Adding lightness is, as far as I know, the cheapest, fastest, easiest way to make your car better in anyway, except in a way that makes it more comfortable. but that's OK, what's a little sacrifice now and again?


I really enjoyed my 2nd gen TL when I had it stripped for a few months. I lost the entire interior, even door panels and when I went to the drag strip my windows left too. It was loads of fun. but now its back together with a few extra hundred pounds of audio equipment and sound deadening, its all fine and good unless you want to do anything in any sort of hurry.

I would like another TL if I could find one for cheep, but I can't find one under 3500 out here. even salvaged title. Same story with an IS300 and a Q45... I can't find them but I am weary. are there any other "grandma" cars that would be fun to strip and throw around at the track? Did I mention I'm a 5 minute drive from willow springs?

So what I'm getting at here, is what would you pick if you had a few grand laying around to pick up a car and make it the most fun it could be, with no need for comforts like A/C or heat, or ANYTHING else. I'm definitely thinking a luxury sedan...

There has to be something out there I haven't though of yet, right? The a 1st gen GS 300 is topping the list ATM. there is one on craigslist for 1200

 

Uh. Yeah. Sure thing.

 

"Adding lightness" is that dumb-speak for removing weight?

 

Colin Chapman coined the term, and I wouldn't really call him dumb.

OP, it'd be cool to do that to an early 2000s Cadillac Deville.

 

^^ Nobody said he was dumb, the term is dumb.

It's called weight reduction.

Most mfg. call it that.

 

Yes definately dumb speak. Thanks for the incredibly insightful translation.

Cadi would be pretty awesome, but the northstar scares me away. The repair costs on that motor are incredible. If the right deal came up it might be worth a bit of a gamble.

I don't know if any of you will have ever heard of the 24 hours of lemons? It's a 24 hour endurance race. The max dollar value of your vehicle is $500 (minus fire suit,roll cage, tires. Basically safety equipment.). The winnung vehicle a few years back was in a jeep Cherokee of all things. So, uh, yea, sure thing. There is something to be said for making a vehicle as light as possible and having some fun on the track. And who says it has to start life as a 2 door sports car.

 

I'm not sure but I think this dude is talking about reducing weight in cars...it's hard to chew through all the horrid mindless babbling.

 

My opinion on the term is that it is clever because of so many people that ask what they can add to their car to make it faster. And most of us are on a budget. Loosing some pounds is almost always the answer.. Well executed Weight reduction will always help. Even if you are in a class with a minimum weight requirement it allows creative ballast placement. Sorry if my choice in words did not meet your standards of internet communication no disrespect intended of course.

 

I dont get it. If you dont want any luxury items then why get a luxury sedan?

Get a miata

/thread

 

I can always tell when there is a track day out here. Whether I have the schedule or not. The entire town is flooded with miatas. I understand there are better starting points, believe me. I've been going back and forth about getting a miata for years. I love them, but I don't think I'd ever have as much fun as in something a little different. Why not start with a luxury sedan? If you go back 15 or so years they are very affordable. Many have great suspension designs, great motors, not to mention how much weight there is to be removed. The before and after drives are shocking

 

Water-S, that kid that was obsessed with oil, and now this?

 

Who did the video where they took like a Nissan Versa or something and stripped the car down to basically the frame, engine, transmission, etc and got it to do 0-60 in like 6 seconds? Was that Top Gear?

 

That's because it sucks to drive a dune buggy on the highway.

 

This is the wrong forum to talk about this honestly. Only a handful of people on here will ever see a track.

How people responded to the colin chapman quote should show you that.

I stripped my 03 cls6 and removed around 550 lbs so far. I am faster than atleast half of the miatas that I run autocross with the windy city miata club. The course is specifically setup for miata's also and a good amount are running r-comps and slicks when I am still on street tires.

I don't feel like I have lost any comfort from removing weight besides the coilovers which were done for handling not weight anyway. My recaro racing bucket with extra padding courtesy of the asm cover I actually find more comfortable then the stock leather seat. I have done 10 hour drives non stop in racing seat.

I decided to strip my car because I had it since new and wanted a fun and unique project to work on and drive. I always wanted to mod it and I know I will never see another one at an autocross, track event, or even car show.

I love the feeling of strapping into a racing car every time buckle my 4 point harness. The looks people give me on the streets, when I go through drive thru's, etc. is priceless also.

 

Although 99% of people won't do it out there, it sounds fun for a purely track event. Didn't Honda sell the shell of a civic coupe chasis straight from the factory painted for $3500 a while back? If you find a program like that, you can build your own powertrain and suspension bits and make a project out of it.

 

Yea. But I've still got the tl for the highway, that's not what the stripped car is for.

Never heard of the civic thing, but it sounds pretty awesome. I wonder if you can get them unpainted with no sound insulation or anything. Would be nice to save that extra few pounds on a track car.

Brian,

I've seen your thread along with several others on the tl/cl diets. Makes me wish I didn't plaster my tl with sound deadening. Haha love your build.

 

Google Caddyhack.

 

Brian,

Your case is a bit different. You worked with what you already had and turned it into a track car while your skills as a driver improved. No? Plus a CL-S is not that bad to start with as its roughly 3400 lbs stock.

