How To Make A Stagea The Biggest Loser

[darrinspencer]

The worst thing about the Stagea is it is over weight. I have been thinking about putting it on a diet

Basically if say a 100kg can be removed, if that is possible it would impove the power to weight ratio by about 10% on a 300kw at engine car

Things I have already done are

1. 34 GTR front end with alloy bonnet and fibreglass guards much lighter than the steel ones

2. R34 GTT front rear brakes with alloy calipers, not sure if the wieght saved on the calipers gets out weighed by the extra disk size?

3. Manual conversion from tipronic auto?

4. 34 GTR 18x9 forged factory wheels, verse cheaper cast rims 17 or 18's

5. 3 inch s/steel exhaust with with split dump verse factory cast dump and steel exhaust

6. larger FMIC and alloy piping verse factory side mount and some steel piping?

Other things I have thought of that will help are

1. 34 GTR front lower control arms are alloy and I think they will fit

2. Alloy body coilovers like the zeal ones. I had a set in my R33 and were much lighter than steel ones

3. Other alloy suspension arms and parts like caster and camber?

4. Are nismo suspension lighter aswell as being stronger?

5. Titanium exhaust

6. Alloy radiator verse the factory one?

7. No extra stereo bits like subs or amps

8. light weight front seats

9. Carbon parts?

10. Half a tank of fuel and no water in washer bottle. . just kidding

Bascially want keep the car like factory, so no noise reduction by removing sound deadening etc

and to stay relative legal ie no carbon panels etc.

I assume some of this would have been covered before esp for race cars, but give me your thoughts and ideas

[Tangles]

things like take out the roof lining, replace stnd front seats with lightweight race seats, swap glass windows to plastic, remove rear seats, drop out the 2.5T engine and replace with 600cc Capucinbo engine (lol joke)

[darrinspencer]

Want to keep it stiil like a road car, ie keep interior and galss windows, also the kids will roll around the back to much with no rear seat.

[WogsRus]

well you can remove the sound deadner and put carpet back, we removed 75kg of the shit of my mates old hunter.

Also light inner door panels, fiberglass door skins ect ect.

[Stinky Rooster]

dice the fast glass and put manual winders in. That would be good for close to 10kg's per door - but it would mean sourcing the winder mechanisms from a much lower spec car.

[FLYSLY]

I can definately see where you are coming from Darrin, and i think some of the things are definately a good idea for a number of reasons not just the weight loss.

In my opinion things like going for an alloy radiator is better for keeping the engine cooler especially if you are going to go for a twin or tripple core but i really dont believe that you will save much weight if any on an alloy radiator. Think about it standard radiator has plastic end tanks anyway which are extremely light weight and the actually core itself is alloy i believe they are pretty darn light already.

Upgrading brakes are one of the best ideas on there not only the fact that you are shedding a few kg's but are also making the car safer.

I dont belive that going manual would make the car lighter at all, considering you have to consider clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, and then the gearbox, plus all the master cylinders slave cylinders pedal box and pedals change the handbrake etc.. I know i am taking this to extremes but still there is probably added weight going manual.

Mind you i would have a manual over auto anyday

[BoyWhoCriedWolf]

If you have had the tailgate struts go you will know how heavy the rear gate is. If you could find a light weight version of that you would save 50kg.

Ditch 4wd system, run a 33 GTST box and have some fun.

[mitchy_]

grind off the back of the cargo bay, crewman ute styles!

(kylie and i have already copyrighted the idea of a stagute, so ner! )

[Stinky Rooster]

  mitchy_ said:

(kylie and i have already copyrighted the idea of a stagute, so ner! )

Only one problem with that Mitchy - its already been done (well, in a single cab anyway)

[yokotas13]

the nismo arms arent lighter, just better bushings from what i observed

your largest weight loss would be to remove your AC and all components

then take out your seats, front and rear, and carpet

get some dry ice, and hold it on your sound deadening

then chip it away

take out your spare

wiper resivoiur

loose all your heatshielding under the car

change to hollow sway bars

tubular links

wheels

CF hood

FRP bumpers, skirts

sunroof eliminators

Remove front and rear crash bars

replace with aluminum ones

i can keep going, it all depends on how determined you are

[FLYSLY]

  yokotas13 said:

the nismo arms arent lighter, just better bushings from what i observed

your largest weight loss would be to remove your AC and all components

then take out your seats, front and rear, and carpet

get some dry ice, and hold it on your sound deadening

then chip it away

take out your spare

wiper resivoiur

loose all your heatshielding under the car

change to hollow sway bars

tubular links

wheels

CF hood

FRP bumpers, skirts

sunroof eliminators

Remove front and rear crash bars

replace with aluminum ones

i can keep going, it all depends on how determined you are

If someone was really that worried about having a light car why buy a Stagea, In all seriousness if you want a fast sports car dont buy a stagea.

