making a camaro lighter

[-= c a m a r o =-]

im thinking of trying to manufacture some carbon fiber parts for a '94... where should most weight be shaved off? i think the fenders would be a waste of carbon since their already pretty light. i'm definetely considering the quarterpanels... but i'll have to remove them to make a mold and they're welded on... the doors definetely need to go... they weigh like what? 50 pounds each? maybe more. the fenders and bumpers are plastic so they shouldnt weigh that much.

[Deadcarny]

take the bumper supports out if you want to drop weight. get some Lighter wheels. They sell a Lightweight carpet that actually is supposed to make a difference. lose the back seats and passenger seat. replace the front seat with a light seat. get rid of any Unnecassary junk in the console/glovebox (might be surprised).

[89IROC&RS]

well, the only problem i see there is with the quarter panels, cuz its a continuous hoop around the back, so to cut them out, and then make them in carbon fiber, would be doable, but you cant weld carbon fiber to the rest of the body, unless your gonna cut out the whole rear body section, make it out of carbon fiber, and put it back on the chassis, but damn that would b a project. if i was going to cut weight with carbon fiber, and had free reighn, with no regard to rules or laws, first thing would be the doors like you said, the hood, and the rear hatch, that thing is heavy as shit.

[Dober89]

You could ditch the glass and replace it with some lexan. The rear hatch is a whore of a size and isnt too light. What about replacing the hood too?

[-= c a m a r o =-]

i wouldnt want the quarters to be welded on anyway, i'd probably rivet it or have some other fasteners that would make it easy to take the rear clip off. as for the rear glass, rksport has a targa to replace the rear glass, i can probably make a mold similar to that. not that im planning to do this as a first project, but just how much weight would the car lose if the chassis was completely made from carbon/kevlar?
does lexan last a long time? or is it like plexi-glass as it gets foggy and scratches up easily?
how much lighter are 3rd gens than 4th?

[89IROC&RS]

well, i think the targa is gonna be a matter of taste, or as i see it, a lack there of. saw it on one in the shop the other day, it was hidious. as far as how much weight total it would drop, no idea.

[Dober89]

Lexan holds up pretty good. They made t-tops out of them and I think only had a bit of trouble in some areas where it was blistering hot and the sun was always on them.

[94CamaroZ28]

Take a big shit, drive on a 1/4 tank, take all your stereo equiptment out, and the spare

[DaMoNe6969]

as for Where you should remove weight.. I wouldnt be looking at the hatch or rear quarters til you get the front looked at.. Removing weight will make the car go faster, but you should keep weight distrobution in mind.. You dont haveto remove weight, you can also Move weight to your advantage..

But frst things Ide look at.. The hood.. those things are heavy bitches.. doors, move your battery to the rear, and remove all the old mounting hardware, lightweight rims, etc etc

[tacoma man.]

what if you get hit like i did? my frirebird was
destroyed, and it was all metal and plastic.

[-= c a m a r o =-]

if carbon fiber doors are illegal, who and how would know they're carbon fiber? the lexan too? does the inspection guy like tap ur windows or something to see if they're glass? as for safety, carbon fiber is not the safest shit to build, kevlar is probably safer.. when carbon breaks, it breaks into sharp pieces. so i guess if u wanted to add safety, you would use kevlar in the interior to shield you from the shards of carbon in a crash. or just stay the hell away from old people and foreigners driving.

[-= c a m a r o =-]

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

well, i think the targa is gonna be a matter of taste, or as i see it, a lack there of. saw it on one in the shop the other day, it was hidious. as far as how much weight total it would drop, no idea.

was that on a 3rd or 4th gen? i seen it on a 4th gen and it looked pretty good... except for the lines where the glass used to be.

[Chevyracincamaro]

well the lexan would be a give-away cause it wouldnt have the defogger, and the carbonfiber would be a give-away cause its carbon fiber, my three-year old sister could recognize it. i dont know if you can paint it or not, i dont know why you couldnt but i heard once that you couldnt.

and as for weight coming off, the hood is a huge source of weight, the lexan is a great idea cause the rear glass itself weighs nearly two hundred pounds, but the easiest way to save weight, as sort of mentioned before, is to lower the amount of fuel in the car. gas weighs about 7 pounds per gallon, if you only fill up half way each time you stop you save 50 lbs right there.

also go on a diet...

[-= c a m a r o =-]

Originally Posted by Chevyracincamaro

well the lexan would be a give-away cause it wouldnt have the defogger, and the carbonfiber would be a give-away cause its carbon fiber, my three-year old sister could recognize it. i dont know if you can paint it or not, i dont know why you couldnt but i heard once that you couldnt.

and as for weight coming off, the hood is a huge source of weight, the lexan is a great idea cause the rear glass itself weighs nearly two hundred pounds, but the easiest way to save weight, as sort of mentioned before, is to lower the amount of fuel in the car. gas weighs about 7 pounds per gallon, if you only fill up half way each time you stop you save 50 lbs right there.

also go on a diet...

lol... any composite can be painted last time i checked, thats why i asked. the lexan can be tinted to hide the defogger lines? or not? 200 pounds just for the glass?? and i weigh like 150 how much less can i go...

do they really pay attention to that kinda shit? last time my friend wanted to have his 84 camaro inspected they didnt even give a shit that he had no working guages, all they care about is that it has seatbelts, seats, mirrors, and a steering wheel. i dont think they even know what carbon fiber is, but i could be wrong, i have never had my car inspected since i bought it.

[Dober89]

All you could have to do for the back lexan window is tape off lines and give it a quick sand blast to etch lines into it, or u could squirt it with some black paint.

I would ditch all the glass except for the windshield. Try geting a lighter set of wheels and tires too. Go with a 4th gen aluminum driveshaft also, not a ton of weight there but its reciprocating mass so even better.