Stripped doors - 182

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I think I want to take my stripping to the next level, and I want to get as much out from the interior as possible, but I'm leaving the dash alone for the minute, unless anyone can offer easy and practical advice for tackling that!

Can anyone offer advice for stripping the doors? I know they weigh a ton, so I'm keen to get as much weight out as possible.

I don't want to go the the extremes of perspex windows etc, but would it be worthy of taking everything out possible and covering with a doorcard? Like carbon for instance?

Ideally I would get rid of the speakers, I can barely hear them as it is, and I would try to move the window/wingmirror controls down by the handbrake. So all I would have on the doors are the latch, and a pull cord or something similar.

Anyone got any pics of this being done too?

 

[edewer]

am keen to do the same sort of thing. will keep an eye on this thread

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Yeh it was your thread that motivated me to do something with mine, but I thought I'd seek advice first

Those CF cards do look mighty tempting too

 

[edewer]

good VFM too! same as you though, not sure where to put the window controls!

 

[Bazzon]

Its easy enough to do.

Not the best photo, but originally we just Zip tied the window controls ect to the door.

Once the windows went we made it neater with some door skins the handles are spaced using the proper cup racer spacers (these are expensive)

 

[RichCup]

Window switches would be easy enough to do, not sure if the mirrors are possible. Probably best to switch to manual ones (bit of weight saved there too ).

Those door handle surrounds in Bazzon's second pic are quite pricey, mine were about 55 quid delivered for the pair from R-Sport. I think some people just whack the handle mounting point with a hammer or something lol (so it sits flush with the flat door cards), personally I'd rather use the cup racer surrounds though!

Carbon door cards for the clios are available from Streamline for £420 (that includes fronts, rears and fuel pump covers I think) or from Performance-Trim for around £240 (for fronts, rears, tailgate I think). Obviously the streamline ones will have a better quality weave, I'm not sure about the weight difference.

Will drop you a PM about a few other things!

I know what you mean about speakers, I was going to keep mine but they're bad enough even with door cards still in!

Door cards are easy enough to remove (there's a guide on here iirc), and they do weigh a fair bit! Make sure you get some thin replacements though, as I've seen thick carbon ones that weigh about the same as the originals!

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Thanks guys.

Would something like this be a viable option?
http://www.performance-trim.com/product.php?product_id=33&category_id=43

 

[Rob]

Moving all the ciontrols out of the door is very easy as long as you're willing to drill out the bit where the existing wires go through as you need to fit a couple more wires through there (the electric wing mirror controls and direct switch wires from the window)....

The windows are stupidly easy, as they are all fed from down in the footwell, you'd just run off of these wires to switch's inside the car, and then just run two new wires from the motor into the car (as these would previously just go from the switch to the motor, and then the same for the wing mirros, just have to move the wires that run from the switch to the mirror, and then run off the power/earths from the footwell.

All of the wires are concealed behind the plastic trim in the footwell, which just pops off (you have to pop off the bonnet release to get the passenger one off)

From there i'd just make something up to go into the cup holder space to house the 3 switches (drivers window, passenger window and mirror control) and then carbon wrap of whatever.

 

[RichCup]

Thanks guys.

Would something like this be a viable option?
http://www.performance-trim.com/product.php?product_id=33&category_id=43

Yep, as per this bit on the site:

"We can also supply an 'extra light' 0.8mm version of these trims. Less weight but more flexible. (recommended for race cars where weight saving is priority). No extra charge, please add a note to the order."

You want those as the 'standard' trims they do are a bit weighty!

 

[edewer]

if my maintenance shopping list subsides i may invest in some of these this month

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Yep, as per this bit on the site:

"We can also supply an 'extra light' 0.8mm version of these trims. Less weight but more flexible. (recommended for race cars where weight saving is priority). No extra charge, please add a note to the order."

You want those as the 'standard' trims they do are a bit weighty!

What your saying is the 'normal' ones are still quite heavy, even though they're CF?!

Thought they'd be feather light!

 

[RichCup]

Yep, they're reasonably thick too, about 1.5mm IIRC. They're not pure carbon, it's carbon backed with e-glass or whatever they call it! They might be a bit lighter nowadays, the ones I saw were made around 1.5 years ago.

Would still go for the extra light ones personally, can't see any disadvantage of them being thinner (maybe a bit of flex due to vibrations?). The door handles are mounted to the door, so it's not like the cf panel needs to support anything.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Cool thanks Rich. Sounds like it should be straight forward apart from the wing mirror controls

There was a photo on a thread the other day which showed the controls down by the handbrake, anyone remember what thread that was in?

 

[Bodge!]

make it full of holes!

 

[Hutchy]

Might be a bit expensive but found these on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Xsport-Racing...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item3a52af2c8f

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Xsport-Racing...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item3ca577804f

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

^ Yeh I assume that's the entire door. Can't be assed with spraying them up to match etc.