Hes been talking about cars like the Q45 where its almost 4000. Would you do that just to be different if you wanted a track car to have fun in?

 

Planning on getting this in a few years as a track car: https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/ as I move from racing karts to cars.

I know that's more then you want to spend, but that will be my route. Otherwise, I agree with Crazy... why start with a 2 ton beast only to strip it? If you need something big... I like the GS300 idea...

 

Definitely is what you're looking for.

Losing, dude. Losing.

I think starting off with an already lightweight car is a better choice than some old heavy luxury car.

 

thanks for the grammar check bro.


Just because a car starts life as a tank doesn't mean it can't loose weight, the caddyhack is a great example. but I'm not cutting roofs or quarter panels off anything any time soon. Q45 is no longer a consideration.

Love the factoryfive's, the GTM's are beautiful, But I'd have to sell my soul to build one right now. the 818's are at a great price point but still more than I should spend right now.


GS 300 or SC 300 would be great. I would rather the 4 door, and you can't believe the scarcity of manual cars out here. A sub 2,700 LB GS would be nice, maybe lower, Ive never seen anyone go as far as stripping the doors, I hear they are very heavy.

 

Worst tread title ever.

 

Then your not going to want FWD.
Get a used Miata, or a RX8 if this is your goal. Both will run circles round most things that cost $3500. And you won't have to suffer with weight reduction.

 

Get a wrecked Miata... buy this and make it a track car. The Miata body comes off the car and the engine and wiring swap over to the Exocet.

It's different, lightweight and affordable.

http://exomotive.com/exocet/

 

^ That looks pretty cool. Like a Lotus 7 with some Ariel Atom.

What about one of the Panthers? Crown Vic or Town Car?

 

Now that looks pretty cool and reasonably affordable!

 

Why would you start with a luxury sedan if you want cheap and light?

 

Drink more . Works for me.

 

I can understand where OP is coming from. Perhaps he wants a car with a beefier engine. It's his freedom to do what he wants... maybe he's a masochist and he likes using an unsuitable base.

I've seen many guys start off with luxury sedans stripped down to become track/drift cars, it's nothing new or surprising. It's just more work than normal. GS is a really popular platform, and a 1G/2G isn't all that expensive. You might be able to sell the original engine for a decent amount if you plan on swapping.

 

From 4,060 to 2,700 lbs...



But you won't get one for $3.5k. Under $10k is possible.

 

I kinda get the OP's idea, you know, along the lines of a sleeper, to be unique and have people talking about that guy driving the luxury car around Willow Springs keeping up with Miatas. It's an interesting idea but I can't imagine you finding any of the examples you gave for such a low price.

I mean hell they race these things around tracks in Europe...

 

I get it...but asking this...

Doesn't make me think this:

Luxury sedans are all about creature comforts, and the OP want to throw them out. Why not start somewhere else? Its not easy to find a cheap luxury sedan...and then throw everything that makes it a luxury sedan, out. Its neither cost effective nor is it logical to buy something that you'll gut.

 

Why not just get a E36 328i coupe and strip it out, put a rollbar in it and drive that? I bet he could find a bombed out interiored E36 for $1500 and do what he wants and it might actually be a decent track car (assuming you replace some stuff ).

 

An E36 (or any BMW save the 7 or X-series) aren't really unlikely/grandma cars. I imagine they're pretty popular around the track.

What about a mid-90s Lexus ES? Or Avalon? Hell, a V6 Camry would be cool to see on a track.

 

/thread

 

I agree and would actually do this myself (had an e36 328is in college). That is a fun car that certainly has track-cred. Not sure about GS 300s or Q45s.

I don't mean to highjack or derail. How about something swedish perhaps? Volvo, Saab? Volvo's are notoriously grandma-like with their mindset hellbent on safety.

 

Too bad the concept S60 Polestar is much different from what the US will be getting.

 

oo7spy, is that an RL? never seen one of them on a track. that is a crazy weight reduction, and I'm sure has a full cage in there as well.

That exocet is amazing. that would really be a blast to drive. Can't imagine it with 300+ hp. go cart on steroids for sure.

Volvo would be sweet. an 850 wagon would turn some heads. Ive seen one set up for the track somewhere. I can't remember where though.

E36 is too close to being racecar. took a BMW to a track did you? you crazy man you... haha. im just kiddin.

that miata up there is fabulous, but I'm good, thanks.

 

Holy shit, there you go. OP keep your eye out for a Volvo 240 GLT (Turbo) and strip that fucker out and you've got a turbocharged, rwd grandfather car with a manual transmission.

This one sold for $2500: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ONE-OWNER-SURVIVOR-1983-VOLVO-242-GLT-TURBO-/190879396591?forcerrptr=true&item=190879396591&nma=true&si=Cm9ileX2b3fYGJ678pSRsBbsJ3w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
150hp and almost 200lb-ft of torque when new.

 

^^nice, what a find. My grandma had an 80s era 240, though not a GLT. It was a good car for her for a long time.

If I had to do up a 'luxury' car, I'd do something more like these e28 5-series BMWs.



Not sure we can call these grandma cars though, lol...