So, this is purely a project car, it used to be a street car. I used to drive it nearly daily. But now it just sits in the shop and waits to be driven in good weather from time to time. I don't want to turn it into a pure race car, but I got to thinking, why not pull more weight out? It already has no A/C and I removed the passenger seat, all emissions equipment, has a CF hood, 11.9lb flywheel, light weight wheels (factory FD3S wheels) Aluminum exhaust... so why not pull out the interior...like all of it. I work in a sheet metal fab shop. I can make interior pieces for doors, dash and shifter etc. out of stainless or aluminum. Here's the car.





All pictures are a little dated, but you get the idea.
Still had some trimming of that aluminum piece I made in those photos.
Year: 1990
Model/Trim: Eagle Talon TSi AWD
Turbo Type: MHI Evo III 16g
Transmission Type: Manual
Build Type: Street
Intake:
2G MAF
DeJon 2G intake
3" K&N air filter
VRSF FMIC
Turbo & Exhaust:
Evo III 16g | Evo III exhaust manifold
Tubuler o2 houseing
Tial MVS 38mm waste gate w/1BAR spring (Dumped)
3" Down pipe
Custom 3 1/4" aluminum exhaust
Fuel
Walbro 255 lph hp fuel pump (rewired)
Fuel labs AFPR
750cc FIC injectors
Ignition
NGK BR7ES plugs
NGK wires
Gauges
E-Autometer 30-0-30 boost guage
AEM UEGO WB
Cooling
Koyo radiator
Power steering cooler
Mods-Engine:Stock
Mods-EMS/ECU & Logging: ECMLink V3
Mods-Drivetrain: XACT Flywheel | ACT 2600PP w/SBR 3500 disk
Handling & Braking:
Front and rear strut towers
Prothane Polyurethane motor mounts
Eibach Prokit Springs
KYB AGX shocks
RM rear sway bar
Urethane sway bar bushings
Dual piston 93-94 brakes
TCE drilled & slotted rotors w/EBC green pads.

I want to put a set of GSC S1 cams in it, and I need to tweak a few small things like install the catch can I made and she should be close to my goal engine output (380) I estimate it to be about 2850lb without me in it as it sits. To start pulling out more weight is going to start seriously detracting from looking like a street car (inside) and much much more gutted race car.
Talked to the wife about it... and reasoning it with myself... I think after all these years of making it "nicer" as in restoring some things... I think I'm just going to say f*** it and go all in.
But to what end?

It's not actually a race car, and the modifications would likely make it illegal or crazy unlimited class for any actual racing plus need a cage... so I guess just to have a street toy? f*** it there not worth much anyway...right? I would like to make a lap around Road Atalanta, but right now I'm to broke to seriously get into HPDE and work my way up, which is part of the reason I'm looking at pulling weight to increase performance. Though at some point it will mess with the suspension geometry enough it will detract from handling...no idea where that point is. Anyone?

Opinions? I have 2 other cars and the wife's so again it's purely a toy.

If it got rust, whatever.
If it's rust free, it would be a shame.

Its rust free.

But if you're not wanting it to be a pure race car, you're basically heading into that direction with extreme weight loss..

Yeah I know... But, it's more like I used to not want it to be, and now I care less than I used too. (I still care) In an ideal world we would get our cake and eat it too but that's not reality.

I typed up several responses and I'm realizing (answering my own questions) though I don't favor the answer, it's the answer. The weight reduction just makes more sense with it being a toy now and me being broke at the moment . It's either that or just put the car cover back over it and forget about it for a couple years.

I'd personally hold off on gutting it, there are very very few left that are clean, and still full interior. I feel more comfortable in a full interior street car, but most of them had a PO at one point in time that felt otherwise sadly..

I would hate for you to hack it up, be disappointed with the results, and then ditch it all hacked up and rust free. We would all cringe.
Swap an AWD colt if you want a lightweight setup.
You got a nice car. Don't do something that you might regret because you are bored or broke.
Ultimately it's up to you and it won't affect my life, so do what you feel is best.

Eh, the WISE thing to do would be to not gut it.... I rarely do the wise thing, I think I'll give it some more time. I am going to leave the passanger seat out but that's easy enough to re-install. In it's place I'm making a bracket to hold my laptop at a nice height and location for street turning/data logging.

Looked into a HPDE group for Road Atlanta, some are expensive, found one that was only $49 dollars to become a member so ugh, I think i'll put that passenger seat back in since it will be required for the driving coach and see if I can get some track time in it as is.

Being as I'm at the same cross roads as you are. I'd say. if you know you're going to keep it and take it to the grave. do anything you want with it but if you're indecisive like I am and don't know if yoire going to keep it or sell it in the future then leave the interior and stuff alone. don't cut weight like that. I'm at the cross road where I'm making a bunch of mods to my car and still have not touched my interior or accessories. Everything is there. AC, Power steering, panels, carpet, seats. headliner, no rust. Though I'm more on the side of just keeping it with me for life I can't find it in me to just tear something so rare apart. Seems like buying a beater one and turning that into a track car is a better option for me

Yeah that's the thing, I don't want it to be a "race car" once you go so far down that road, there's really no going back. It's never been intended to be a race car either just a project/weekend street car/toy. Hell I'm actually looking at having to put the passenger seat back in, at least for a while as the time trial type stuff I'm interested in trying to get into requires at first a co-driver ride along until they sign off on you going solo.