ACCURATEin

I love how you've got every item listed with the exact weight. I'm too lazy to weigh the items, so it's good to have your thread to look at.

I predicted the sunroof contraption was around 30lbs, so it seems my prediction was fairly close.

Who made the CF plug for you?

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

Holy shit you're insane...in a good way.

csmeance

innacurate, since you got rid of the radio, why not take out the wire harness, the amplifier, and all the speakers? that should be about 30 pounds. Also have you though about taking off those ACURA door sills? thats probably another 5 pounds. Have you though about a racing wheel yet?

Inaccurate

csmeance,

I did remove all speakers (front doors, center dash, side dash tweeters). I removed the AMP too. These are included in the "radio delete" weight. However, the wiring is still in-place in case I ever change my mind.

I thought that I had racing wheels already. My rims weigh 14 lbs each. Are there any rims lighter ??? I searched fairly well before buying my 14-lb rims, and I was not able to find any rims lighter.

ACCURATEin

Oh and one more thing, the doors weigh a TON! I took the drivers side rear door off the hinge when I installed the roll cage, and that baby is ultra heavy. If you don't ever use your rear windows, you should take the interior panels off and extract the motor and glass. You can have some lexan cut and put in place of the glass, and save a good amount of weight by doing so.

erick3

lol wow so crazy...




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Inaccurate

I believe it. LOL. The Acura Service Manual says to use a hydraulic floor jack under the door when removing the door.

ACCURATEin

haha i wish i would have thought of that! I would guess the rear doors weigh between 70 and 80lbs.

ifirahse

iTrader: (6)

So what are your 0-60 and 1/4 times after removing all that weight?

special-ed

Haha OMG......before I even saw these pictures I was just thinking to myself what a carbon fiber filler on the sunroof would do.

special-ed

I think he means a racing steering wheel. Since you're not using the steering mounted control buttons anyway......but then again, you'd lose the airbag. Not worth it in that respect.

BTW, what are you using to hold the CF sunroof in place outside of sealing it around the edges?

Another possible idea........have you changed the rotors out? 2-piece rotors with bbk would help especially with as much weight reduction you have already done. You should do some slalom / lane changing testing as well as stopping distance testing.

chill_dog

I so wish I could see your pics. Not sure if you still have my e-mail, but if so, could you send me the pics of the XM antenna delete and any details regarding what you did? I've always wanted to remove it and would love to know what's involved. Thanks.

Oh yeah, dropping 500lbs is awesome. Maybe you could send me all of the pics and not just the antenna ones .

And the wheels you have are the lightest 17's available. I did a lot of research myself, and because that and the pics you sent me previously, I picked up a set. They are in the middle of being refinished (I stopped working on them when summer hit and being in the garage ceased to be enjoyable). Not sure when I'll get tires for them, but they'll be completed in the next few months . It's dorky, but I'm excited.

csmeance

I meant the steering wheel, whoops. Like I said before, the side still plates would be a good delete, 4x solid metal plates. the racing steering wheel should be go for 10 or so pounds, plus you get theft prevention since you can get the detachable hubs for it.

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

thats crazy amount of weight that u took off. kind of reminds me of those civics and tegs that strip everything out and just leave a seat, steering wheel, and center council.

Walshstl

Exactly what I was thinking. Crazy crazy project though. Balls of steel..

50pennies

Dude..I read consective pages from page 1 to now....and all i can say is
=O.

there was a time when OP stopped posting and I was like oh sh1t did he die? But I was fooled.

anyway few questions:

HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?
HOW HAVE YOU NOT BEEN PULLED OVER
All you need is to buy some NOS and your good to go screw feeling light and free the Nos will make you fly

TylerT

iTrader: (1)

+1

ChucksCL-S

So far so good but I really think it's time to lower that thing. Looks alittle 4X4 with all the weight removed. Where did the CF sunroof come from? Keep up the good work, I like it.

Inaccurate

My Adventures With The CF Sunroof Plug



In the early stages of this project, I had planned to retain the oem glass panel and eliminate just the heavier frame assembly (including sunroof motor). I had planned to fabricate mounts to hold the oem glass in position. While exploring one weekend, I had taken the sunroof glass off and found that the glass weighs 12.5 pounds. Realizing that I would eventually want to get rid of that heavy glass in the future (sometimes it pays to be honest with yourself), I figured that I would save myself the extra work and eliminate the glass now versus later.

