Moderate Clam Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 Does anyone know how much lighter the Carbon Fibre wings and nose are, compared to GRP? Also how much lighter the carbon dash is, compared to the standard question.gif Just thinking about winter projects. Edited by - moderate clam on 8 Aug 2000 14:44:42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 Doesn't this come under the category of more money than sense (aka if you wish to give to charity then there is one with my name on the list of beneficiaries).... Spending money on engines, brakes, suspension, tyres I can understand. But for most of us mere mortals the cheapest way to improve power to weight is to stop eating! Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 Given that the ali dash is just a thin sheet of ali with lots of holes cut in it I'd expect the carbon one to be about 1.7 ounces lighter. If that. Purchase for appearance sake if that's your bag, personally I'd spend the cash on performance-enhancing items. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 James Whiting was telling me how he used to just ring Caterham & ask for thinner GRP panels, much cheaper & just as light as Carbon Fibre, of course you don't want to touch things with them, but that's not really the idea is it. Might be worth talking to Caterham & asking if they still do it. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderate Clam Posted August 8, 2000 Author Share Posted August 8, 2000 OK, I stand corrected. I have been thinking about getting my car re-sprayed over the winter and whilst I was there... I was thinking that it couldn't be that much of a difference, so I thought that I would ask first. And a good job I did too. wink.gif I personally couldn't loose any more weight. Anyway, I am also _thinking_ of doing wide track front suspension, maybe change/fiddle with the engine, up grade breaks (might even get around to fitting my green stuff pads too - sure as hell am not ever going to get around to it whilst the weather is tolerable), maybe change the Ital axle to Escort, etc, etc, etc... Well I might actually get around to doing one of them. Anyway, cheers for the advice. smile.gif Edited by - moderate clam on 8 Aug 2000 16:09:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 Superlight concept is a truimph of marketing-speak over plain-talking. A Seven is super-light, a "Superlight" is less of the same. Nearly all of the weight saving is due to leaving stuff off the car - spare wheel, screen, wipers, hood, heater etc. Wonderful example of charging more, for less. Genius. Similar "go on a diet" arguments crop up in cycling circles (where having a hair-cut could almost make more difference than the latest titanuim seat-pin bolt) but, in mitigation... (a) it does matter very much where the weight is situated and (b) light weight toys are inherently more pub-talk-worthy than their bog standard counterparts. Any weight-saving = a good thing. And it doesn't stop carbon being cool, if you like that sort of thing. (Too many things.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted August 8, 2000 Share Posted August 8, 2000 I've just stripped the carbon , wings , dash , rear wings and nose off me superlite and stripped the GRP versions from kevins car . TOTAL WEIGHT SAVING = 237.12 Grams ( after I had washed all the ****e from me rear wings ). This will increase my power to weight ratio by .34 bhp/ ton OR if I skip my next Big Mac things should be equal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 Glen - the "charging more for less" thing is a bit unfair. I bought my car as a Superlight and added creature comforts such as a windscreen and comfy seats because this was a cheaper way to get the spec I wanted than adding the mechanical bits (big front brakes, lsd, 6-speed box, Supersport engine, wide track etc) to a non-Superlight. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 Mike Ooops - wrongly assumed that since the Superlight brand carries (justifiable) extra kudos, price would reflect. Still a great example of less is more. "Superlight" is a good, catchy, name - but most of the bits are not lighter as such, just more suitable for competition. A regular Seven with all the stuff taken off is roughly the same weight (since the most significant weight savings are due to the absence, rather than substitution, of parts), but not such a track car. Now I'm splitting hairs to cover my embarassment at my earlier error, so will stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 I followed a Superlight in to work this morning, lucky git, I have to see clients, so brought the big car, still might get to bring the caterham in on Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderate Clam Posted August 9, 2000 Author Share Posted August 9, 2000 Coo. Even more advice. However, I have now changed my mind. I now want my car to be heavier. People keep on mentioning dieting and quite frankly I find that a scarey word. So the easiest thing to do will be to _aim_ to have a heavy car. Plan... Eat More burgers. Stop cleaning car. Fit carpets. Grow hair really long. Fit _BIG_ stereo system (big bass box mounted to roll bar would look nice). Fit more mirrors and lights (in a kind of Mod "I'm going to Brighton" kinda style)...Maybe a CB arial too...with a fox tail on it. ...Now are you allowed to use the tail of a fox if you "find" a dead one on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vogon SuperTrooper Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 I went the superheavy route recently. I loaded about 17 stones of someone else's bulk into the passenger seat. There wasn't a lot of room for me, actually, but my feet were okay. And, in some ways, the car felt more 'present', if you know what I mean. Less like skating on ice, more like ploughing a furrow with a lot of horses. So that's the best reason I can think of for piling on the pounds. Except superheavy doesn't sound quite right. