Lighter performance parts

[m.glisson003]

I've stripped a little over 100 lbs off of my Del Sol already. Im looking to lose some more weight. I know many ways to strip some more weight off and many performance parts that are made lighter. What Im not sure of is how available are these parts? Things like lighter wheels, brakes, flywheel etc are pretty easy to come by but what if I wanted to use an aluminum block and heads? Is aluminum parts readily available for most vehicles or only a few?

[MagicRat]

Good subject.
This answer is entirely dependent on the vehicle in question. Older, domestic vehicles from the 80's and earlier often can lose hundreds of pounds in this way.
They often had steel wheels, cast-iron intake and exhaust manifolds, very heavy catalytic converters, etc.
For example, I modded an '81 Fleetwood. Swapping in alum wheels, low profile tires, alum. intake, tube headers, no cats etc all saved 175 lbs.

I unloaded another 100 lbs by eliminating the A/C system and tar-style undercoating, the full size spare tire (a compact spare will do) and the bumper shims.

Future weight saving? I could swap in an aluminum hood, which was available for these cars, as well as aluminum heads which are available for the Olds 455 I swapped in. These mods would save another 100 lbs.

Some thin-shell race seats would eliminate 50-75 lbs.

So were up to about 425 lbs. But this is for a heavy, inefficient car, where weight savings are easy.

Most modern cars have more complex systems which are more difficult to modify. Also most newer cars already are full of lightweight aluminum, composite and plastic parts. Much of the increased weight in many cars today comes in the rigid chassis, body and other structures, which are strong and often heavier than necessary for safety reasons.

I can say that going with lighter rotating parts, especially lighter wheels, tires and rotors provides the biggest improvement. This is dynamic weight, where the car must spin the weight when accelerating. (Static weight is the car's non-moving parts)

The rule of thumb, as I recall is one lb saved on the dynamic weight is worth 4 lbs static weight saved.

[m.glisson003]

Magic Rat,

Thanks for your response. I plan on removing the A/C system and installing lighter wheels, tires, and brake system.

Do you know if performance parts in the engine compartment are easy to come by for most vehicles? I know some are but Im not sure about others. For example, will I have ahard time finding an aluminum head and block for my 94 del sol? Or do manufacturers make aluminum heads and blocks for lots of vehicles.

Here is what I plan on swapping out...

-Aluminum Head
-Aluminum block
-Exhaust
-Intake
-Brakes
-Wheels
-Tires
-Aluminum flywheel

Are there any others that can be swapped out for lighter parts without sacrificing much durability?

[curtis73]

Your engine already has an aluminum head (and I think an aluminum block). Honda engines are already very lightweight so I don't think you'll find too much weight to shave there.

With a few exceptions, going to larger wheels/low profile tires adds significant weight, and adds it near the circumference of the tire. Its a lose-lose situation; additional weight with additional inertia to overcome with the weight being further from the center of the wheel. Large wheels look good, but properly sized wheels/tires will maximize performance - both in a straight line and in the curves. Stick with 15 or 16" and you'll be golden.

One thing you can do under the hood is to replace the factory cast-iron exhaust manifold with an aftermarket header. Not only will you shave about 15 lbs, but you can add 5-10 hp this way.

Hoods, fenders, and trunk lids are available in aluminum and/or carbon fiber. They're expensive and don't shave a ton of weight so I tend to consider them "bling" not zing.

The rest is pretty much what you can do without. Determine if you need a stereo, a spare, second seat, carpet, etc.

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by m.glisson003

I've stripped a little over 100 lbs off of my Del Sol already. Im looking to lose some more weight. I know many ways to strip some more weight off and many performance parts that are made lighter. What Im not sure of is how available are these parts? Things like lighter wheels, brakes, flywheel etc are pretty easy to come by but what if I wanted to use an aluminum block and heads? Is aluminum parts readily available for most vehicles or only a few?

Power steering system - OUT!