rear weight removed out of boredom

[benmore]

hello everyone


thanks to the credit crunch, I'm left with no work until tomorrow, so as it's a day off sitting on my a$$, I thought about cleaning the car. then I thought, I have done that to death and it would literally be a once over and more wax and the clouds look miserable so I decided not to bother.

I went out and looked at the car and decided while the gf isn't around, I will quickly remove my rear seats and clutter, to see if there really is a noticeable difference.

I removed the base of the rear seats, lift and out they came - VERY EASY.. almost too easy tbh.

I got rid of my 172 alloy spare wheel and the renault tyre changing kit, all heavier than even the seats IMO, my sub got the elbow, boot carpet, the bar that you can strap to behind the rears.

I took it for a slow drive to warm her up, and once warm starting to mess around down some deserted lanes while it's dry.

WOW.. I noticed the difference almost as soon as I turned the steering wheel on the first bend. maybe mine is an exception to the rule as I did remove alot more weight than most people would've had to start with but instantly it felt alot more composed and the handling was improved almost as if I had done something to the suspension. acceleration I noticed also, especially above 5k.

one thing to note is I still did not remove the rear seats altogether - the heavy bit - the uprights - is still in. I cannot find my torx bits and am worried about sheering the two screws if I use a flat head in the head of them.. but wow.

I removed a single 12'' fli sub, this is weighty I know this, but I think the spare wheel and kit made the biggest difference. I also had some tools in the boot and a huge CD case.

anybody else had these findings?

I expected it to feel a little bit of an edge, but it took all the rear roll away completely, and accelerates like Ihave uprated something! maybe my clutter is just so much that that is why it made a big difference.

I want a rear show cage but no idea where to find a nice looking one. also dislike the look of the rear as a shell on the base so I would need some carpeting done to make it look a little more presentable at least.

I know it's been done to death so sorry if yyou've all heard this time and time again. just thought my 2p worth as Im bored :rasp:

 

[Schweppy]

I have recently done the same.

I have bought some sub carpet from ebay which i am lining the rear with and have also bought a Caged (Ex Motorsport Vision) Half Cage as they bolt into the original seatbelt mounts in the back instead of requiring holes being drilled. I think KTec are going to start selling them in the next few weeks.

 

[benmore]

I have recently done the same.

I have bought some sub carpet from ebay which i am lining the rear with and have also bought a Caged (Ex Motorsport Vision) Half Cage as they bolt into the original seatbelt mounts in the back instead of requiring holes being drilled. I think KTec are going to start selling them in the next few weeks.

really? cool.. that is exactly what I am after.

a half cage sort of thing, with a cross member, at the top on one side going to the bottom on the other then just bolt it in without doing too much damage to anything as this car must be able to be returned to std ish.. just in case.. altho it never bothered me before on my previous cars lol

was thinking of maybe a sub setup in the spare wheel well then carpet right over the whole of the back to make it presentable, then the half cage.

altho not sure it is a good idea sound wise. may defeat the object. I downgraded from my 2xjl audio to a budget fli active 12'' because 1) weight; and 2) the jls absolutely killed my previous cars for rattles. they just shook the interior to pieces over time. EVERYTHING rattled.

 

[Ollie82.]

I did pretty much the same thing. Rear seats and Isofix have gone and even those made a difference.

Some people scoff if you don't go for the complete strip down but its suprising how even a bit of light stripping can help.

 

[PeteCup]

Did mine soon after i got it, defo makes a difference. The MSV cage is perfect for me and what i want. Noticed even more difference when i had the passenger seat and all the carpet and trim out too, but was very loud.

MSV cage

 

[PeteCup]

I have recently done the same.

I have bought some sub carpet from ebay which i am lining the rear with.

You found some thats a close match to the standard carpet in the front? I think black carpet would look out of place in mine. Come to think of it, your interior will be a different color to mine at a guess? Might just spray my interior white.

 

[Mells]

I had a puncture last week. Took everything out for a couple of days until I got it fixed. Back end was twitchy as fook on hard cornering.

Meant to weigh the spare as it actually quite weighty.

Surely you're half way to being a light as these poverty spec 172 cups with that little lot out, but with all the toys.

 

[Schweppy]

I have recently done the same.

I have bought some sub carpet from ebay which i am lining the rear with.

You found some thats a close match to the standard carpet in the front? I think black carpet would look out of place in mine. Come to think of it, your interior will be a different color to mine at a guess? Might just spray my interior white.

My interior is same colour although i have black cobra buckets.

You have same as me though! Mine is being fitted on Saturday!

I've got a greyish carpet similar to the standard piece that comes in the boot.

Like this -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-BOX-ACOUSTIC-CAR-CARPET-ROLLS-IN-GREY_W0QQitemZ250302079314QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250302079314&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Schweppy]

I had a puncture last week. Took everything out for a couple of days until I got it fixed. Back end was twitchy as fook on hard cornering.

Meant to weigh the spare as it actually quite weighty.

Surely you're half way to being a light as these poverty spec 172 cups with that little lot out, but with all the toys.

Its not just the weight.

You have to drive one or drive in one to see why its a cup. Much rawer feel. I didnt believe it until i went out in one. They just pull and pull and pulll!

 

[PeteCup]

I had a puncture last week. Took everything out for a couple of days until I got it fixed. Back end was twitchy as fook on hard cornering.

Meant to weigh the spare as it actually quite weighty.

Surely you're half way to being a light as these poverty spec 172 cups with that little lot out, but with all the toys.

