Rep Power: 266

I wana make my car handle and accelerate a bit better, and since weight reduction is free (how cheap of me) I wanted to see a few things
How much weight could I free up by removing the following

contents of trunk including lining, spare, etc.
rear deck
rear seats
rear door panels
passanger seat
power steering
a/c system
carpet
passanger door panel
center console

also, how big of a pain in the *** would it be to put everything back in
would the "mod" be noticable as far as performance gains
i know its gona be hot as hell and cold as hell in the car and loud but thats no worry

thanks!!

 
Rep Power: 246

ah... your best bet is to cut the ac and ps. the interior really doesnt weigh as much as you think.

and plus, you cut the passenger seat and i dont think you'll ever go out with a ho again

 
Rep Power: 266

Im sure it would add up...and they drive me or let me drive their cars

 
Rep Power: 290

I honestly don't feel like gutting the panels and interior stuff will save you much weight. Removing the power steering and ac would free up some hp I guess but wouldn't to easy to remove and reinstall. As for everything else in the interior/trunk, the most weight savings would be the passenger seat and crap in the trunk.

Here is an idea... You take everything off the car, weigh it, and get back to us with weight savings. I don't think it would be worth it.

If you do gut your car it will scream rice to anybody that sees it. If you want to act like you are going fast then take your muffler off for a while. That sounds like the type of ***** and giggles you are looking for.

 
Rep Power: 0

I believe it comes out to about a 10th of a second for every 100 pounds taken out. So you may wanna way the pros and cons of it all but it is your ride. Strip it weigh it then race it and post results

 
Rep Power: 266

Why will it scream rice?? I autocross my car regularly...my muffler is off, for once again weight reduction..the whole axleback is off for that matter. Dont talk **** without any knowledge ok? thanks

 
Rep Power: 239

id keep it simple. stuff that you can easily take out for a weekend autox and put back in to keep the car practical. when i get to the track or do an autox, the only things i take out are my sub box and spare tire and think of it as a good excuse to throw all the garbage away from the inside. i think youll really be disappointed in how much work its gonna be compared to the gains you see. my buddy races an si in scca showroom stock and even he has a good deal of his interior still in. (basically only things that were removed were to make room for a cage.)

 
Rep Power: 266

Thanks!

 
Rep Power: 301

i took out a/c and that a good amount of weight. Its not a lot maybe 40 or 50 pounds at tops. I never weighed it

 
Rep Power: 317

i'd love to see one of our sedans autoxing!

 
Rep Power: 266

il have pix next season
i assume you didnt notice any difference
the car is daily driven but i was also thinking about removing front nad rear crash bars (im blessed to not have had an accident in over 2 years from day one), getting a side exit exhaust done from the downpipe to save the weight of the midpipe
id like to get the car down to about 2250-2300 so the little power i have available is better used

 
Rep Power: 320

not worth it for a DD. If all that weight gone your car would only be .1-.2 seconds faster. You would still get owned by most cars. Just save for a swap, turbo or just buy a faster car.

Just enjoy the civic for what it is. A reliable car, that get good gas mileage and handles well.

 
Rep Power: 239

if everything works out with school and work, ill have some in a few weeks for ya

 
Rep Power: 249

i did have my interior gutted from the front seats back, i have a k20a2 swap, it didnt do anything but make it a little bit louder inside, and things vibrated more in the back, and it was colder sometimes. i put everything back in and it's so much better.

 
Rep Power: 290

I drove 2 hours down the highway, with my rear seat folded down. it was noisy enough to **** me off. i can only imagine how bad it would gutted. I can't imagine doing that to a DD. If you want to gain some power, i say the ps and ac removal are prolly the best idea so far. in the end, tho, it's your call. you're the one that's gonna have to deal with driving it after you do whatever to it. I obviously have no idea what your finances are like, nor do i want to, but is a project car an option?? It sounds like you're getting to the point in your auto x career that you want a pretty serious car, so why not get an older civic hatch or something, and gut that. besides, the engine might respond a bit better to simply bolt ons than the d17 does. either way, good luck, man.

 
Rep Power: 241

While your at it, just remove your hood! That will get rid of some weight!

 
Rep Power: 266

and provide better cooling as well lol nah not that extreme

i wonder if any 7 genners are running nitrous...i was considering getting an engine stand and a spare motor and just taking my time to build it up for boost or nitrous..im also wondering if anyone has done a supercharger on a d17 i havent see a readymade kit but has it been done??

 
Rep Power: 0

your best bet would be to just remove the ac. i barely ever use mine anyways i just roll down my windows. and if your into auto-x i wouldnt think removing the ps would be a good idea. maybe in an older hatch but definately not a 7th gen due to weight.

 
Rep Power: 266

thanks for your response...i autocross for fun, plus at this point i can outdrive everyone i know which is always a plus for bragging rights..like i know my car very well i can make passes on the freeway that other people cant simply cause i know that at this speed with this gap i can fit or i cant fit..i can drive really close to the side of the road, but not brush a single branch just **** like that. as far as a project car, no not an option...have no room to keep it, and right now im doing valet parking 1 day a week...yea its bad

one thing id love to do is lower seating position by about 4-6 inches without having to get diff seats but i duno if that can be done

 
Rep Power: 0

the power steering isnt that bad to take out, try it out and see how you like driving without power steering i did, and then i put it back on lol. as far as what your trying to do, i had stripped my trunk and everything and it by far wasnt enough weight to make a difference. i can see taking out everything behind the front seats reasonable because its not that hard, but yea for a daily driver its not worth it. all up to you man but its making it more of a show car or track car and less of a DD

 
Rep Power: 317

no crash in 2 years? don't jinx yourself!!! in 2006, I had some branches fall on my car. I replaced hood, fenders, and windshield. Then, later that year, while parked in the driveway, my mom backed into my pass. rear door. replaced that. So I figured, all I had done was replace parts...and since towards the end of 2005 I had to replace my windshield another time cause of a rock hitting it on the freeway, my New Year's Resolution for 2007 was to not have any accidents. Then on Jan. 3rd, some $h!+he@d rear-ended me while I was stopped at a red light (he was wanting to run the yellow )

so, I had gone from 11/01 til 01/07 without any accidents...HOPEFULLY, NO MORE WILL FIND MY WAY!!!

 
Rep Power: 317

i hate to shoot you down, but you're just starting to sound cocky...stay safe on those highways! I know the lanes on the highway get scraped off every winter (i recall one time driving into the city, I started to see the lane reflectors go zipping down the center of my car, yet everyone else had made lanes!!!), and pot-holes are the size of Rhode Island!

 
Rep Power: 246

you should see the potholes IN rhode island. thats why im only dropped 1"