Just looking at vr6smiths thread and he's stripping his dash. My dash is still in as you have to have original dash for vw cup class. Opinions please on removing dash completely and making an aluminium dash panel? Need rev counter lights oil & temp gages etc and sort a bit of ducting for windscreen I'll probably remove wiper stalk and just have a switch on the dash
my personal option is that removing the dash is horrid. Most race cars retain the outline at least of the stock dash. When you remove it you end up with a nasty open messy space and often lots of sharp edges. Removing the dash and door cards has always seemed to be like a horrible idea, as you don't really gain anything.
I know what you mean Might just take out heater matrix and put carbon blanks with instruments in then What's the point of buying a new rev counter when the dash one works keep thinking of silly things to do and end up doing nothing should stop posting and get on with the car
Totally agree with Prawn. I`ve lost count of the number of `track` cars I`ve seen where they remove the doorcards and leave all the sharp edges exposed. To save a couple of kg. Madness. Unless you really go overboard and remove all the wiring and make it super tidy, I`m not convinced the few kg saved from removing a dash is worth the look afterwards either.
also the dash is usualy dark for a reason, ive seen cars without black dashboards and half your view is obstructed by reflections of whatever it is you have instead. especially on sunny days. the black dashboard reduces reflections to nothing
All fare points and like I said to race you usually have to have original dash so will tidy with carbon panels will post when I eventually do it
Keep the dash, I am. Can't stand the look of cars with out dash boards, all racing cars retain the dash in some form, just looks tidier and safer. I'll be putting my door card panels back on, I made them from black plastic sheets, as the other guys say you don't want sharpe edges as if you do crash they can be painful. I know from experience when I was a passenger in a mates audi at brands, we had a head on with a Clio that spun and was facing the wrong way at the corner exit, doh!!! I'll be making some panels to full the dash wholes over the next few days. My dash is staying just empty inside lol
Yes mines got aluminium door cards part of race spec Going to pull matrix as knackered anyway just have get motivated and typically work gone mental To do list tidy up put trims back on check everything working and go to a track day
I've just had 15 tonnes of black corrugated plastic sheets come in today bet you could make nice door cards out of it Shame your a southern softy lol Think I could have spared you a sheet or two if you were closer lol
Just been reading up on people that have removed their heater matrix.... They all regretted it!! Only for demisting the screen. So I'm going to keep mine purely for the screen incase I need it one wet day. I would suggest sirguydo that you try and save yours. Upto you though. I think for what difference it makes to the weight, if you do a rainy track day you will need something to keep the windows clear.
Another thing to consider when removing the heater is how you'll use the car. if it's traillered, it's probably not the end of the world. if it's a track car that you drive to the track usually, the heater is an absolute must. more often than not you'll be leaving for trackdays at the crack of dawn, right when you really need the heater and de-mister!
Its a race car trailered and ain't ever going on the road That what my others are for if I ever get round to it
Mine has had the dash stripped of all, but its basic shell. And that has been flocked, so its all nice and suede like. The heater controls work, and have retained all the original instruments. Even the MFA still works! I have the heater matrix too, incase it rains when on track so i can demist the screen. Richie K
Kept the shell of my dash, had it flocked by Prey in the entrepreneur's section, great job, love it! Kept the glove box, where the ECU and map sensor are located. OE clocks and MFA all working as normal, and the now useless vents are still in place, keeping it looking civilised. I think if the dash is totally removed, the paint and wiring visible must be immaculate or it just looks "ripped-out" and scruffy. I binned the heater as the car is trailered but MOT'd also, so I put in a heated screen. I bought a 180deg silicone hose to loop the bay coolant pipes. Although it hasn't been a problem yet, people warned the side windows can mist up so I take anti-fog for use if necessary, and I retained the ability to drop the side windows a tad for ventilation. I'm usually a sweaty mess after track sessions so being cold isn't an issue! I would have kept the heater if I used the car on the road for anything other than sunny sunday morning blasts though. I've hung a small windscreen washer fluid bag on the bulkhead where the heater was.
I`ve stripped out all that I need to and all that is obvious for large weight reduction and installed ally door cards. On a personal basis I take the view that extreme weight saving makes little difference to me for although I am a reasonably experienced track driver I am not Nigel Mansell and consider missing breakfast after a huge satisfying early morning deposit has just the same effect and certainly better than freezing yer nuts off and slicing yourself to pieces if it rolls. Basically..........if I save 0.5kg somewhere will it make a difference on track?....................er no....................I`m not a good enough driver to notice. I do fancy losing the side and rear glass as this is easy weight loss but will I gain a few seconds......................I just dont know as I dont time myself. Because I only do a half dozen track days a year I always take track tuition as this is an easy way to go quicker. I do remember a chap who had an R1 with hugely expensive lighweight carbon fibre bits and a religious zeal for weight loss on his bike but ironically he was some 20 stone
All valid, all true... I think sometimes we think of things to do to the car. Your completely right about not noticing a few kgs here and there... but we enjoy replacing things, we enjoy taking things out because it weights less than we would like to think and replacing parts by fabricating new parts. This is more the reason we do these sort of things. also it's easier to diet the car than yourself! Lol
This is the same reason I've still got full glass and a radio in my track car. Removing them won't make it any noticably faster on track, but it will make it noticably less of a nice place to be when it's used on the road.
All valid points as I'm 6'3 and 17 stonish and my car already has Ali door cards race regs ,polycarbonate windows etc and I've put some more comfortable scoobie seats in as my hips not bum wouldn't fit in the race seat fitted So I've been making it heavier if any thing
