E30 Zone

I've managed to get my cars weight down to 1020kg with a 1/4 tank of fuel but would like to get beneath 1000kg if possible. I've already fitted fiberglass boot and bonnet, poly windows etc.

I plan to junk the dash and just fit a digital display but what's the best budget replacement for door panels etc? How much more weight can I realistically lose?

have you removed the heater box? (i take it that its a track car!)
also, my mate on his golf mk1, cut the excess off the inside of the doors and put plastic there instead - makes the doors flimsy though but he has a roll cage so has protection from that!

Q

Is it a non-sunroof shell? Lightweight wheels would save you a bit. Carbon fibre seats, loose the cushioning if you can deal with it. Replace fuel tank with ally fuel cell. Ally radiator, lightweight race car battery....should be possible!

Power steering delete?

Bit of a faff when the car is already built up, but a few kg off the flywheel if not already done. Manual winders with door looms and central locking gubbins removed, again if not already done.

Drive in the buff

Drive in the buff

Heater delete might well be an option when I rip the dash out. I'm also going to look at lightening the doors a bit more but the winder mechanisms etc already junked when we fitted the poly windows.

I think the next move will be a race battery and an alloy fuel tank. I use the car for sprints so can get away with carrying minimal fuel. I would like to be able to still do track days without stopping to refuel every 5 minutes.

Has anyone else fitted a fuel cell? Should I also fit a swirl pot?

If you are fitting a fuel cell then a swirl pot is a must to make the most of running minimal fuel.

'Scooping' the doors is a good one and saves a good few kgs...

Race battery also saves a good chunk.

Outside of that, all the usual ones - go on a diet, race in the buff, big turd before going out on track etc etc...

Im not keen on a fuel cell, apart from safety its just an expensive way of moving weight away from a central and low position, it always ends up higher and further back.
You could spend all day making your doors wobbly and I doubt you would get above 1kg benefit

As above, if the doors are already stripped out very little significant to be gained from further chopping. From the pictures you already have a fibreglass front end, do you still have rear bumper carrier and original mounting shocks? If so these can be stripped out and the outer lining refitted with a couple of bolts.

there should be some good weight to save on the exhaust.
perhaps electric pas pump instead of a full delete, could reduce the pipe run by mounting it close to the rack on the drivers side.
Gutted bumpers.
Spare wheel well delete, replace the hole with an alu panel.
Sound deadening tar, even from the bottom of the car?
Replace brake bar and servo with twin master.
ICV delete, just jack throttle with stop screw (provided ecu will cope)
Light weight alternator

carbon fibre door cards? if so ive got a set

Anyone stripped all the underseal and painted it? A friend did this to his Clio and saved 15-20kg. Would imagine on an e30 it would be closer to 30ish?

bmw9818 wrote:carbon fibre door cards? if so ive got a set

Can you PM price please fella?

I've got no PAS, front bumper internals etc and still need to fit the front splitter!

Anyway, I have come to the conclusion that apart from the obvious bits like the dash & inner door panels, the easiest place to lose extra weight is from me.

I spent a long time in a wheelchair (here's the excuse bit ;) ) and because I couldn't get about as well as before my accident, I put on a shed load of weight. The time has come to shed it. (do you see what I did there? ) Anyway, the diet starts today! I did consider driving naked but having just seen myself wearing nothing but helmet, gloves & race boots I can assure you it ain't pretty!

HairyScreech wrote: perhaps electric pas pump instead of a full delete,

We used to run electric PAS pumps on the Ginetta's, they're heavy lumps compared to a small aluminium belt driven ones.

I'm a big boy and don't need PAS.

Im running Electric power steering, I think with everything combined, I didn't gain any weight and certainly didn't loose any.

I gained HP instead

Andrew

I've been trying to lighten my 325 too. My car is a rally car so has lots of extras such as sump/tank guard, 2 extinguishers. I need to get myself a fibreglass bonnet as original 13kg plus all bracketry. I havnt gutted bumpers yet though. Will do that next week. Also fancy polycarb rear screen and front windows. Going to keep my pop outs glass though as car gets so hit I melted my trainers on the weekend on the floor.
My car runs cherry bomb silencers which are really light compared to standard.

Demlotcrew wrote:Im running Electric power steering, I think with everything combined, I didn't gain any weight and certainly didn't loose any.

I gained HP instead

Andrew

I'm intrigued. Is there a thread on converting to electric power steering somewhere?
How much HP did it free up?
Alex

Try taking the belt off and drive up the road to see if any difference or back to back dyno session. I don't run power steering on my e30 with e36 rack.
What about h4 outer light conversion and loose the inner lights?
Space saver spare. Alloy jack from Porsche, only run a little washer water?

kipsy wrote:I don't run power steering on my e30 with e36 rack.