[snapper]

  FLYSLY said:

If someone was really that worried about having a light car why buy a Stagea, In all seriousness if you want a fast sports car dont buy a stagea.

no need to make it lighter ITS A WAGON for a reason it will unfortunately run 15's all day with the air on flat . But i have a trophy that states even thou they might not be quick they are consistent and I being runner up is no same against evos wrxs and the odd 32 33 !

[overpowered]

remove spare, and back cargo area carpets, floor, rear seats and passenger seat and thats 75kg+ from memory

easier to add a 26 and big turbo and push more power

[rev210]

You are probably 40kg's on the way with the front end conversion.

Then go;

* Forged alloy rims - 15kg

* carbon tail shaft - 10kg

* Ross alloy engine damper - 3kg

* Light weight alloy pulleys - 2kg

titanium exhaust - 10kg

* lightweight flywheel - 5kg

* electric fan to replace clutch fan - 1kg

That's around 86kg off and the ones marked with * increase the response of the car and improve the accelleration (quite significantly).

The best thing is that your car will not have suffered anything for comfort.The car will accellerate, stop, turn corners better and even improve milage without the extra wear and breakage associated with an equivalent power increase.

If you are really keen on getting the most out of the car some of these things will cost you a tad but, it is much the same direction taken by the likes of BMW and Porshe to extract the best from the car as a total. The carbon fibre tail shafts are now a standard feature on RX8's and the 350z 'track' for instance.

Edited June 9, 2007 by rev210

[darrinspencer]

  rev210 said:

You are probably 40kg's on the way with the front end conversion.

Then go;

* Forged alloy rims - 15kg

* carbon tail shaft - 10kg

* Ross alloy engine damper - 3kg

* Light weight alloy pulleys - 2kg

titanium exhaust - 10kg

* lightweight flywheel - 5kg

* electric fan to replace clutch fan - 1kg

That's around 86kg off and the ones marked with * increase the response of the car and improve the accelleration (quite significantly).

The best thing is that your car will not have suffered anything for comfort.The car will accellerate, stop, turn corners better and even improve milage without the extra wear and breakage associated with an equivalent power increase.

If you are really keen on getting the most out of the car some of these things will cost you a tad but, it is much the same direction taken by the likes of BMW and Porshe to extract the best from the car as a total. The carbon fibre tail shafts are now a standard feature on RX8's and the 350z 'track' for instance.

This is the best answer so far

You have listened to what I asked

Not to loose factory comfort, but increase performance

The car is remain as the "family 300kw wagon", not a noisey light weight race car

As for cost, I have spent more than $20K in mods, so what is a few more dollars to make it better.

[Ska]

What about sending the driver/passengers to jenny craig?

[jasevr4]

Out of curiosity - are S1's or S2's heavier? Obviously different options make the weight vary, but I'm curious if theres anything that there were any significant changes between the two models that affected the overall weight of the car?

[Terminal]

english.auto.vl.ru says that the Series 1 is 1620 and Series 2 is 1650

[jasevr4]

30kg's worth of headlights? :lol:

[GoldZilla]

  rev210 said:

You are probably 40kg's on the way with the front end conversion.

Then go;

* Forged alloy rims - 15kg

* carbon tail shaft - 10kg

* Ross alloy engine damper - 3kg

* Light weight alloy pulleys - 2kg

titanium exhaust - 10kg

* lightweight flywheel - 5kg

* electric fan to replace clutch fan - 1kg

That's around 86kg off and the ones marked with * increase the response of the car and improve the accelleration (quite significantly).

The best thing is that your car will not have suffered anything for comfort.The car will accellerate, stop, turn corners better and even improve milage without the extra wear and breakage associated with an equivalent power increase.

If you are really keen on getting the most out of the car some of these things will cost you a tad but, it is much the same direction taken by the likes of BMW and Porshe to extract the best from the car as a total. The carbon fibre tail shafts are now a standard feature on RX8's and the 350z 'track' for instance.

  darrinspencer said:

This is the best answer so far

You have listened to what I asked

Not to loose factory comfort, but increase performance

The car is remain as the "family 300kw wagon", not a noisey light weight race car

As for cost, I have spent more than $20K in mods, so what is a few more dollars to make it better.

That's what I was gonna say, Darrin - everyone else has mentioned removing carpet, air-con, seats, etc but you specified that you wanted to keep most of your creature comforts to use as a genuine family car...