So, now I was "in the market" for a sunroof plug. While Google searching for sunroof plugs, I seen that there is a company, LighterFaster(click here), that specializes in making custom carbon fiber panels to replace sunroofs. I did not like how their panels looked because there are visible screw heads exposed. And, I did not like how their panels were fastened to the roof with elbow brackets. Also, I was pessimistic that a custom panel would be sized correctly and it for sure would not have the oem curvature (compound curve). On the other hand, a DIY would cost nearly as much (for materials and supplies) but it would have the correct compound curve to match the roof line.

Another option that was revealed during the Google search was welding sheet metal to the roof. Nearly everyone agreed that this method does not work well because the heat from welding will warp the surrounding roof. And as a final option while Google'ing, there was the omnipresent option of just riveting a metal panel over the sunroof opening - easy, effective, but poor aesthetics.

Having found no viable option to my satisfaction, I was left with contemplating a DIY sunroof plug. This is where my new hobby, R/C model airplanes, came in handy. In the model plane hobby, one often uses composites (fiberglass and carbon fiber) to create strong, lightweight custom parts. So, I have had some exposure to DIY composites by reading How-To's on the model plane forum. Although I had not actually done any composite lay-ups myself yet, this seemed like a golden opportunity to gain some firsthand experience with making composites.

Here is the major factor that led me to consider doing a DIY carbon fiber panel. The TL sunroof has a removable rubber seal along the perimeter of the glass panel.



With the seal removed and the glass acting as a male mold, there is room to easily create a lip by allowing the carbon fiber fabric to simply hang over the sides of the glass. Having a formed lip to the CF panel would give me a KISS method to mount the panel into the roof. And, so it began.




Here's the prices.
----------------------------------
215 Carbon fiber fabric, epoxy, mold release
50 Various supplies (brushes, squeeges, roller, containers, etc.)
50 Adhesive/sealant
---------------------
$315 Total



Here is a brief illustration of how I created the CF sunroof plug


In the pic below - The CF is sold in a width of 50 inches. The roll needs to be cut into five smaller panels.



In the pic below - Now we are dealing with a smaller piece, but it too needs to be cut into smaller pieces.



In the pic below - The oem glass needs to be prepared for it's role as a male mold. The glass is elevated using a block of styrofoam.



In the pic below - Apply mold release paste wax to the glass surface and sides.



In the pic below - On top of the dried wax, apply another form of mold release called PVA.



In the pic below - Dispense the resin and hardener in exact amounts by weight.



In the pic below - This is the five layers of CF wetted-out. The camera didn't capture it well, but it is wet along the top and sides of the glass. Plus, you can count three layers, but it is really five layers.










Cheers

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

damn, makes me want to make something out of carbon fiber. where did u get the materials.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

holy... dude, you may want to think of making more than one of these... also would it be possible to have cf part be functional, like could it tilt up ... I know it would be unlikely it could move back in like the glass but a tilting cf sunroof would rock...

props to you

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

where did u get the Carbon fiber fabric? i want to do some carbon fiber projects


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TLAdvanced

iTrader: (4)

WOW!! That looks amazing, and FUNCTIONAL!! (for weight savings atleast)

Inaccurate

Rajca,

Your one-stop shopping source is www.uscomposites.com

ACCURATEin

I was thinking last night that perhaps you can take one of the doors off and dismantle it to see what all is going on inside them. When I took off the rear driverside door, it was very heavy. If I were to predict, it probably weighed nearly 50lbs or more.

If you're running out of ideas for where to extract weight, maybe you could challenge yourself and make a carbon door. I have faith in your abilities, and I bet you can make it happen.

JCharged

iTrader: (5)

Damn I want to do this to my car.

Inaccurate

You guys seem like you are able to read my mind . As I was working on the racing seats, you guys were discussing it without me ever mentioning that I was in-progress on that. Same deal when I was doing the sunroof delete. Now with the doors. Yep, the doors (especially the rears) are my next focus.

I can't find the link, but I was reading a vintage Mustang Cobra forum where this guy made CF panels for the entire car. It was wild and a lot of work (aka, years of work). I won't be attempting this anytime soon.


I was wanting to get a Escort Passport G-Timer. But, it looks like these are no longer being made. I'm getting very curious too what my car can do.

G35 Coupe...had no problem with one last week from 100 to 120. Dead even until I hit the brakes. But at this speed, it was mainly HP versus wind resistance.


