We Can’t Weight: 17 Weight Reduction Car Tips – Hot Rod Network

For typical street/strip cars, every 20 pounds of weight reduction is like adding 10 hp, so on bone-stockers, vehicle weight reduction is a cheap way (at least initially) to make your car go faster for cheap. These 17 weight reduction car tips range from free and simple to more complex and costly. Don't weight aroundget moving, quickly.

1. Remove the spare tire and jack. 2. Remove the rear seat and package tray. These can way up to 50 pounds.

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Removing the rear seat and package tray can be done in minutes, usually without toolsand is easily reversible.

3. Remove the entire heating and air conditioning system with all its components, lines, hoses, ducting, vents, and electrical harness.

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Rare, gennie, 1967 Corvette 427 L88 Coupes like this one came stock not only with the legendary 427 L88 big-block Chevy motor, they also had no radio or heaternote the center-vertical dash, blank except for the clock.

4. Remove the radio and speakers. At the extremes, a deluxe aftermarket stereo with subwoofer cabinet can weigh as much as 125 pounds!5. Remove the windshield wipers and wiper motor. 6. Relocate the battery to the trunk just above the right rear tire.

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Relocating the battery to the trunk above the right rear tire doesn't actually cut total weight but does improve e.t. 's by aiding weight distribution and traction. (The right rear tire tends to unload before the left tire. )

7. Gut the interior; remove the interior trim, carpeting, and upholstery. Consider lighter seats.

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Despite adding a 96-pound roll cage, this 1966 Chevelle still shed 239 pounds after stripping out the stock interior and instrument panel. The rear seat was axed, and lightweight racing buckets replaced the original factory bucket seats (which were already lighter than a full bench-seat).

8. Run the lightest wheels and tires you can. Engines must work against the weight of the drivetrain and wheels to accelerate the car, so any improvement in the chain from flywheel through to the tires results in quicker acceleration and more finessed control over throttle inputs. It also makes the brakes' job easier.

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Ford says the carbon-fiber wheels on its Ford GT save more than two pounds per wheel over equivalent aluminum wheels. That's a 25 percent reduction in rotational inertia. Photo: Ford Motor Co.

9. Run lightweight carbon-ceramic brake disc brake rotors and aluminum hats. That, too, reduces rotational inertia and unsprung weight. 10. Lightweight engine parts add power as well as cut weight. Install aluminum engine parts, including the intake manifold, water pump, cylinder heads, and pulleys. And if you're Daddy Warbucks, install an entire aluminum engine.

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The legendary aluminum 1969 ZL1 427 big-block weighed about the same as an all-iron small-block Chevy. This is a rare serial-numbered 50th Anniversary GM ZL1 crate engine briefly available in 2008, No. 001 of just 427 units. Hint: Car-type and many truck LS engines are all-aluminum and not rare. Photo: General Motors

11. Install an aluminum radiator. Not only do they save weight, they're also more efficient than old-school copper-brass radiators.

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Cooler idea: Replace old, heavy, inefficient copper/brass radiators with modern lightweight aluminum radiators and upgrade to an electric fan while you're at it.

12. Change from power brakes to manual brakes. 13. Change from power steering to manual steering. Even better: rack-and-pinion steering with a coilover front-end. 14. Install as many lightweight body panels as you can afford. Traditionally, that means fiberglass, but carbon-fiber is increasingly available, and the price is coming down. Mid-1970s and newer 5-mph bumpers and their supporting structure are heavy and prime candidates for initial weight reduction.

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A 'glass tilt front-end like this is fairly high up the food chain in cost, but a lightweight bumper and hood are fairly cost-effective. Reducing front-end weight aids weight-transfer and traction.

15. Replace your heavy glass windows with lightweight Lexan or plexiglass windows. Caution: In some places, this might not be street legal. 16. Replace your steel driveshaft with an aluminum driveshaft. If money is falling out of your wallet, carbon-fiber driveshafts are also available. Your engine will rev quicker, too!17. Lay off the French fries. Yes, the driver and passengers also weigh in on the subject.

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We Can't Weight: 17 Weight Reduction Car Tips - Hot Rod Network