2009, 04:58 PM

Not looking to weaken the doors...I'd like to live if I get t-boned. I might take the bumper supports out just for a weekend trip to the track. I'd really like them to stay since I hit a deer in the fall on the way to Atco and that did enough damage with the bumper support in.

KirkEvil · 03-23-2009, 05:24 PM

There are nice big floating chunks of sound deadoning in the rear sail panels. Not sure if you got rid of the seat belts with the rear seats. You can take the power motor assembly out of the bottom of the drivers seat.

98tadriver · 03-23-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJNETSFAN

I probably will drop the Ac compressor then. My AC doesn't work that good anyway, and that's why GM put t-tops in these cars.

So far what I plan to take off:
Front Sway bar
Ac components
Passenger seats
Sound deadening
Muffler
Possibly console-Ron how much does this weigh?

Things removed so far:
Air pump
EGR
Back Seat
Spare Tire and jack

lol thats the spirit!

remove the swaybar and brackets first, youll be able to remove your AC compressor easier. also drop the bracket that holds it to the motor, and the evaporator (tin can thing) and condenser.

sway bar and ac- 50lbs

console weighs 10lbs, maybe more if u have change or stuff in it
if you go thru the trouble of removing the sound deadening, id just leave the carpet out for raceday, then remove it later. i believe the carpet is roughly 40lbs

carpet and console -45 or 50lbs

so right theres a tenth of a second lol

door panels are 18lbs each -36lbs
pass seat without lumbar support- 34-34lbs
sail panels, other trip and panels in the back with speakers and that lil t-top cover thingy -25lbs (cant remember off hand) so theres another tenth lol

that rubber thing under the carpet by the pedals and the driverside under dash piece is like 10lbs together.

hate airbags? i think thats another 20lbs, youll have to check LS1tech in the dragracing tech section. they stickied it

less fuel. 1 gallon is 7lbs if i remember right.

i wouldnt remove the doorbars until u have a 6or 8 point rollbar in there.

borrow a pair of skinnies. that will drop 50lbs and less rolling resistance. skinnies alone will drop at least a tenth

i removed the bumper supports. that was -40lbs

camaro noses might sag a lil though. trans am noses do not. and youll have to fasten a piece of sheetmetal to the rear bumper to the car underneath to stiffen it up.

it all adds up my friend.

then theres some wallet mods like the tubular kmember and A arms, QA1s
lightweight fiberglass hood,
wheels and tires

the list goes on and on and on

Little G · 03-23-2009, 07:15 PM

Here are some of the things I did in no particular order. I'm sure there are more but it was a long time ago.

!AC
!front sway bar
!seats
!seat belts (not the driver's)
!sound deadening underneath carpet
!sound system
!airbags
!stereo and airbag and other miscellaneous wires
!heat shielding
!one hood strut
!various unneeded bracketry (seats, childseats, seatbelt mounts, etc.)

also converted to hood pin setup and swissed the under hood bracing, lighter k-member and a-arms, lighter wheels, lighter driveshaft, run on skinnies, lighter torque arm, lighter control arms.

Did some personal weight reduction (I was down to about 135 at one point). I usually made a concerted effort not to eat much on race day.

Had the car down to about 3100 with jockey.

g

NJ346 · 03-23-2009, 07:47 PM

^^^nice. I'm 17 and am pretty small(5'5) so the driver weight is part of my weight reductions

. I'm only 135. I'd be happy to get the car to 3450 with me in it, on skinnies. Nothing major, just looking to make sure I can get to my goal of 12.2@115 by the end of the season.

98tadriver · 03-23-2009, 08:10 PM

3450 raceweight, that should be no problem. a good set of wheels/tires will drop almost 100lbs depending on what wheels u have now. i remember back when i used to be 160lbs, my car fullweight with half tank of gas was 3660. now, even with me being a lil over 200, my car weighs in around 3330lb raceweight. im looking to get down to 3200lb raceweight toward the end of this year