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 It always worries me when I have taken my 'sumo' freinds out for a ride that the car does not feel quite as fast as I think it should & that I have not really delivered on my promises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Russell Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 Geoff, You obviously need much more power! And a spell check !! Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vogon SuperTrooper Posted August 9, 2000 Share Posted August 9, 2000 Geoff, you're absolutely right. And yet what can you say? Chalres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Crudders Posted August 10, 2000 Area Representative Share Posted August 10, 2000 Geoff, I'm with you there, but you're looking at the performance from YOUR perspective - if your passenger normally drives a regular 1 ton plus motor you'll still fill his/her pants with performance to spare. I know I do, and that's not a boast cos (a) my car aint that quick (in 7 terms at least), (b) I'm not a hairy a*sed iron b*ll*cked driver and © I'm a bit of a wallflower. Incidentally, we had a "weigh in" at the North Kent Area a little while ago courtesy of Juno Sportscars (great outfit - don't hesitate to trust them with any work on your car, not just suspension stuff) and what do think came out lightest? Was it the stripped out, no spare wheel, carpetless, carbon fibre everything wagons? Was it b*ll*cks. The lightest car, at 509kg, was my bog standard live axle machine with a heavy old lump of iron engine, carpets, proper seats, spare wheel, half a tank of fuel and no carbon fibre whatsoever (apart from the tax disc holder anyway). OK, not as light as the published weight of a Superlight but add the spare, the fuel and the seats and you're probably not far off. Carbon fibre looks cool but there are so many other ways of reducing weight for a lot less money. Keep it simple, as Chapman apparently used to say. Quite fancy a carbon dash though. Crudders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 I don't know for certain, but I suspect my car might just about be the heaviest seven on the road, vauxhall hpc carb, full leather everything, flared wings, heater & heated screen, so power to weight probably suffers less (relatively), still I hope that means it bounces around less (it still does not like roads that have been dug up & badly filled in over & over again....a big gripe of mine this one). I do know that I have just gained about 20 bhp with my new, sexy, tuned, side exit exhaust & the car now appears to be as fast with the other half in it as it was before without her. Perhaps I should offer people a ride again now Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper man Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 I was amazed to discover that painting a seven adds 3 kilos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 Oh god & I went & had the Yellow nose cone & stripe put on there's another kilo. Never mind I'm on a diet, it will get faster, I must have lost a stone this week, that's how hungry I am at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Smith Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 Black wings and nosecoses are a lot lighter (thinner) than coloured ones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vogon SuperTrooper Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 I have found that running the car on a nearly empty petrol tank does wonders for weight removal. I have also found that removing collected water from the footwells also helps. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 At this rate I will have to clean it & scrape all the cow **** & stuff off as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vogon SuperTrooper Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 There may be an ounce or two's saving to be had by removing flies and wasps from the radiator grille. Perhaps though it would be easier and quicker simply to remove the radiator and instead replace the entire cooling system with a minature fridge? charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Johnson Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 You are picking on my cooling system again.... it is still running hot. I suppose a new aluminium radiator is lighter, but if it carries more coolant then I am back where I started Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Rexia Posted August 10, 2000 Share Posted August 10, 2000 Bull**** must be heavy - that'd sort some blokes out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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