Realistic stripped Mk2 weights

Just pondering quite how much weight loss is posible on a Mk2 16v for track frollics.

I ask as ive merely done rear seats out & rear carpets & really that lot weighs naff all anyway. Certainly a lot less than the weight of a half cage that might end up in there anyway.

3 door small bumper at the mo, so weight (from book)currently 960kg area?

I had all the underdash stuff & centre console out when I did some bits & bobs, considered ditching it but it weighed too little to even register on my home scales.

Still got elec windows & central locking but even those bits are not that heavy really.

There seems to be minimal soundproofing under the carpets anyway so it seems id have to got to major lengths to really get significant weight loss- like window out & replaced with plexi glass, bonnet off & replaced with GRP, same with rear lid, headlining out & sunroof replaced with ali plate, ditch bumpers, not gunna take out heater matrix & fan motor as driving in the rain is not much fun then! Oh and I'm not going down the scraping off all the under seal route either.


Ive stripped a modern Porsche & the weight loss was very noticable, easy 100+kg- massive weight in front seats alone, but I don't see that there is a huge amount to loose off the basic Golf?


So wih out going mental how much do you think is loosable from a mild weight loss & whats as low as posible if you went on a complete mental stripping spree?

 

You might break even on fitting a rear half cage IMO if you chuck out the
electric windows, and rear seats/trim, fit a smaller race battery, etc.

The whole thing with weight reduction is that there's seldom any
significant gains to be had in any single place. Its only by studying and
dealing with EVERYTHING that you'll see a real advantage, which ought to
be to the tune of 100kg or better for a comprehensive job on a mk2.

 

I havent weighed it but i've taken everything out my mk2. Dash, heater, all soundproofing, trim, seats, rooflining, carpet etc and i'm pretty sure it weighs a fair bit......its a HUGE pile of stuff.

The only things going back in will be 2 seats and a cage.

 

I've 2 seats, rear cage and the dash. Everything else removed. Weighs in @956kg (cage weighs 16kg).

 

mine started life at 1040 fully laden...

My cage is 17kg's, and i lost that through changing the front seats to OMP fiberglass ones...

I think you could knock about 100kg's off the weight without too much hassle.

 

i reckon my black valver weighs about as much as your average bag of crisps now

but then it is just a rolling shell...

massive amounts of weight to be lost removing the engine i found!

 

The lad I was speaking to at Snetterton last week who races a mk2 16v said it weighed about 940kg with fiberglass bonnet and plastic windows, had Safety Devices cage fitted and standard dash. lightweight battery and 1 Recaro race seat.

As Tub says, ditching the standard seats saves a lot, our OMP seats only weigh 7.5kg IIRC - steel side mounts weigh as much as the seat

Go for alloy side mounts if you're *really* bothered about saving weight.

I'll go on a diet myself first I think

Whilst on the subject, how much does fuel weigh and how will for example 1/4 tank affect the power-weight ratio compared to a full tank?

 

Well, water is about 1kg per litre - and fuel will be lighter than that (it's oil remember).

 

About 800g a litre for petrol.

 

Found a site that says petrol weighs 7lb a gallon ( could be a US gallon though) which I make just over 3kg's.

Gregs says 800g so that's 3.6 kg..

What's a mk2 tank hold 40 litres?

 

i chucked all the seat belts in to a placky bag and then weighed them - was including all the bolts and plastic trims ... came in at 5kg !! the rear bench i would think is 10-15, parcel shelf at 1kg and the bilkhed underlay/proofing thingy is like 25kg's at least .... so there roughly is 50kgs.

GVK - thats why i only ever put 20 quid in - a full tank will equal a passenger in the car all the time !!

 

I'm thinking about Curborough B - Least weight in the car as possible, I best go for a good dump prior to running as well

 

Shave your hai.... oh, you already have!

 

Change glass for perspex or similar?

 

Change the wheels, could save several kgs and make a more marked difference than the same weight in seats and electrics.

 

Lightened flywheel gives the impression of a lightened car

 

Ohh, I've got one of those Andy

Tub, feck orff.
Edited by: G_V_K

 

i take it you don't carry spare wheels?

can cutting out the mounting for the rear seats help? plastic stuff under arches? can you get lightened sub frames and stuff?

 

Drill holes in sections that won`t affect structure.

 

And which setions would those be