Lightening a Nova

[CoupeUK]

Im going to be going lightweight on my XE Nova when it comes back from having the engine installed, in my head lightweight = faster car for little outlay!

So far i've removed the rear interior apart from the sound deadening, what should I do next?

Im thinking of removing the headlining, front carpets and front doorcards, and maybe modifying the dash (read that as cutting with grinder!).

I'm not very mechanically minded and take into account this is a budget build so what do you think I should do next?

Other ideas i've had are removing the heaters (not sure if i'm able enough to do this), stripping the doors of metal (was thinking of making up some polycarb windows but i'd never be able to fit them myself plus the fact i've got electric windows which i'd like to keep) and trimming the bumper irons down. Is there much point in doing these, ie does the work involved outweigh the gains?

Please bear in mind the cars just going to used for back road bashing, its not llikely to be involved in track days or dragstrips.

Any opinions appreciated

Paul

[Jack]

Remove the sound deadening, you'd be surprised how much that weighs.

You could replace the rear windows with polycarb, second hand fibreglass panels (front wings, bonnet, tailgate, bumpers). Strip the car down and chop out all the bits of metal you don't need.

[edit] I'm assuming you've ditched the spare wheel? That thing weighs a ton. If you're worried about punctures, carry a tin of tyre weld or get RAC membership ;)

[burgo]

aim for something like this and your gonna be fairly light.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/sclurgess/19-07-07_1652.jpg

from this the next step is as jack says. fibreglass panels and polycarb windows. it then starts getting harder to loose weight

[meritlover]

remove the inside of the door frames and bootlid. and remove the window winder mechanism. space frame the shell and remove sections of the floor.

[Dod]

Cut the Roof off.

Remove all the interior, leaving the Dash. Cut out the spare wheel bracket, the rear seat Mounts and Hollow out the boot lid by cutting the centre supports from it.

Remove Locka and Bumper Irons, fit light weight Bonnet pins everywhere. Get 2 Bucket seats and fit them. That'll help a fair bit.

[meritlover]

and remember to go for a toilet before you drive, that will save about 1kg. which will save you having to fit a lightweight alternator and save you lots of money!!!!!

[burgo]

and remember to go for a toilet before you drive, that will save about 1kg. which will save you having to fit a lightweight alternator and save you lots of money!!!!!lmao yesturday my mate weighed himself yesturday before dropping the kits off to the pool. then again after and he lost 4 lb lol

[meritlover]

yes it is true, often the heaviest parts of some modern stripped out cars is the driver, its the cheapest and easiest bit to loose weight, so maybe look there first?
I am not calling you fat.
burgo, your friend must have walked a long way with his children to the swimming hole to loose that many weights?!!!

[Dod]

Rofl

[Stuart]

when you think about it, on average the driver weighs approx 1/7th to 1/10th the weight of a nova/any 700kg car...... thats a disturbing ammount lol

[craig green]

SR/GTE/GSi fr seats with the subframes weigh a small tonne.

[meritlover]

when you think about it, on average the driver weighs approx 1/7th to 1/10th the weight of a nova/any 700kg car...... thats a disturbing ammount lol

that is the point iam making Stuart. many people forget this.
they strip out everything, spend stupid money on lightweight alternators,starters etc. carbon fibre everything, polycarbonate windows, alloy gearnobs and other useless tat. when the driver is about 20kg over weight.
it is such a poor state of affairs. please be mindful of this in the future.
it is nice.

[craig green]

Not just the driver, but a pair of baggy jeans & heavy boots is a damn sight more tan Adidas bottoms & trainers...

Jonlems thread in projects shows all the (car) weight loss happening.

[meritlover]

used drilled front discs. the missing material must make them lighter. also try using less oil. a ltr less = approx 1kg. so 3 ltrs less is approx weight loss of 3kg!!
dont top your brake fluid and coolant right up to the top, and use as little fuel as you can get away with. also use part worn brake pads as it is pointless carrying about all that extra pad.
hoover the car and pick up loose change. and remove useless things like horns and headlights. they arent used often enough to justify the extra weightage.
try and pump up the tyres with helium or if you are brave, hydrogen, this is lighter than air so will effectively reduce the weight of the vehicle, although when warm it will expand and cause unstable tyre pressures.
remove all the plastic bungs from the floor and drill some more holes.
wash the wheel arches and inner wings out of all dirt and dry mud. this is nice. buy a dry cell batter, bin the alternator and go total-loss ign.
scrape away all the undreseal from the underside of the car. it is very heavy and also promotes rust on poor novas.
have a hair cut and a shave before you go in, and cut your nails, this will save vital grams!!!
remember being a good car is all about power to weight ratio, so if you can reduce all these weights then you will have a better ballanced and faster car.
i hope this helps you have a nice nova!!!!!

