To strip or not to strip

[Muzzman]

The cars been built for 75% trackdays / 25% road use, including chucking the golf clubs in the back or if i can't be arsed to get the other car out of the garage then driving down the supermarket etc.

But i do have to drive it to trackdays which can be easy enough e.g Brands or a bit further afield like Silverstone, or even Spa which i did in March and i'll be doing again in October.

The rear seats have gone etc but i've kept the radio, door cards, carpets, roof lining etc, part of me thinks rip the lot out and go bare metal full on track but part of me thinks it's nice having a few comforts, the thought of driving to Spa without those doesn't appeal to me too much. What actual difference in weight, performance, handling will it make?

Also if i buy door cards, do the electric windows change to manual or do i end up not being able to wind them down?

Here's the inside as is, so what do you reckon strip or leave as is?

Can you post a picture of your stripped out interiors please.

Ta

 

[maynard]

Well you have got a cage in there, so it would be silly not to strip it!

 

[Muzzman]

How painful a task is it, I'm very lazy and get bored easily. Just a screwdriver and Stanley knife?

 

[maynard]

Really easy, probably the easiest thing you'll do on the car.

All you'll need is a socket set and a torx piece set.

And possibly a selection of screwdrivers, but I think the majority are torx bits IIRC.

 

[Fletcher]

Really easy, probably the easiest thing you'll do on the car.

All you'll need is a socket set and a torx piece set.

And possibly a selection of screwdrivers, but I think the majority are torx bits IIRC.

^^^This.

I found a torx ratchet set helped no end

 

[KEVRSI]

If this is the cup model then all the interior plastics are already lightened, so wont make much of a differance if you whip them out.(even if it isnt the cup). you got rid of the seats thats where all the interior weight comes from.
having a fully stripped interior is good fun for about 10 mins then the noise starts to get right on your tits , as you are still using this for the road , my opinion would be keep it as is . its nice.
if you do rip it out , your leccy windows will still work , you will just have to find somwhere to mount the switches.
It is the easiest job to do be very careful with wires and if you are selling the interior on, try not to break the clips that hold the panels onto the body work.
i would defo leave the roof lining in no matter what you chose to do.

 

[Revels]

The plastics aren't lightened at all. The 172 Cup had lighter front glass, that's it. The plastics are the same.

I think stripping is a massive waste of time/effort.

Yeah, you'll lose 100kg's or whatever you manage to take out. But then it becomes a complete pain in the arse day-to-day. You say that's 25% road use, that's not as bad as all the time, but it's still going to hurt your ears. I just gave my car some stick on the way home. Got my air-con on, music playing and can hear myself think. Much better. That extra weight loss will gain you a second or two a lap maybe and unless you're actually racing and competing, then I don't see the point.

Granted you're most of the way there already! Lol.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

It's pretty easy to do, some bits are a real bugger to get out though!

I've fully stripped mine, took the dash out couple of weeks ago for a cage to go in. Tbh...driving in it doesn't bother me at all (putting up with everything I mean). I drive down to Heathrow pretty regularly, that's 120miles or so.....fine

People who say 'why bother, that will be horrid to live with everyday' etc, just need to man up. I think it makes everything so exciting, you can hear everything! I get into a normal car now and it just feels boring.

Do it I say......BUT......if you do it (properly) it will stay like that. There's no way I could get mine back to standard. AND if you ever think to sell it, it'll be a lot harder!

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

See! Dan's post sums up what I said perfectly.

Its bollox it'll 'hurt your ears'! I've got a yozza, and it's perfectly fine to live with everyday.

That's not saying what you put is wrong Dan, it's just opinion and personal preference. I would never go back at all, I have 100% no regrets.

 

[Revels]

Lol. Maybe I'm getting old. I remember taking the parcel shelf out to take some stuff to the tip in my 106 and then on the drive home noticing how loud it seems with just that out and the seats down.

 

[Fletcher]

See! Dan's post sums up what I said perfectly.

Its bollox it'll 'hurt your ears'! I've got a yozza, and it's perfectly fine to live with everyday.

That's not saying what you put is wrong Dan, it's just opinion and personal preference. I would never go back at all, I have 100% no regrets.

I'm with you Dan.

The best thing I have done to my car so far is strip it out.

The car is never going back to standard..too late now anyway, and is pretty much worthless.

It's quite a bit quicker now, handles better, and I love the extra noise inside the cabin. I have done quite a few long journeys in the 172 over the last fortnight (Castle Combe, and todays Renault meet) and had no problems with it

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I'm worried now that if I ever get another car, I'll end up gutting that too lol!

Also, I do poo my pants on the odd occasion a stone flicks up in the rear arches. It's usually proper loud, and I think something has broken!

