I've been playing again...

**nutron** · 30th July 2006, 22:33

Having hit some problems with the switchable box idear (not given up, just waiting to get some diodes), I decided to see how much weight I could remove from the car.

So I started by emptying the boot obviously, then out came the space saver and tools, then the next logical step had to be the seats!

I was very suprised by the weight of the back seats, must be about 50kg. I know they need to stop stuff flying through from the boot but they don't have to be radiation proof, feel like they're make them out of lead!

As it's dark I left the front passenger seat in.

Then I stuck in the box and went for a blast!

It felt fast as usual but with more weight over the front, it cornered better than usual. With thinner less grippy tyres on the back, if I let off in a corner the front gets more grip and the back slips round so it can really get round corners fast.

Wish I had less fuel in the tank, only filled up today (an abysmal 51.17mpg

) then I would have been almost down to racing weight.

The only other weight cuts I could really see me doing are the front passenger seat as I said and a few lbs around the waist...

The Eagle F1s are getting better as they wear in like the Toyos did. I think they are at least as good as the T1-Rs now, so I'm happy with my purchase, as long as I don't have any problems with them like the NCT5s did...

**Jamie** · 30th July 2006, 22:57

Interesting experiment mate! I don't really see the point, but it sure is interesting!!

**rushy** · 30th July 2006, 23:06

Door cards, carpet, engine covers. In fact doors, boot, engine! LOL. You should have done a stripped and none stripped 0-60 timed run.

**marichrd** · 30th July 2006, 23:10

I let off in a corner the front gets more grip and the back slips round

That will be lift off oversteer, and it WILL bite back...

so it can really get round corners fast

Sideways is not the fastest way...

**nutron** · 30th July 2006, 23:17

Think that may have been a little over board...

I'm still hoping to get to a track day with my licence before I die (Misses isn't playing ball, infact, she had threatend to pop mine... both of them...). Would like to go down a 1/4 mile with minimum weight and see what I can get.

I don't have a spoiler or funky bumpers because that would add drag but with a car that weight over 1.7 tonnes when I'm sat in it, weight saving it deffinatly the way ahead.

I was thinking about perspex side windows, I could make those myself and light weight alloys... Ever idear I have seems to snowball, is this just me?

**big phil** · 30th July 2006, 23:18

take the sound proofing out nutron !! that weighs quite a bit !!!!!

**GARY3306** · 30th July 2006, 23:18

Send your findings into Vx as a 'technical suggestion'

**nutron** · 30th July 2006, 23:19

just lift for a sec then put the power back down to nudge it round. The stig really didn't drive the VXR well, he should have let off a bit and stayed on the track!

**nutron** · 30th July 2006, 23:21

I tell thee what, there was a noticable increase in exhaust noise with the back seats out. I imediatly though of the VXR I test drove but it wasn't anywhere near as loud.