The E36 weight reduction thread

[Autotechnica]

Post all the useless things you've gutted in your E36 for weight reduction purposes. I guess this only applies to you track junkies. It's an obsesssion for me. And try to post the approximate weight of the item.

Here's my list..

Front auxilary fan and outer housing - 20lbs
door panel insulations (foam and sticky black guck) - ??lbs
Rear speakers, tweeters and speaker boxes - 8lbs
Door panel speakers and tweeters - 3-5lbs
Replaced side mirrors w/ ABS plastic M3 mirrors, no motor - 5lbs
Replaced both front seats w/ Corbeau Forza seats - (45lbs x 2) - (26lbs x 2) = 38lbs
Removed CD changer and bracket - 10lbs
Removed stock amp - 10lbs
Removed hood liner - ??lbs
Removed stock airbox and replaced with cone filter intake - ??lbs


Future weight reduction..

trunk carpet and insulations
rear power window motors and arm
rear seats
spare tire (need it in there for now)
CF hood and rear trunk lid (painted)
MA Shaw rear window, side rear windows and 1/4 panel windows

For anyone who thinks weight reduction is a waste of time, you're an idiot. Serously, it all adds up and the only thing a BMW needs to be a great track car is some liposuction!

My car handles amazingly and it's much much faster than any stock or moderately modified M42. After I tune the motor properly, it should fly on the track just like J. Winklehocks S42

Bry

[Mattitjah]

I only removed the spare tire. But you are right. After I removed it I could feel a great difference. Compared to now, it was sluggish before and the rear end lifted an inch or two.

I do not think I will be doing a lot of weight reduction. Maybe a CF hood and trunk but that would be the extent of it. But I am not building a track car and want to keep as much comfort and luxury as possible.

Not sure what the spare weighs but I think it is about 50+ lbs.

Weight reduction is a must for any race car.

[Autotechnica]

Originally posted by Mattitjah@Apr 1 2004, 09:15 PM
I only removed the spare tire. But you are right. After I removed it I could feel a great difference. Compared to now, it was sluggish before and the rear end lifted an inch or two.

I do not think I will be doing a lot of weight reduction. Maybe a CF hood and trunk but that would be the extent of it. But I am not building a track car and want to keep as much comfort and luxury as possible.

Not sure what the spare weighs but I think it is about 50+ lbs.

Weight reduction is a must for any race car.

Actually, that's why I've been putting off removing my spare tire. Does it really raise it a couple inches? I'm going to need more aggressive lowering springs ghead

Bry

[Kevin325i]

Autotechnica, have you noticed any real difference in how much noisier it is around 65 75 without that insulation?

Also, how much does the car weight now?

[Mattitjah]

Yep, at least one full inch. It was a full size spare, 15" steel wheel w. 205/60/15 tire.

[Autotechnica]

Originally posted by Kevin325i@Apr 1 2004, 09:23 PM
Autotechnica, have you noticed any real difference in how much noisier it is around 65 75 without that insulation?

Also, how much does the car weight now?

Well my car isn't that noisey since I got a really quiet ANSA cat back exhaust (thank god). But because I removed the hood liner, the engine is much louder at higher RPM's. That's how I like it anyways.

I didn't notice any increase in noise after I removed the door panel insulations. I've heard it gets noisier after you remove the trunk insulations (haven't done that yet).

When something vibrates, I remove it :wink

Bry

[Autotechnica]

Originally posted by Mattitjah@Apr 1 2004, 09:26 PM
Yep, at least one full inch. It was a full size spare, 15" steel wheel w. 205/60/15 tire.

I better leave it, I think that would throw off the 50/50 weight balance of the car too much.

Bry

[Kevin325i]

You should take your car down to the local truck stop and have them weigh it on their scale just to see how much less it weighs now as compared to the stock weight in the manual.

[///M Power]

wow that is a good idea about the truck stop thing.

the only thing i have gotten rid of was my sister haha

[Furious]

you got some work to do bry if you wanna try to keep up with me next time. :lol:

but seriously if you wanna reduce weight your on the right track. you should also get rid of the washer reservior (or at least keep the tank less than half full). then get rid of the AC all together. then remove that backseat bry.

[dutchbmw]

How far would you go? You can throw out the whole dashboard and install plastic windows!

[AKain]

Composite body panels maybe...

ah, what the hell!

Who needs body panels?

[Mattitjah]

...and before we know it all we got left is an engine, drive train and the wheels...

[Kevin325i]

I took the headliner out of my jeep because it was sagging, but it weighed like 10 lbs.

For one of the local autoxs my brother and I are going to go all out and strip the whole interior and go kick some butt, or atleast look like retards in a jeep trying to.

[Mattitjah]

GREAT. LOL. Be sure to bring the camcorder.