[burgo]

used drilled front discs. the missing material must make them lighter. also try using less oil. a ltr less = approx 1kg. so 3 ltrs less is approx weight loss of 3kg!!
dont top your brake fluid and coolant right up to the top, and use as little fuel as you can get away with. also use part worn brake pads as it is pointless carrying about all that extra pad.
hoover the car and pick up loose change. and remove useless things like horns and headlights. they arent used often enough to justify the extra weightage.
try and pump up the tyres with helium or if you are brave, hydrogen, this is lighter than air so will effectively reduce the weight of the vehicle, although when warm it will expand and cause unstable tyre pressures.
remove all the plastic bungs from the floor and drill some more holes.
wash the wheel arches and inner wings out of all dirt and dry mud. this is nice. buy a dry cell batter, bin the alternator and go total-loss ign.
scrape away all the undreseal from the underside of the car. it is very heavy and also promotes rust on poor novas.
have a hair cut and a shave before you go in, and cut your nails, this will save vital grams!!!
remember being a good car is all about power to weight ratio, so if you can reduce all these weights then you will have a better ballanced and faster car.
i hope this helps you have a nice nova!!!!!

seriously how long did it take you to come up with all that lol

[meritlover]

nothing that helps a nova is a waste of time mr Burgo.......nothing

[jimbob-mcgrew]

ditch the spare and run the battery in the wheel well for better weight balance, and those funny triangular shaped bits of metal ontop of the rear arches that hold the back seat in, chop them out. the clock, horn and ciggy lighter + the wiring that goes with them, stereo and speakers. could single wiper the front end to loose one of the arms, and ditch the rear one with its motor and wiring, fair bit of weight there. and if youve got a mk1 u could go for the one piece front bumper/grill, thatll shave a bit off too.

[Dod]

used drilled front discs. the missing material must make them lighter. also try using less oil. a ltr less = approx 1kg. so 3 ltrs less is approx weight loss of 3kg!!
dont top your brake fluid and coolant right up to the top, and use as little fuel as you can get away with. also use part worn brake pads as it is pointless carrying about all that extra pad.
hoover the car and pick up loose change. and remove useless things like horns and headlights. they arent used often enough to justify the extra weightage.
try and pump up the tyres with helium or if you are brave, hydrogen, this is lighter than air so will effectively reduce the weight of the vehicle, although when warm it will expand and cause unstable tyre pressures.
remove all the plastic bungs from the floor and drill some more holes.
wash the wheel arches and inner wings out of all dirt and dry mud. this is nice. buy a dry cell batter, bin the alternator and go total-loss ign.
scrape away all the undreseal from the underside of the car. it is very heavy and also promotes rust on poor novas.
have a hair cut and a shave before you go in, and cut your nails, this will save vital grams!!!
remember being a good car is all about power to weight ratio, so if you can reduce all these weights then you will have a better ballanced and faster car.
i hope this helps you have a nice nova!!!!!


Mate, you are priceless. Well done!! I'd adding to your Rep right now.

[Dar]

I wouldn't go too far since it's a road car. Take the rear seats out and replace the front seats with some bucket seats. Get rid of all the sound deadening and leave it at that.

Keep the headlining, door cards, dash and heaters. Even put the front carpet back in. It makes the car a nicer place to be :D

[meritlover]

Mr Dar, a Nova is always a nice place to be

[burgo]

Mr Dar, a Nova is always a nice place to behave you been in a properly stripped nova on a long journey wih fecking hard suspension??? it soon starts to drain you. until you come to some bends of course:thumb:

[craig green]

Its bad enough in any XE Nova tbh. Exhaust boom & induction roar...

[Lee]

Ive just had a hairbrained idea to get a direct link camera, and rig up some sort of 'scrapheap challenge' remote control system, so I dont have to be in the car at all.

Passengers will feel safer too if they can stay in the paddock with me :)

[Stuart]

lol lee you tit.


have to say, in dans old old 1.6 8v build I could happily sleep in that thing on road trips lol.

[meritlover]

have you been in a properly stripped nova on a long journey wih fecking hard suspension??? it soon starts to drain you. until you come to some bends of course:thumb:

yes, and straight cut gearbox resonating in your head is not nice thing either. but it is always a joy to drive a well prepared nova

[mayhem]

used drilled front discs. the missing material must make them lighter. also try using less oil. a ltr less = approx 1kg. so 3 ltrs less is approx weight loss of 3kg!!
dont top your brake fluid and coolant right up to the top, and use as little fuel as you can get away with. also use part worn brake pads as it is pointless carrying about all that extra pad.
hoover the car and pick up loose change. and remove useless things like horns and headlights. they arent used often enough to justify the extra weightage.
try and pump up the tyres with helium or if you are brave, hydrogen, this is lighter than air so will effectively reduce the weight of the vehicle, although when warm it will expand and cause unstable tyre pressures.
remove all the plastic bungs from the floor and drill some more holes.
wash the wheel arches and inner wings out of all dirt and dry mud. this is nice. buy a dry cell batter, bin the alternator and go total-loss ign.
scrape away all the undreseal from the underside of the car. it is very heavy and also promotes rust on poor novas.
have a hair cut and a shave before you go in, and cut your nails, this will save vital grams!!!
remember being a good car is all about power to weight ratio, so if you can reduce all these weights then you will have a better ballanced and faster car.
i hope this helps you have a nice nova!!!!!

you forgot 1 thing..

remove the underseal.. and let it stand in some water for a few wheeks!

rust is lighter then metal, and if youre racing a really fast car, just kick youre nova a fe times, loose rust will fall off, and again youre lighter !

[meritlover]

yes, but rust is nasty for novas. and it also makes a nova very weak. which makes me sadened