AND....it's also more practical (for me). I can get all my photographic gear in the back, and my full sus mountain bike too. Couldn't do that before.

 

[Muzzman]

I've got no interest in selling on, everything is going to be skipped, I've still got front and rear cup seats I offered here for free that are sitting at Mark Fish's (unless he got bored and threw them away)

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Then defo do it.

I've got a garage full of my interior, which will probably end up binned as I can't be asked to put everything in a 'for sale' thread.

But if anyone want's anything free, and you collect it, you can have it!

 

[jack_kemp]

I'd get rid of the rear plastics and stuff, but keep the head unit and stuff. I think driving without the stereo would be very boring.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

If you strip it that much, you won't hear the stereo above 50mph or so.

 

[Nick172Cup]

It's pretty easy to do, some bits are a real bugger to get out though!

I've fully stripped mine, took the dash out couple of weeks ago for a cage to go in. Tbh...driving in it doesn't bother me at all (putting up with everything I mean). I drive down to Heathrow pretty regularly, that's 120miles or so.....fine

People who say 'why bother, that will be horrid to live with everyday' etc, just need to man up. I think it makes everything so exciting, you can hear everything! I get into a normal car now and it just feels boring.

Do it I say......BUT......if you do it (properly) it will stay like that. There's no way I could get mine back to standard. AND if you ever think to sell it, it'll be a lot harder!

This! If you have a daily then go to town, exactly like what this chaps said I love how mine is now. Makes the experience of driving it far more exciting and entertaining!

 

[maynard]

I've got no interest in selling on, everything is going to be skipped, I've still got front and rear cup seats I offered here for free that are sitting at Mark Fish's (unless he got bored and threw them away)

Don't skip the stuff, you'll be surprised what you can sell some of the stuff for on here. I was

 

[Christopher]

Largely pointless if it's your daily.

93% of people on here do the following...

1. Strip car to within an inch of it's life, rendering it a sack-ache to use daily.
2. Call everyone else a fag for not needing ear defenders to go to Tesco.
3. Realise they can't use it daily. Feels stupid. Looks at their pile of cut-up interior parts.
4. Put it up for sale.
5. Put it up for sale.
6. Put it up for sale.
7. The car finally sells on eBay for eight pounds.
8. Buy a better daily driver.

 

[jack_kemp]

Don't skip the stuff, you'll be surprised what you can sell some of the stuff for on here. I was

Could someone give me a break down of what interior stuff is worth? I decided I'm going to strip mine tomorrow so it'll be up for sale.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Largely pointless if it's your daily.

93% of people on here do the following...

1. Strip car to within an inch of it's life, rendering it a sack-ache to use daily.
2. Call everyone else a fag for not needing ear defenders to go to Tesco.
3. Realise they can't use it daily. Feels stupid. Looks at their pile of cut-up interior parts.
4. Put it up for sale.
5. Put it up for sale.
6. Put it up for sale.
7. The car finally sells on eBay for eight pounds.
8. Buy a better daily driver.

Yawn, normally i'd agree with you however the fact this is his trackcar and he has a daily already means your just posting drivel for the sake of posting it...

 

[maynard]

Ahh from memory I think I made about £200 for the pair of front seats, and about another £200 from all the other bits. Put it this way the only stuff I've got left are the headlining and a pillar trims.

So pays for half your bucket seats providing your buying some decent ones.

 

[jack_kemp]

Ahh from memory I think I made about £200 for the pair of front seats, and about another £200 from all the other bits. Put it this way the only stuff I've got left are the headlining and a pillar trims.

So pays for half your bucket seats providing your buying some decent ones.

Not for the cup stuff though.... Isn't it more or less worthless?

I'm sold on bimarco furura's I think.

 

[ali_warriner]

Stripping weight from the car is the only noticable difference in performance/speed I've felt tbh whilst modding my 172cup.

Well worth doing as its free and can be put back it not suited to noise etc.

I would say though that it has upset the balance/handling slightly on mine and needs setting up better.

 

[st3ve]

If I had another car as a daily mine would be fully stripped immediately.

Makes it much more fun to drive, just be extra careful of locking the brakes up, lol.

 

[Cunney]

Once you've took out the main bulk stripping makes no difference really imo, just a case of the look/feel really that you're changing, mine is completely stripped in the back, de-catted yozza, it's as loud as you would ever imagine, do 250 motorway miles a week and I still love it to bits, just depends on your personality/ what you like I suppose.

I wouldn't ever strip the dash out though, alot of inconvienience for very little gain imo.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I wouldn't ever strip the dash out though, alot of inconvienience for very little gain imo.

I've just done this step. But I had to as my cage won't fit otherwise. It's not so bad, I still have all my controls as I did before, in a slightly different position albeit. The heater/fan is still in there too (for now).

