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Old 11-12-2014, 11:50 AM   #20 (permalink)
niky
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In the end, it's less the ease or difficulty than it simply not being worth it in terms of weight savings, if the end-goal of those savings is merely fuel economy.

It's easy enough to find savings without drastically altering the body. Smaller battery, spare tire delete. Aftermarket fixed bucket seat in place of that heavy, steel-framed couch you're sitting on now.

Then there's all that un-necessary sound insulation goop spread out over the trunk, the firewalls, and under the carpet. There's a good thirty pounds of the stuff, I'd wager.

Then the wheels. A good lightweight set of alloys will make a much bigger difference than a little weight shaved at the doors.

And when you finally do get to the body... you can replace the side impact beams and even the front bumper (not the plastic bumper cover... but the steel beam behind it) with something lighter if weight is the issue. The glass side windows and power window mechanisms are also pretty heavy stuff you don't really need. Thin lexan sheets will do just as well. There's the hood, the trunk... that heavy exhaust system... running without a muffler isn't all that bad if you keep the stock cats and resonator.

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Still, I know racers that have replaced every conceivable part with glass-fiber and lexan, and have simply gone ahead and drilled holes in the body for even more savings... of course, they DO have a rollcage to make up for the safety compromise!
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