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DSM Extreme Weight Loss

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My first tech article HERE explained some weight loss things that anyone could do to their car and lose a few pounds while still mainting at least some level of comfort. But for the more extreme drag racers and road racers, simply cutting 300-500 lbs isn't going to cut it. First off let me explain that I haven't attempted all of these measures on my personal car, and credit goes to Vinstalon (buschurforums), and Marco Passante from magnusmotorsports w/photos from Guelphracing.com, and project goodwill for both the photos and for the hard work.
If you haven't already done so check out my previous weight loss thread about removing the sound deadening off the floor and other weight loss tips. I apologize for covering some things twice.

Starting off, removing rear brackets. The U frame in the rear along with several of the small brackets on the rear of the car can easily be removed by drilling through the spot welds and prying them off. be careful not to damage your vehicle while doing this however, a good tech article to follow for drilling through the spot welds.
http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132217
When you're done it should look something like this.
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I didn't bother to remove the center section in the rear but you may do so if you wish.

Remove the front dash board. Removing it is quite simple however, you're still going to want to have something to hold your gauges up, here was my solution retaining a part of the stock dash.
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You may also make your own custom dash such as project goodwill did check out www.joebucci.com for photo's of their custom dash.

Install a lightweight racing seat. I used a Summit Racing seat total weight was 22 lbs with all the brackets, you really don't need the sliders but I preferred them since I like having the ability to adjust my seating position. Photo does not show seat bolted in or harness properly secured, simply test fitted for photo.
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Cut out floor and replace with sheetmetal. Of course you must first remove your fuel tank and plan on using a smaller fuel cell and pump. Photo of Vinstalon's rear cut out.
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Photo of project goodwill's (Bucci's) sheetmetal floor.
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Cut out the crash bars on the doors. project goodwill cut it all out
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Front end fabbing. Vinstalon simply cut out the upper radiator support and plans on building a custom support bar, probably not a lot of weight savings but it makes for easy removal of the engine, Marco Passante from magnusmotorsports made up a tube frame front end. Extensive work required.
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Get some lexan, Try speedglass or go with the more traditional Lexan, either way you can save up to 75 lbs. It will also cost you about 600-1200.

Carbon fiber hood, Many companies make carbon fiber hoods for dsms. VIS is definately a favorite, but they also cost about 500 for minimal weight savings, you can also try cutting out the little supports on the bottom of your hood, makes it quite flimsy from what I've read but does cut down on the weight, attempt at your own risk.
Another option is Fiberglass hoods. I priced out a fiberglass hood for my 1g at Harry Glass ( www.hairyglass.com ) for $225, approximate weight is 13 lbs. The approximate weight of a stock 1g hood is 44 lbs. Therefore for 7.26 per lb. of weight reduction you'll save 31 lbs.

Lightweight rims and tires, if you're doing all this weight loss you're going to be running slicks anyways. If you still want something stylish go for something like the Volk TE-37's or the SSR Competitions, both are forged and very light. If you don't care about looks and want to go cheaper, try Weld Pro stars or Weld drag lites, both are forged aluminum and are extremely light. Consider my stock 2g swirlies weigh 22lbs. Take some Weld Prostars approximately weigh 12 lbs. a piece, save yourself 40lbs. of unsprung rotational mass.

Roll cage, I know I know, i'm adding weight but this is a necessary evil as it makes your car both safer and legal in the eyes of the track inspectors. NHRA requires a roll cage/bar in any car quicker then 11.99. Go chromoly as its much lighter and is still very strong. An 8 point rollbar from a place like S&W racecars will only set you back about 400, weighs about 59 lbs compared to mild steel weighing 95 lbs. Proper installation is a must however, don't think it'll be a drop in project.

Shepracing Dogbox transmission, think about it you have no fifth gear, making it lighter, it will also cost you 4800-5800.

I'm not sure where you can get them but a lightweight drive shaft such as an ACPT carbon fiber drive shaft. Or an aluminum driveshaft from the driveshaftshop. Expect cost to top 750.00. You will lose 10 lbs with the aluminum one however, and thats not only dead weight its rotating mass.

Lightweight radiator, there are alot of options out there, cheapest is getting something like a small honda radiator and fabbing it up. JEGS sells a super lightweight drag racing radiator for less then 150.00, the options are limitless, just dont forget to buy a fan that can really move the air, slimlines are well known in the dsm community. Its not just the weight of the actual radiator, but the difference made by less fluid.

Remove the fenderwells, not alot of weight loss but hey every few lbs. count.

Remove unnecessary wiring, from all the little electrical crap you removed you have alot of excess wiring, if you feel up to the challenge go ahead and start removing it, make sure you know what you're doing though, its a very involved project that requires alot of knowledge and time. You can do something like removing everything then using a painless wiring kit. Might make the job easier.

Porting, extrude honing the intake manifold, a SMIM, and other lightweight power upgrades also lose weight and gain your car power. Remember removing weight from your car not only makes your car faster, but also takes stress of the drivetrain and all its components. Happy Racing!!!
 
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