WEIGHT REMOVAL
Goal; 2250 to 2125 lbs. Removal of 525-650 lbs.
(3/24); about 2430 lbs (-345 lbs.) 5/26/13; about 2400 lbs./-375 lbs.1/15/14 about 2330/-445
I'm obsessed with lightening cars. Had four cars under 1400 lbs. and several under 1600 lbs. To me, cars over 2,000 lbs. are tanks! This is about my 5th or
6th gutted street car so it's not new to me. Most people can't handle a gutted street car but, to me, it makes every errand fun. If I had to do the sheeple every day commute it would suck but being self employed eliminates the drudgery drives. Often I will wear ear plugs, though.
Reasons for reducing weight:
better handling
better braking
better accelleration
better mpg (city)
better tire wear
less stress to chassis and drive train
Two days after purchasing the EP in 2006, I'd removed about 250 lbs. The EP was immediately a better car! The majority was from the interior rear and oversteer was more prominant, a good thing. The next step is to remove weight from the middle of the car, the front interior. About 100 pounds in front of the firewall, too. The Odyssey battery and custom cold air intake takes about 25 lbs. from the front left, which is very important for weight balancing. Then a 3 lb. battery and lighter flywheel makes a total of about 50 lbs. from the front left but getting a bit ahead of myself...
The next project (2/2012) should be really fun. Replacing the 32 lb. sunroof system with Lexan.
I expect to remove around 170 lbs from the forward interior, which will bring sprung weight removal to over 400 lbs. Oh Boy!
Forward of the A pillars about 100 more lbs. That will bring the balance to where it should be by my calculations. Further sprung weight removal will be all gravy.
Only about another 60 lbs. will come off of unsprung weight due to 22 lb. tires, 16 lb. wheels, R arms,coilovers, etc.
So, I'm being conservative by shooting for 2225 lbs. 2150 or even less would be incredible, however - breaching 1991 Civic weight territory! :)
HOW TO BUILD A DECENT HANDLING STREET EP FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY!
Take one stock EP
Pull about 200 lbs., mostly from the rear interior. Free and easy.
Sticky 225/50/16 tires such as Dunlop ZIIs, BFG Rivals (best), Bridgestone RE-11As, Hankook RS-3s. I prefer 225/45.
Add front and rear camber bits, -1.5 front, -.75 rear. I prefer more, such as -2.5,-1.75. Huge difference!
Adjust tire psi and camber to taste. Tire pressures should be in the higher range due to stock dampers and springs. Rears can be 8 lbs. or so less than fronts, though.
That's it! No bigger rear stabilizer bar due to less weight in the rear (but I highly recommend a used RSX S (21mm) or CTR (22mm).
*Trivia
Apples and oranges but at 2225 lbs., only 18 more whp than stock are required to equal the JDM Type R's weight to whp ratio
of 14.7/1.
At 2100 lbs., only 7whp!
*I rate the Type R at 212bhp and multiply by .85 for whp., so;
EP is 136whp, jdm is 180whp, UKdm is 167.5, Usdm S is 167.5whp.
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