First mod --> take out the rear seat. No more people riding in your car (just a single person in passenger seat).

godfather2

i just spent the better part of the evening reading through this ENTIRE thread and tuning the rays game in and out. anyways, this thread is ingenious and has been bookmarked. though i would never do this to my ride, i admire your ingenuity, dedication, resourcefulness, and bravery. KUDOS TO THE OP

b safe out there,
vinny

HQTL6SPD

i bet if you took the time, you could make a cf roof!

Vietnastee

iTrader: (8)

Inaccurate, you should remove the front sway bar but keep the rear one though. You can always upgrade the rear one to Comptech one but that might null out the gains from removing the front sway bar.

Also the strut bar doesn't do much either. It helps with 90 degree turns though.

Cocoa

iTrader: (2)

Absolutely beautiful work. I have got to see this car in person.

I hate cars

It would change the balance of the car. Removing the front would make the car more tail happy. Adding a larger rear bar would make it even more tail happy. Removing both bars would be best. With the amount of weight reduction I would guess it would still have less bodyroll than a stock TL.

If needed stiffer springs are an option to make up for the lack of sway bars and there's no weight penalty but I imagine the car already rides a bit on the stiff side.

Inaccurate

I sorta take it as a compliment that you feel that the numbers are skewed. But yes, the TL Diet does garner these improvements.

The TL Diet has 25.0% less weight (dynamic weight loss) compared to oem.
The rest is basic math:


For example @5500 RPM
--------------
206 WHP x 1.250% = 258 WHEEL HP


EQUIVALENT CRANK HP INCREASE
------------------------------------
(3580 lbs / 2863 lbs) x 258 hp = 323 HP (equivalent output)
323 hp - 258 hp = 65 HP (equivalent increase)

Note: This is not just a peak hp increase. This is
a 25.0% increase across entire rpm range
for both the HP and TORQUE power curves.



And, I ain't finished yet. You can expect these figure to surpass 27% within the next 12 months.

Inaccurate

The point that I am trying to illustrate is the AVERAGE hp gain thru the 4300-6500 rpm range. These figures were chosen because the auto trans shifts at 6500 RPM and the rpm drops to 4300 with each shift. And, I don't use SS.

When racing with the TL Diet, I don't care if I get an automatic downshift from the trans or not. I don't even care if I am in Vtec or not. That is how hard the TL Diet pulls. When I race, I just floor the pedal. No SS.

I learned a long time ago that PEAK hp does not win races. I am an old-timer hotrodder. I tuned my small block chevy to make nothing but peak hp (long duration camshaft with a big carb). And, it was no quicker than when I had it tuned for more streetablity (broad powercurve). Why ? Because peak hp is not what counts. What counts is the average hp thru the driving range.

Overall, I am just trying to point out to the reader of the hidden beauty of the TL Diet. Many folks shake their heads regarding my madness. In return, I wish to illustrate some of the hidden benefits to this madness. And in this case, I am trying to point out the hidden benefit of this hp increase in the 4300-6500 range. Not even a blower can match this average hp in the 4300-6500 range. Although Nox can match the TL Diet's average hp....but like "I Hate Cars" said, my TL Diet is not a timebomb waiting to grenade either.

Cocoa

iTrader: (2)

Like they say, HP sells cars. Torque wins races...

Love what you're doing Inaccurate.

NBPacuraTL

iTrader: (1)

No threadjack, but I thought it was "Torque starts the race, Horsepower finishes it"

CCColtsicehockey

wow that sunroof delete mod has me really thinking about doing one myself. I dont use mine that often that I could probably live without it although I only use my car in the summer though. However the weight savings really tempt me.

CCColtsicehockey

can you show pictures of how you installed it too. like what did you mount it with and how did you seal it to keep the water out.

Cocoa

iTrader: (2)

torque = acceleration

hp = top end speed

Think of torque as, how fast it makes something move, and hp as how fast it will get you there (top end).

For road racing, I'd stick with increasing torque.

For professional drag racing, I have no idea what they concentrate on. But for someone like myself, I'd chose toque over hp.

I hate cars

In a street car I prefer high torque over high hp any day. I like effortless acceleration without winding it out. In my GN, peak torque is made under 3,600rpm which should be over 700lbs at the flywheel. I've had numerous accidental victories over Mustangs and some Vettes when I didn't even know they were racing, I was just trying to put a little distance between me and traffic.

With that said, if we're talking all out racing, something that is trailored to the track and has the proper hardware to take advantage of a high hp, high rpm motor, hp should win most of the time.


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