Back end on my Cup gets light if you dont brake and then corner properly. Just have to make sure you get it right everytime. But any light car will get light on the back end if you don't respect it and drive it properly.

 

[PeteCup]

You found some thats a close match to the standard carpet in the front? I think black carpet would look out of place in mine. Come to think of it, your interior will be a different color to mine at a guess? Might just spray my interior white.

My interior is same colour although i have black cobra buckets.

You have same as me though! Mine is being fitted on Saturday!

I've got a greyish carpet similar to the standard piece that comes in the boot.

Like this -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-BOX-ACOU...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Ooh good stuff, that looks like it might be a good match, nice one

 

[PeteCup]

anybody else had these findings?

Watch out weight removal can get addictive once you start seeing results. If your not careful you'll end up driving around in little more that a shell. Good fun though.

Surely you're half way to being a light as these poverty spec 172 cups with that little lot out, but with all the toys

Read as "faster, more agile" hehe

 

[Timmay]

weight loss FTW!

soon as i get a clio again im stripping her down

 

[benmore]

I put it all back, drove it, then thought while the missus isn't around for the week it is coming back out for the drive to work/back all week! what a difference I am staggered.

I tried returning it all, but leaving the spare wheel and kit out, and it still felt too heavy!

addictive is not the word. I defo want to get a cage carpet the back out and get a torx bit to remove the rest of the rear seats. cannot find mine at all.

I even have the rear head rests out in my bedroom until friday evening lol

will see what the missus says... she will just moan and say, you paid all that money for a nice car and now you've got rid of that leather and if we have a puncture and the music is not as good without the sub

but she will understand once I nail it thru the corners lol

is there any way.. to make my car feel like this with it all in? mods to the engine suspension?.. starting to feel that, a cup maybe more my style. I love the toys too much tho!!!

do love my subtle sub with my system too but it is a dead weight.. lol

 

[PeteCup]

In order to get the same feel without the stripping i think the best you will manage is to stiffen up the suspension and increase the bhp a little.

I had an Ibiza Cupra before this and it had everything from leather and climate to a professionally installed 1200w audio setup. Gave it 220bhp and Bilstein Pss9 coilovers and although it was quick in a straight line it was nowhere near as nimble in the corners as the Cup, not even close. Looking back all that weight made it feel quite lardy through the twistys. I think weight loss is the only true way to achieve the full on agile feel.

 

[benmore]

tbh the way it is is enough for me, I very rarely use the back seats so that is no problem.

to carpet it with the cage sounds good to me.

only thing I would miss dearly would be my sub. I downgraded to a tiny one in comparison, only a fli 12'' active now, compared to 2x jl audio 12s with mono block as it shook previous cars so hard they rattled everywhere.. so didn't wanna risk it ruining my clio

I'm impressed with it for a budget sub and seems reliable, but is still a bit weighty. just don't know if I can cope with no bass fill

 

[PeteCup]

I know, i like my music, i'm a Trance/Hardcore DJ and LOVE my music. Its the one thing i REALLY miss in the Cup, the sound system in the Cupra was so lush. May invest in a 10" sub and components for the Cup when i sort the back out and tidy it up.

That is of course if i can find more stuff to strip out thats an equal weight to what im putting in. lol

 

[Jimmybs]

IMO its one or the other, i have had massive sound systems in all my cars but just thought i cant be botherd anymore! What i am looking into is lightweight alloys, did u know that the 182 cup pack wheels weigh aout 15+kg each, i am looking at a set of rotas that are 5.8kg each! This is real weight reduction in terms of speed as rotational weight loss is the best thing you can do for more speed! But as you say it may not improve the handling!!

 

[Inferno]

just don't know if I can cope with no bass fill

Bass can come from an exhaust, and you can save a few more kg's too

 

[Inferno]

IMO its one or the other, i have had massive sound systems in all my cars but just thought i cant be botherd anymore! What i am looking into is lightweight alloys, did u know that the 182 cup pack wheels weigh aout 15+kg each, i am looking at a set of rotas that are 5.8kg each! This is real weight reduction in terms of speed as rotational weight loss is the best thing you can do for more speed! But as you say it may not improve the handling!!

Just remember that extremely lightweight wheels will be far more prone to damage from potholes and the like - you can go too light, especially in this county with it's well maintained road network!

 

[benmore]

mine was ear bleedingly loud in my old escort, but it was a big bus anyway so it didn't matter because no matter what you stripped or done to it, it was never going to be fast at all in the real world unless you are 17 lol

I had 2x genesis amps, monoblock for the subs, and another for the sound.. rainbow components and had a basic couple of speakers in the rear just for some rear fill running off the h/u, with an alpine head unit.

the sq was amazing and the bass could be adjusted to be perfect.. but if you wanted to, you could push it hard and it would dim the lights to the point they almost looked like they were flashing.

I used to be well into car audio but now, I have my 4x speakers running off a dvd head unit, and just the sub with the active amp built in.

weight saved - loads. music quality - bearable, not great or particularly loud - enough for me these days.

losing that is maybe something that I will not be able to tolerate so as you say, what can be removed, to equal the weight of a fli 12'' active? lol

cannot be far off 20kg tbh. it is a heavy beast for the size of it.

then again, would you be constantly thinking could lose the sub and end up with a bit more performance..

 

[Gregg]

I'm really tempted to strip the back of mine, don't use the rear seats that often and It sounds like everyone can't believe the difference. Plus love the look of a half cage. Job for the winter methinks..

 

[Tucker]

you wait until you get the front ones out too!! heavy old leather f*****s!