Gts -T Race Car Build - Ideas For Weight Reduction

[nickor33]

i have an r33 gts-t that is being prepped for the race track. Car has approx 220 kw at wheels, but i am more interested i saving weight and improving brakes than geiving it more power at the moment . Brakes will be a big brake upgrade at some point and it already has tein coilovers ready to put in.

i am more after some information on weight reduction for the GTs-t can any one provide info on what should remove or replace to gain the biggest loss in weight

car is not registered / track only

already done

• removal of interior ( except for drivers seat, centre console, harness )
• hicas removed
• standard rims and dunlop semi slicks
• boot - tyre and lining removed

obviously will remove air - con , but what else should i do . i have no limit want to remove as much weight as possible - goal as close to 900 kg as i can get ( i know thats bold )

Edited March 9, 2011 by nickor33

[Risking]

It all the small things that add up but bear in mind you will add 50kg of cage back in if you go that way.

All the air con.

Strip and rewire the loom.

Remove door intrusion bars

Remove all the door glass and motors

Cut out as much sheet metal as possible.

Alloy/ carbon trims, boot floor etc etc

GTR bonnet and guards etc

Lighter battery

Lighter seats

Remove all unused brackets, drill out spot welds for brackets and tabs that are unused.

Remove unused engine components,

Titanium or alloy exhaust (the right grade alloy!)

Alloy piping for everything not steel

Remove wipers (use rain x)

The list can go on and on and on really

Just look at the car and decide what can be remade from a lighter material or taken out all together.

Building an r32 GTR currently for a customer which has a weight target, it's close to target but we've gone to some expense and time to get it there.

I also did an r33 recently with a very comprehensive cage and an untouched body shell. It was surprisingly light (still +1000kg).

I've also got 2 s13's here which are both nudging the 1000kg mark caged and race ready. 900kg would be possible for one of those

You won't get an r33 under a legit 1200kg race ready wet.

[trez]

Dont forget to remove the sound deadener from the floor inside the car and boot area......

Dry ice is usually the best method.

Edited March 9, 2011 by trezy85

[boxheadmr]

driver on a diet also helps

[PM-R33]

lol at 900kg.

[mattah]

, but what else should i do . i have no limit want to remove as much weight as possible - goal as close to 900 kg as i can get ( i know thats bold )

Sell boat, buy S13.

[FineLine]

Remove headlights and gut them.

Remove tail lights. Cut a sheet of carbon fibre to suit the tail light hole and add a couple of small led brake lights to the carbon.

Piss the rear view mirrors off and replace with small light manual jobs.

Remove the rear reo bar.

Pull the dash out and throw away all the unnneccessarys, heater and ac box's etc.

Lose the glove box.

Throw out the stereo and all the speakers.

gut the doors

Lose the centre console

Replace glass with lexan

etc etc. Just look over the car carefully and if it isnt required throw it out.

[ARTZ]

Just wondering for all the effort of some of the things listed by RISKING, would it not be easier and cheaper just to squeeze and an extra 30-40kw out of the engine to compensate for the weight.

I mean GTR guards and bonnet will cost you a grand , all this titanium stuff isnt cheap, rewiring the loom can be a nightmare, alloy carbon rims another coupe of grand.

Sure, all the little things removed add up to a significant weight loss, but for little outlay you could just get some more power and remove the easy/basic stuff for a similar power to weight ratio..

[FineLine]

Adding power is all well and good but it is far better to remove weight. The lighter car is far kinder on brakes tyres etc and can generally carry more corner speed due to lower inertia, g,s or whatever you want to call it.

[Burgz32]

nut's and bolt's are an easy wait saving, i have personal seen 28kg's removed from a car just by cutting every bolt to length

if a gaurd is 3mm thick, and held on by a 6mm bolt, then that bolt need only be 12mm long, 3mm thru the gaurd and 9mm of thread

most gaurd bolt's are 25mm plus long, and there usully 10-12 of them, a gaurd only need's 4 bolt's to hold it on..

as a rule of thumb a nut or bolt on need's 1 and a 1/2 it's thickness in a thread to make it safe.. i.e a 6mm need's 9mm of thread

an 8mm bolt need's 12mm, you'll be surprise how quickley the bucket fill's up with off cut's!!!

and when you want to get really serious, Alloy and Titanium are your friend...

http://www.tastynuts.com/

[Risking]

None of it is difficult. Can be expensive but seriously the guy wanted to get down to 900kg! Kinda a waste of a thread really as his not even been back since??

As fineline has said a lighter car is always better than a more powerful car.

Easier to set up, use tires properly, brakes, fuel etc etc.

Re wiring a car will take alot of weight out, simplify everything and create a far neater vehicle.

[ARTZ]

yeah i guess in the long run with the savings on tyres, brakes clutches and even fuel, being lighter is going to work in your favour..

Its just so tempting (especially with an engine as tunable as the RB), to think more power is the easiest option to going quicker.

[Risking]

Another thing we found when running the GTR was if you want an extra 40kw and are making 350kw already your talking about roughly a 12% power increase. It might be easy to obtain but the reliability and maintanance the engine requires also increase substantially.

A a rough example if the car weighs 1200kg and makes 390kw is equivalent pwr/weight would be roughly 1100kg with 355kw.

[Risking]

It's far easier on the wallet and car in the long run to take 100kg out of the car ( carbon doors, wiring loom and a small light battery would get you a rough 100kg lose) than produce 390kw all day long and have reliability issues with transmissions, engines etc etc.

[badhairdave]

obviously will remove air - con , but what else should i do . i have no limit want to remove as much weight as possible - goal as close to 900 kg as i can get ( i know thats bold )

Sell the r33 and buy a caterham. It will be cheaper in the long run and faster as well, plus it weighs well under 900kgs

Or sell it and buy an s13, sub 1000kg is easy enough and as an added bonus they are cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, cheaper to modify than an r33 and faster too

[nismoman]

^ + 1 about the S13, but stop telling everybody lol!!!

[bigmikespec]

It's far easier on the wallet and car in the long run to take 100kg out of the car ( carbon doors, wiring loom and a small light battery would get you a rough 100kg lose) than produce 390kw all day long and have reliability issues with transmissions, engines etc etc.

I have often thought the same thing Brad... it takes a lot more money (and maintenance) to keep a RB26 alive and well at 400kW on a race track than it would to loose 100kg.

[ARTZ]

yeah but this guy hasn't got a 400kw gtr or an s13, he has a 220kw gtst, now it is pretty easy to squeeze another reliable 40kw out of this motor.

My point was, rather than trying to lose over 300kg wouldn't it be alot easier to get that extra 40kw and lose maybe 100-150kg

Cause I think we can all agree his target of 900kg is near impossible with an r33, it seems 1100kg would even be a struggle.

[Josh_TypeX]

Edit - Helps if I read yesterday's posts before replying

[badhairdave]

^ + 1 about the S13, but stop telling everybody lol!!!

Don't worry, most skyline owners are still in denial so will think i'm trolling