44 replies to this topic

[flashburn]

Are we allowed to remove the headlight assemblies and motors on the 1.6 SM for NASA?  I have 40+ pounds to lose but I have a really thick cage so I'm scratching my head on areas to make up the weight.  I just re-read the 2016 NASA SM rules and I can't find anything mentioning they HAVE to remain.

 

Thanks in advance, I searched around the site but didn't see anything about it yet for 2016.

[Keith Novak]

If it doesn't say you can...

[davew]

...you can not

[Bench Racer]

Race ready without driver and drivers gear, what does you car weigh?

 

SCCA is 2275 pounds.

 

For background my 1.6 with cooler/2 gallons of water and 1 gallon of safety gas weighs 2020 pounds. Have some extra tubing (1 1/2 OD x 3/32 wall) beyond minimum tubing required. 

[ECOBRAP]

Nope, I got DQ'd last year just for not having the plastic headlight bezel surrounds in! Like Keith said, it's one of those "if it doesn't say you can then you can't" scenarios.

 

Leave them in!

 

Best,

Matt

[flashburn]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I'll keep them in!  

 

Weight is 2275 for NASA as well but I'm weighing in at 2320 with full gear and 3 gallons of fuel (I haven't even added in the cool suit yet).  The cage is oversized, so I need to find small placed to grab a few pounds.

 

There is a sound mat in the trunk still, but it's a huge PIA to remove - unless you guys have some tips + tricks.  I can also still cut out the brackets for the spare tire jack.  All that added up isn't going to be but ~4 lbs, maybe.

[basscat]

Dry ice will make short work of that sound mat.

[Tom Hampton]

There is a sound mat in the trunk still, but it's a huge PIA to remove - unless you guys have some tips + tricks.  I can also still cut out the brackets for the spare tire jack.  All that added up isn't going to be but ~4 lbs, maybe.

Get 5 lbs of dry-ice. Break it up into pebbles and spread it across the tar crap. Let it sit for several minutes. Use rubber mallet or hammer to strike the underside of the trunk. 99% of the tar crap will flake off in large sheets. Use scraper, or thinner or both to remove as much of the rest as you desire.

Tar crap on front firewall, I used a needle descaler to remove it. ~1 lbs.

Remove excess nuts and bolts. 50% aren't needed. ~5 lbs.

Remove unused exhaust hangers. 1/2 lbs.

Use webbing based tow hooks instead of the 1/4" steel plate type. ~2 lbs.

The instrument cluster weighs 2 pounds. Do you need it?

door insulation on doors and pinch weld can be removed. 1-2 lbs.

trunk lid rubber seal weights 2 lbs.

How gutted are your doors? the trim that seals to the door glass has steel embedded in it. Each side weights 3/4 lbs.

Do you have the driver's triangle vent window removed? ~2 lbs.

...

[davew]

<< I can also still cut out the brackets for the spare tire jack. >>

 

<<trunk lid rubber seal weights 2 lbs.>>

 

Where does it say you can remove these items??

 

many years ago we (The SMAC) determined removing the plastic hood lip pieces (3) and the headlamp trim was legal.

[Tom Hampton]

How much do you weigh with gear? I weigh 157 lbs nekkid, with gear 170 lbs. I need 45 lbs of ballast to make weight with a full coolsuit, and 2 gallons of gas.

[Bench Racer]

 

Weight is 2275 for NASA as well but I'm weighing in at 2320 with full gear and 3 gallons of fuel .  

 

There is a sound mat in the trunk still, but it's a huge PIA to remove - unless you guys have some tips + tricks.  I can also still cut out the brackets for the spare tire jack.  

Believe me, it's a PIA to get weight off a 1.6.

 

If you were to post pictures of the under hood, inside of trunk, inside of car we could be more helpful I'm sure.

 

Your never going to get a 1.6 to 2275 pounds as you start a race. Think in terms of your finish a race weight being legal.

 

Check the rules for the bracket for the spare tire jack.

 

2320 minus 2 gallons of fuel (14 pounds)   equals 2306 pounds.

 

The top of the door is IIRC triple thickness metal and IIRC either one side or both sides combined weigh 9 pounds. 2306 pounds minus 9 pounds equals 2297 pounds.

 

Excess crack sealant squeezed out of cracks, interior and inside trunk. PIA couple pounds.

 

Fender liners, couple pounds.

 

Seat weight???

 

Picture of roll cage, may be some extra tubes with minimal value or maybe some tubes could be of a better design.

 

Read the NASA rules many times while high lighting parts/weight removal items.

 

All the PIA weight removal completed equals more fun each time on track.

[Tom Hampton]

excess crack sealant = fire. Use a torch to get it hot/burn it and scrape off remainder. Probably should wear a chemical mask. I didn't. takes several hours to get it all off.
 

<<trunk lid rubber seal weights 2 lbs.>>
 
Where does it say you can remove these items??

Fair enough, Dave. Apparently, I misinterpreted NASA rule 20.1.6 "Body molding...may be removed" to include the trunk rubber seal.

[flashburn]

From Tom:

Get 5 lbs of dry-ice. Break it up into pebbles and spread it across the tar crap. Let it sit for several minutes. Use rubber mallet or hammer to strike the underside of the trunk. 99% of the tar crap will flake off in large sheets. Use scraper, or thinner or both to remove as much of the rest as you desire.  Awesome tips here – thanks guys.  I’ll attack this on Sunday.