A few people reckon their cars are undriveable without PAS on an e36 rack? I found it pretty much ideal. It's heavier but certainly not too heavy. Even parking isn't an issue.

I was going to look at an H4 conversion on the outer lights. Is it easy to do? I figured it would also leave room for cool air intakes for the engine and the cabin (I only have a slider in the drivers door window and it can get a bit hot & sweaty)

I do think some peoples ideas of what their cars weigh might be a bit out though. (not the guys in this thread) as some have said their cars are lighter than mine but with less mods and even stock glass.

I havnt done the h4 conversion but my brother did before (kevo) would be good as you said to get air in. You can bore some holes in rear screen and put in vents (try plastic for performance) to allow some air through. I'm hopefully getting a fibreglass bonnet this week and I'm going to knock up some polycarb windows and buy the large sliders. I want to weigh the car but it's hopefully about 800kg but realistically 1200 haha.
With regards pas it can be heavy when I'm competing on tight single venue rallies where tight kerbs and chicanes are present but think may go pas when I put a z3 on it

Hoobs wrote: I do think some peoples ideas of what their cars weigh might be a bit out though. (not the guys in this thread) as some have said their cars are lighter than mine but with less mods and even stock glass.

True, a lot of people guesstimate a weight for the cars without actually having them weighed. Something else I thought of, we lost the boot, bonnet and door rubber surrounds and trims. The door frames still have the top 30cm or so, otherwise there is a 2cm gap that gets a bit drafty and wet when driving on the road. Rear boot hinges, mechanisms and brackets that they bolt to (single skin bootlid on pins).

MrBenn wrote:

Demlotcrew wrote:Im running Electric power steering, I think with everything combined, I didn't gain any weight and certainly didn't loose any.

I gained HP instead

Andrew

I'm intrigued. Is there a thread on converting to electric power steering somewhere?
How much HP did it free up?
Alex

Hi Alex,

You can buy the kit here;

http://www.bmwm3shop.de/product_info.ph ... ering.html

I wired it up to a switch, so I have control of when its on.



HTH

Andrew

Do you switch it off at all Andrew?

Oh, and did you ever sort out your door pin rattle

I switch it off all the time when im driving in straight line and when the car is idling.

I have BMW motorsport under drive pulleys and a racing battery, so to keep the voltage up i switch the pump off when i don't need it (full chat it takes 600w) really is the perfect solution, works flawlessly and great flexibility.

I did sort the rattle, do you want to copy my idea?

Nah, I like my rattles, gives character

So you keep it on when doing a track day?

When on track its always on yes, the alternator is seeing a nice high rpm and generates enough power to keep the battery topped up and the pump running. The pump on track averages 330w.

With the 4.0 L2L rack i could keep it off and still manage to turn the wheel when loaded, but with the 3.0 L2L rack its much much harder and my skinny arms fatigue too much, not worth the aggro as being tired is far more dangerous!

How is it for feel Andrew? When I was speaking to a few of the escort guys who use a Corsa (I think) EPAS they say it lacks feel and isn't particularly nice.

All this talk of weight loss has got me thinking, what is more important, losing a few extra kg or keeping front/rear balance? Was in the garage last night and there is a ton of weight up front but nothing over the rear of my car. Questioning weather to go fibreglass bonnet and boot or something like bonnet and wings to try and even up the weight.

Need to get it on some scales really

The pump i have is what BMW motorsport use on all of their current race cars (hence the price), the feel is exactly the same as a belt pump as they are both hydraulic even slightly better as its not over assisted.

Im very conscious of the front and rear balance which is why ive got an S14 up front

Haha bit too rich for my blood just to achieve better balance

I read someone, possibly on here strapped 30kg ballast in line with the rear axel to get near 50:50 weight distribution. Just curious what people see as more important, weight or balance

I see balance as much much more important (with in reason).

All of my heavy hardware is as close to the bulkhead as can be, i even ditched the OE fan as it was heavy and too far forward for a more modern and significantly lighter Spal fan.

I have been thinking of moving the seats as far back as they will go, it means I have to get a pedal box though

Have you had yours on a set of scales to determine your front/rear weight ratio?

My passenger seat is right up against the cage, I see them as ballast

No not yet, im going through the car and reducing weight where i can, I have a lot to take off still, need to get the car weighed, i dont think it will be that light which is why im holding off.