Weight issues

[B8YD K]

I'm getting a little obsessed with power to weight ratios after a recent excursion on a Formula Lotus at malory park. It is powered by a XE 16v engine with about 180bhp but I managed to overtake a Lambo Murcielago down the start finish straight whilst driven by an instructor ginving a high speed passenger ride and the feeling was amazing. I'm now no longer happy with 210bhp in my 1119kg Ibiza.

The question is do I have to get a Westfield, Caterham or Lotus Elise etc etc or could I strip enough weight out of my Ibiza to make a worth while difference. I want about 200bhp per tonne but no more horse power through the front wheels. So need to shed about 100kgs.

Has anyone tried slimming their Seat or is it just not worth the effort?


Boyd

 

[cordobabrendy]

rear seats, aircon, spare, lighter panels, perspex windows, manual winders, flywheel basic exhaust with cat etc removed, but even then you probably wouldnt see 100 kilos off, if you imagine what adding a 6'2" well built bloke into your car the difference makes, that is what the car would feel like before hand then take the bloke out and thats the equivilent improvement you would see though handling may be a smidgeon better.

makes sense in my head anyway!

 

[Copra]

yes i agree actually!
You could **** a fair amount by loosing all seats and buying proper racing lightweight fronts, spare wheel, jack, parcel shelf, sound deadening (heavy ****!)
But 100kg is a fair amount.
give it ago one weekend!

 

[FLiPNFiLL]

Does anyone know how much Cupra's officially weigh as standard? Kerb Weight.

 

[Dormouse]

The basics are easy.

Jack / tool / Spare wheel.
Remove all ICE.
Rear Seats (not they they weigh much).
Shelf (the weightless cardboard thing???)

And do you want to arse around with window winders and lexan windows? they'll save you realativley little for a lot of work.

Consider a lighter carbon / fibre / plastic bonnet, now that's a weight saving.

Question is do you want to get silly?

Because believe me i can remove 100kg from your car, it'll involve mork, kev sporting manic grins and several power tools...but it can be done.

Rgs

Dor.

 

[B8YD K]

Spare went about 6 months ago, already have carbon bonnet. I'm gonna strip my seats out and weight them and see if it's worth it.

Can I just unplug my seats or will the airbags go off and fire me accross my drive?

 

[cordobabrendy]

now that i would pay to see!!

 

[BenS1]

Lets not forget the 5Kg block of metal on the subframe thats there just to prevent vibration apparently.... (Or was it on the rack?). That can come off and to be honest I don't think you'd notice any additional vibration.

Has everyone else done this?

I'm now planning on making the Ibiza a pure trackday only car... so I may well strip it out to save weight, although things like the rollcage etc will soon add some of the weight back on.

Has anyone actually had their Ibiza weighed (Corner scales)?

I know what the book weight is (1119Kg) but I want to see how heavy it is in the real world, and the exact weight distribution (ie. 60% front 40% rear? 70% front 30% rear? Left right balanced? etc).

Cheers
Ben

 

[Revo Kev]

Mine was corner weighted just before the Ring trip... and weighed in at just over 1100kg. I think the book weight is a little understated although they probably weigh it dry. Also bear in mind I've 2 race seats no carpets rears, although I've not even got started on stripping in completely yet and the cage has added much of the lost weight back.

Chris is right give it to me and m0rk for a weekend, we'll lose you 100kg!

My honest opinion, unless you're going to go all out then don't bother.

Btw Boyd, is your bonnet complete with cf spider or is it just a skin?

 

[B8YD K]

Carbon bonnet is Fibreglass re-inforced spider with full Carbon Fibre skin.

Looks ok, thinking of spraying it, so as not so in yer face.
Anyone know about airbags and seats and if it's ok just to unplug them?
Boyd

 

[Revo Kev]

Sorry should have said... just unplug them, if you're worried then disconnect the battery. I never bother though. The plugs are a bit funny, you need to lift the cover and then unclip the plug... best to pull the seats out of their runners and get under them with a torch to see what your'e doing... watch you don't damage the wiring though.
What's the weight saving of the bonnet? At what cost?

 

[B8YD K]

Didn't weight old bonnet, carbon bonnet weights about 1-2 kilos max. About a tenth of the original bonnet, so not a bad saving. Eying up some Cobra bucket seats at only 5.1 kgs each they should save some weight. And then a bit of sound deadening stripping. Although most stuff in my car seems really light and not worth removing!

 

[Dormouse]

Wher did you get the bonnet mate? Custom jobbie?

Rgs

Dor.

 

[B8YD K]

Sort of, it's a lite tuned bonnet and it was their first 1, they've since done another 3-4 and think they're available off the shelf for about £499

 

[Ap_coupe]

Any pics of it on the car? As i also have a silver cupra and intrested on what it looks like agains the silver?

 

[Dormouse]

Sort of, it's a lite tuned bonnet and it was their first 1, they've since done another 3-4 and think they're available off the shelf for about £499

Not overly rediculous, but not cheap either

Still it's nice to know there's a source.

Cheers!

Dor.

 

[B8YD K]

I will post some pics in here tomorrow, been really busy at work today.

Started to strip the car out and I wont be able to get anywhere near 100kg's out of my car. The sound deadening and seats weight absolutely nothing at all! I'll be lucky to get down by 30kg's. I can't seem to find these 5kg weights anywhere that was mentioned earlier in this forum, any ideas?

Boyd

 

[m0rk]

that was phase 1

was phase 2

 

[MikeH]

Mark that looks fun but a bit to un homley for me lol
And Boyd just get more power you no you want to !!!

 

[B8YD K]

More power means more wheel spin, thats why i'm going down the route of lighter if possible, Then again when you weight as much as a blue whale Mike i don't suppose it makes much difference hehe!

Here are some pics