weight loss

1st January 2010, 19:38

how much weight in all could be saved out of the saxo? as standerd they weight 925kg if pakers is right then iv seen the following stuff from ccf and streamline

fiberglass bonnet
fiberglass tailgate
fiberglass doors
fiberglass roof from streamline
polycarb windows
stripped

only weight been added back in would be the dash, cage, carbon door cards and then a faulse plywood floor ro cover up all the metal etc

so in total how light do you think i could get the saxo after doing all of the following? cheers guys

1st January 2010, 19:47

700 - 750 at a guess.

not worth it atall imo. a lot of cash

and why would you put ply wood in the car? spending 1000's on making it weigh less, then add weight...

1st January 2010, 19:51

the wood is jsut to give it all a nice flat look inside

and the main reason for getting it down is the next step after is to get more power from the engine thinking a low boost turbo setup so will have quite a high power to weight from the car

1st January 2010, 19:53

if youve got cash to burn, then go for it. at a rough guess youd be looking at £3 - £5k for that

1st January 2010, 20:02

yup thats the down side to the idea the pannels from ccf seem quite cheap but the roof is the expesnive bit the fiberglass one from streamline is around the 200 mark but would love the cf for the look

1st January 2010, 20:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by leighk18

yup thats the down side to the idea the pannels from ccf seem quite cheap but the roof is the expesnive bit the fiberglass one from streamline is around the 200 mark but would love the cf for the look

with a fibregash roof id assume youd have to have a pretty good welded in full roll cage too

so an extra £1k ish?

1st January 2010, 20:10

Would want a good cage in there with either the fg or cf roof
a good few kg can be saved by takeing the tar like sound deadening off the floor

1st January 2010, 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashleyp

with a fibregash roof id assume youd have to have a pretty good welded in full roll cage too

so an extra £1k ish?

do wish to look into this do you no of any good cages as end of the day a saxo is not the best car in a crash so a cage is a defo must if going for fiberglass roof and doors as the doors do not come with the impact bar in them

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy

Would want a good cage in there with either the fg or cf roof
a good few kg can be saved by takeing the tar like sound deadening off the floor

cheers mate stuff like that will be done away

1st January 2010, 20:37

If you have money to burn change as many bolts as possible to titanium.
A mate did this on his race bike and saved a fair bit aswell, think he managd to do pretty much ever bolt on the bike

1st January 2010, 21:12

Omp do a fairly light weld in full cage (19kg)

On a road car I wouldn't be using fibreglass doors if it were me. Anything hits you side on and it will come straight through the door. Then you'll be pretty dead, cage or no cage

1st January 2010, 21:22

Leigh - We dont produce the roof in grp, only wet lay carbon as the cheapest option at £400 + vat, and we recommend full cage with any of our roof panels and wuld also advise with using any form of composite doors, so you will be adding somewhere between 20-30kg to your shell with weight of cage bare in mind too.

cheers

Bic

1st January 2010, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_K

Omp do a fairly light weld in full cage (19kg)

On a road car I wouldn't be using fibreglass doors if it were me. Anything hits you side on and it will come straight through the door. Then you'll be pretty dead, cage or no cage

ya that is a problem the car when the car has been fully dun will be a toy and not a daily drive

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bicston

Leigh - We dont produce the roof in grp, only wet lay carbon as the cheapest option at £400 + vat, and we recommend full cage with any of our roof panels and wuld also advise with using any form of composite doors, so you will be adding somewhere between 20-30kg to your shell with weight of cage bare in mind too.

cheers

Bic

cheers mate how much is fitting of the wet lay roof?

3rd January 2010, 16:10

Fitting of roof panel £300, includes removal of steel panel and retention of stell cross bars if not going for carbon versions (£200 + vat), removal of tailgate, windscreen removal, installation of composite panel, refit tailgate and associated parts, windscreen refitted (new seal if neccessary).

3rd January 2010, 16:15

you do no that fibreglass doesnt last a lifetime. it does start to get weak after a while

3rd January 2010, 19:10

fibreglass bonnet and boot id do..doors no unless track car or shit hot cage, and the roof i wouldnt go fibreglass at all, it wont live very long

3rd January 2010, 19:43

Poorly produced and cheap materials maybe, but GRP doesnt get weak as such, fixing points may well detoriate over time through use and debris from road and any knocks and bangs will be what takes its toll, just like a layer of paint on the front bumper of a car. For that reason, any grp panels we make that require fixing points and have vulnerable areas (ie: top corners of a bonnet) are strengthened with carbon fibre. Nonethless GRP is a compromise falling somewhere between steel panel and pre preg carbon fibre, given a balance of weight loss, cost & strength, all of which it does as a compromise but at a more affordable cost to many people to suit there needs.

GRP is also affected by heat, any unpainted panels in direct sunlight for the first time may well show faults and any air pockets not worked out when laminating the panel will pop through the gel coat surface finish.

There is a reason we wouldnt produce our replacement roof panel in full grp, simply not up to the job, at least wet lay carbon does have some strength, albeit sacrificing a little less weight loss.

Reading your ideas Leigh a good package i think would be the following, subject to your budget and any other preferences

GRP bonnet
GRP tailgate
Carbon fibre/kevlar doors with GRP inner panels (Kelvar increases the prevention of objects pentrating the panel moreso than carbon fibre alone)
Carbon Fibre wet lay roof

Hope that helps

3rd January 2010, 21:02

lucky to be under 750kg with a cage.

3rd January 2010, 21:54

think with all them carbon bits fitted, 800kg would still be a challenge.
iirc i only removed 50ish kgs,when i tore the insides outa mine.add on 25kg for the cage.and if a vts is 935kg as standard,then im still over 900kg.
will all them carbon bits save 150kgs over the standard parts ?

3rd January 2010, 22:23

there are good savings to be had from the replacement of glass with polycarb too, I think that was in the list too, seat belts weigh a lot, but depends on harnesses going in that will replace them, i know my Willans weigh 10kg !

4th January 2010, 07:43

if your going to spend 5k on going fast best thing would be to buy a sti type ra, 145 mph and 0-60 in 4.8, your never going to better that in a saxo un less your going twin engine or another sort of mad setup. there is no substitute for power

4th January 2010, 18:41

would the 6 point Geronimo Cages be any good? if got it welded in instead of bolt in? if was not to run the new doors