Every situation is different, as is every person.

 

[Cunney]

I've just done this step. But I had to as my cage won't fit otherwise. It's not so bad, I still have all my controls as I did before, in a slightly different position albeit. The heater/fan is still in there too (for now).

Every situation is different, as is every person.

Aye if you need to then you need to, I just meant taking it out for the sake of taking it out, seems alot more hassle than it's worth lol

 

[Christopher]

Yawn, normally i'd agree with you however the fact this is his trackcar and he has a daily already means your just posting drivel for the sake of posting it...

Pointless post, ironically.

Read the first words in my post again.

 

[Gally]

Irony goes hand in hand with not reading.

There is no need to strip it any further you're only going to lose the little comfort it has and imo gain nothing! It's hardly going to be 8 seconds quicker round a track with some door cards removed.

Driving to Spa with no music and everything droning at you! f**k that!

 

[Porkie]

Got my new Clio back now... and am having exactly the same thoughts. Mine has no roof lining and the interior has all been sprayed black so looks pretty cool and tidy

Been looking at the orteca Carbon doorcards that Ktec sell only this morning and thiking about ditching radio and speakers. But what am I really gonna save? 10kg?

just dont think its worth it... keep the radio and keep it slightly comfy incase I ever have to drive it anywhere on road I reckon.

Muzzman... we should meet up. Cant believe we still havent met each other and live in same town!
We clearly have very similar cars and interests! (and I lent you my 911Turbo!)

you should come to Bedford on April 30th or May 6th those are my next 2 trackdays. I bought an ExigeS by the way as well now. You sold your Lotus finally?

 

[fUbAr]

The irony is, it's probably heavier than standard due to the cage.
A lot of people think it's 'cool' to have a stripped out racecar. Whenever I see one around town (usually saxo's) I think they're a little desperate tbh as they're clearly not on their way to a track.

MarkCup does it properly.

 

[-J-]

MarkCup does it properly.

Driving Gloves and all

 

[Struggler]

personally id take the carpets, headlinging and doorcards out and leave it at that!!
no music would get tiresome imo,

then perhaps change to manual windows, lighter battery, cutting inner skins out,

i love my car being as stripped as it is! and i use it as a daily!!
by far the best performance mod for the money!

 

[fUbAr]

Driving Gloves and all

Thats got nothing to do with the car though... He doesn't want to chip a finger nail.

 

[Muzzman]

Muzzman... we should meet up. Cant believe we still havent met each other and live in same town!
We clearly have very similar cars and interests! (and I lent you my 911Turbo!)

you should come to Bedford on April 30th or May 6th those are my next 2 trackdays. I bought an ExigeS by the way as well now. You sold your Lotus finally?

Hello mate, how you doin'?

I know it's madness, we should definitely meet up.

I'm on holiday on the 30th, the 6th May is a possibility, i'm going to a Brands evening with MSV on the 16th May. Also i've booked Spa with Gold Track in October if you fancy it.

Did you sell the Porsche, i think maybe i should have bought a 996 GT3 in hindsight

How are you enjoying the Exige? I sold my car to a Polish guy who shipped it to Belgium and had it converted to LHD. Here's a video he posted with a data box on a toll road. I knew it was fast 0-125mph in 10.2 seconds!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84lVM9mRt3o

 

[Tony Hunter]

I'd leave it as it is.

 

[JackJack]

Sh1t that's rapid.

 

[Muzzman]

I used to enjoy it. My Dad refused to get in it after the first time, scared him something rotten

 

[Porkie]

Hello mate, how you doin'?

I know it's madness, we should definitely meet up.

I'm on holiday on the 30th, the 6th May is a possibility, i'm going to a Brands evening with MSV on the 16th May. Also i've booked Spa with Gold Track in October if you fancy it.

Did you sell the Porsche, i think maybe i should have bought a 996 GT3 in hindsight

How are you enjoying the Exige? I sold my car to a Polish guy who shipped it to Belgium and had it converted to LHD. Here's a video he posted with a data box on a toll road. I knew it was fast 0-125mph in 10.2 seconds!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84lVM9mRt3o

still have the Porsche... not got around to selling it! I will almost certainly end up keeping it or swapping up to 997 Turbo Cab or go the other way and get a 997 GT3RS. White with black to match the Lotus and Westy.

you will LOVE the 996 GT3... 993's do nothing for me at all mate. They do hold their money though... but thats because old men with beards like em! 996 GT3's are pretty deprciation proof as well now though

LOVING the Lotus. Awesome little thing on track. Its at Proalloy now having bigger intercooler made.

Will watch vid later! at work... no youtube!

My new Clio is at Marks now