Tar crap on front firewall, I used a needle descaler to remove it. ~1 lbs.

Remove excess nuts and bolts. 50% aren't needed. ~5 lbs. I’ve been doing this as I work on things.  I’ve got half the bumper hardware removed, and about 1/3 of the fender hardware removed.  After Road America I went through and removed misc. factory grommets that used to have factory wiring running from them.

Remove unused exhaust hangers. 1/2 lbs. Done already.

Use webbing based tow hooks instead of the 1/4" steel plate type. ~2 lbs. Great idea, that’s the easiest on the list!

The instrument cluster weighs 2 pounds. Do you need it? Unfortunately, I do L

door insulation on doors and pinch weld can be removed. 1-2 lbs. Already gone.

trunk lid rubber seal weights 2 lbs.

How gutted are your doors? the trim that seals to the door glass has steel embedded in it. Each side weights 3/4 lbs. Great idea, they are half falling off already too.

Do you have the driver's triangle vent window removed? ~2 lbs. Already gone.

 

 

From Dave

If you were to post pictures of the under hood, inside of trunk, inside of car we could be more helpful I'm sure. Okay!  I’ll do this on Sunday!

 

Your never going to get a 1.6 to 2275 pounds as you start a race. Think in terms of your finish a race weight being legal. Yeah, sage advice.  I’m keeping that in mind already, that was one of the first things everyone taught me trackside as I’m attending more events.

 

Check the rules for the bracket for the spare tire jack. – Okay, I’ll re-read before I get the saw out!

 

The top of the door is IIRC triple thickness metal and IIRC either one side or both sides combined weigh 9 pounds. 2306 pounds minus 9 pounds equals 2297 pounds. Can you elaborate on this, I’m not familiar with what you are talking about?

 

Excess crack sealant squeezed out of cracks, interior and inside trunk. PIA couple pounds.

 

Fender liners, couple pounds. Already gone.

 

Seat weight??? It’s a really old Aluminum seat, so it has the added bracing in order to stay current. I could probably get a newer lighter seat, but that’s off the table for now due to $$$

 

Picture of roll cage, may be some extra tubes with minimal value or maybe some tubes could be of a better design. Okay!  I’ll do this on Sunday!

[Tom Hampton]

Another list of items to remove. I'm sure you've gotten most (or all of these). But, this was my original removals list:

http://www.tomhampto...weight-removed/

Door upper structure that dave is talking about....Here's a picture of the door:

http://www.tomhampto...kgooallgone.jpg

Note the tubular structure at the top of the door. That is made of 3 layers of heavy steel. As Bench says it weighs quite a number of pounds. If your door bars are installed tall enough that the structure is "in the way" then you can remove this portion of the door. 
 
The driver's side is a no brainer---removing it improves egress through the window a ton.  With my halo seat, I can barely get out through the window with it removed---there's no way I could do it with it installed. 
 
Also, I use 1/16" steel cable attached to the door latch mechanism and stringing across the door to the front as a door pull.  I've removed the original mechanical latch.  It weighs 1/2 lb per side or something.  I also like the cable approach because its easy to find with your eyes closed (or a smoke filled cockpit.  Sweep and pull---door open.

http://www.tomhampto...4/P10100221.jpg

 

Its in the list above, but the hood and trunk latches weigh 4 lbs combined.  Replace with hood pins (some people don't like pins, but weight is weight).  Just remember to ALWAYS put the pins in if the hood/trunk lid is DOWN.  Just make it a rule, no ifs-ands-or-buts. 

[flashburn]

Thanks Tom, I have all the same list removed already (but not trunk latches) those photos also are a great help! My cage's door bars aren't that high, so those triple ply bars are still in there.  Can you grab a photo of your driver's side door when you have a chance?  I'd love to see where you made the cut, and maybe I can justify it with a window net tab addition to my cage, or some sort of thing.  Here is my driver's door today.

 

https://goo.gl/photo...jXQMg4yan74hQ46

 

I'm totally fabricating the same door pull this weekend, that's brilliant!

 

Also, what do you guys have where the black "steel/plastic" trim would meet the window?  Are you leaving it blank or filling with some sort of plastic/aluminum for exiting the car through the window?

[Bench Racer]

No one's NASCAR side protection tubes get anywhere near the triple thick top of door. But many cut them out. Check at the track or videos on this site.  Viewed several at Road America today.

[Tom Hampton]

Yep. When I get home from the beach.

[chris haldeman]

Top of drivers door removal is done too aid in emergency exit and window net placement farther from drivers arm.

[flashburn]

Top of drivers door removal is done too aid in emergency exit and window net placement farther from drivers arm.

So we can remove it for safety  Can anyone share some pics of their door?

 

As requested, I've got photos of the car from all angles here.  I'm sharing a public album on Google.  If anyone would check it out and give me your thoughts on obvious weight I'm leaving on the table, it would be appreciated!

 

https://goo.gl/photo...wC2cXY4sRjdJHb8

 

This is what I'm thinking on the driver's side, but I can' tell how much is left on top because of the angle.  I think the passenger side I'm SOL because the cage doesn't go through the door.

 

[Tom Hampton]

So we can remove it for safety  Can anyone share some pics of their door?

I'm happy to share. Just haven't been home long enough to snap a pic or two.