# Interested in weight reduction...



## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Ok, I've seen a few (old) threads regarding weight reduction, but they don't seem all too clear. So far, I've deleted the skid plate, and removed the jack, chocks, & spare (if staying close to home). The butt dyno notices the difference. 

What I'm interested in is, what reductions have you done and/or what do you know of *without* butchering the car? How much do the stock mufflers weigh? How do I get at the rear tow brace and gas tank cage/bracket?

As far as unsprung, I'm assuming the factory 17"s are lighter than the 18"s, and I don't know of any brake kits that are lighter than stock.

Has anyone weighed their car?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Your talking such small amounts of weight it won't even make a difference. I thought I saw a fully gutted GTO and if I remember right it was only down to like 35XX pounds. The thread is on LS1GTO somewhere.

To me, not worth an ugly ass car for that amount of weight.

I would also consider putting the skid plate back on, at the least get an aftermarket lighter one. I see plenty of scratches on the bottom of mine that assure me it is there for a purpose.


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## Gotagoat (Jan 6, 2006)

I've read that it requires a reduction of 100 pounds to gain 10 horses. I agree with jpalamar.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

I weighed my car before the supercharger full tank of gas w/stock wheels and tires it was around 3760lbs. Then I weighed it with aftermarket wheels tires, catback exhaust, headers, tow thing, full tank it was around 3740. With the supercharger it weighs in around 3840 full tank. I removed the tow brace in the rear thats the only weight reduction I persued. The shortie headers was about 10lbs lighter than my stock headers. If you want to reduce weight you have to spend money doing it. Change the seats, rear seat delete, skid plate, wheels/tires, hood, trunk, remove trunk brace, exhaust, small battery, lexant windows.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Ok, I figured out a few things... found out where the tow brace is, and I'm leaving the tank cage. A smaller battery will come when the existing one drops a plate or whatever.

Other deletes I'm considering is the A/C and stereo & speakers.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Weight reduction would be buying a LS1 Camaro or Firebird. The GTO isn't designed to be a light car. It was designed with driver comfort in mind.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

True that. More than likely I won't be replacing or removing anything else unless it fails or gets damaged. My goal was 100 pounds, but I should be around 70 pounds with the tow brace/bracket gone. Figure that's an extra 70 pounds of extra crap I can carry on road trips too.


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## FastFrank (Jun 12, 2009)

Gotagoat said:


> I've read that it requires a reduction of 100 pounds to gain 10 horses. I agree with jpalamar.


FYI, weight reduction gains 0 horsepower. You will change the weight to horsepower ratio, which can make your car faster.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Bump.

Total weight so far:
Trunk mat - 5lbs
Spare tire - 29lbs
Jack, chocks, tire iron, foam tray - 12lbs
Tow brace cover - 5lbs
Tow brace & hardware - 11lbs
Skid plate & hardware - 15lbs
Stock catback - 68lbs, mufflers 20 each
Bassani catback - 33lbs (reduction of 35 lbs over stock)
Exhaust shields & hardware - 3
Hood liner, hood clips, FRCs, radiator shroud, hood plugs - 5
Gas tank cage - 23lbs
Gas tank cage mounts & hardware - 6

Air Conditioning system delete and complete sound system delete (including head unit, all speakers, wires, steering wheel controls & amplifier) are imminent when the car comes out of storage this spring... stay tuned for weights. I'm trying to talk the wife into letting me get some LTs over summer, should be some more weight savings there. Maybe I'll put the car on a scale too, see where I'm at. :cheers


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

For all the trouble and making the car less desirable a decent mod would pick up those 10-20 HP. . . or Jenny Craig


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## Gotagoat (Jan 6, 2006)

FastFrank said:


> FYI, weight reduction gains 0 horsepower. You will change the weight to horsepower ratio, which can make your car faster.


I should have written that it takes a reduction of 100 pounds to gain the equivalent of 10 horsepower.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

On a more serious note weight reduction in the back end seems to hurt performance at least at the track. Traction is a big problem and removing stuff back there makes it worse. If I was going to do a "weight" thing the first thing I would do is move the battery from the front to the trunk. That's a ~50# shift in weight and would make the car easier to launch. Lighter wheels/tires and a carbon fiber drive shaft would lighten rotational weight which has a bigger effect that gross weight.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

svede1212 said:


> For all the trouble and making the car less desirable a decent mod would pick up those 10-20 HP. . . or Jenny Craig


Bah, nobody's going to want to buy the car for what I'd want to sell it for anyways. She's been paid up since day one, and I've noticed the prices have been falling further since then, so, I'm getting soaked either way you look at it. Besides, I gotta make room for paddle shifters! 



svede1212 said:


> On a more serious note weight reduction in the back end seems to hurt performance at least at the track. Traction is a big problem and removing stuff back there makes it worse. If I was going to do a "weight" thing the first thing I would do is move the battery from the front to the trunk. That's a ~50# shift in weight and would make the car easier to launch. Lighter wheels/tires and a carbon fiber drive shaft would lighten rotational weight which has a bigger effect that gross weight.


Agreed to an extent. I've considered the battery relocation, and decided it was a net loss, since you're running all those amps to the starter through ~10ft of cable, and you have to find a new main chassis ground, plus you need to find a spot for it in the trunk, and how do you unhook it and still get at it in storage, and...? Figure for spending a few bucks more, you can get an 11lb Braille, and cut 20lbs off the front, and be down more than the relocation kit with less hassle.

I've looked hard into lighter aftermarket wheels, but I still really don't want aftermarket wheels, partially because they look "obvious" (rice), and I have yet to see a set of wheels go beyond 8" wide for a 17" rim. I'm kind of a purist when it comes to wheels that I think "look good" over stock.

My estimate is with the A/C, radio, and LT's (like you convinced me), I can probably add another 60lbs to that list.

I have a classmate that is ex-military that does his own body work, and has some money to invest, I'm thinking about partnering with him to make some sleeper carbon fiber goodies for the GTO. Since most of it doesn't exist, is cf wrapped fiberglass, and/or is just plain poser garbage meant for looks and nothing else...


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

I have yet to try it oddly enough but I've had a couple of people tell me they did better with the junk in the truck for launching. I really want to try the Eaton Truetrac to get a better posi in the rear. I don't think the stock posi is holding. I know I can't get traction even with good DRs so right now traction is everything.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Yeah that's been my conclusion. Tire up and feather out of the hole best you can. The TruTrac unit is only like $600 if I remember right, and from what I've worked with diffs, a new LSD unit should be plug & play without much headache. It's probably only a matter of time for me too, I like laying a 70'+ set every now and then for grins. Usually right in front of my house, to piss of teh neighbors.


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## LEDFOOT (Jan 8, 2011)

how does the trutrac work?


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

:confused Wrong thread...?

Trutrac is a PMD component, not corporate. Wish these things had it, but they don't.


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