Can I make weight


#1

Guys, I am planning to build a Spec E30 and I have a question regarding weight.

I weigh about 425, can I get enough weight out of the car to make me and my total car weight competitive?

I know some of you take out more weight and use ballast, I carry my own but I just want to make sure I could get the car down to the minimum wieght with me in it. I woud hate to spot you guys 200 lbs.

Thanks for any advice anyone has for me.


#2

Ought to be do-able.
I was at spec weight with 10 gal of fuel when I first got my car. I weigh 175.

Compared to that 3yr old data point you could lose…
55lbs tar in trunk and passenger area.
35lbs of sunroof.
25lbs passenger seat and seat mounts.
30lbs start races 4gal short of full.
25lbs of side windows and motors.
20lbs of ripping out everything behind the dash.
10lbs lightweight battery.
10lbs remove power steering pump.
5lbs replace battery wire with something smaller.


#3

My ITA car weighs 2600, with gas, ready to race with all the above removed. You do not want a small battery with your weight. Chuck


#4

Based on my experience, I’d say that you’ll have trouble making weight. My new car in race trim weighs 2535 with a full tank of gas and no driver. The only thing that I could have removed, per the rules, but didn’t is the HVAC box and heater core. But that is an insignificant weight. I believe that I’ve removed everything else that the rules allow. My cage is more than the required minimum and adds weight to the car, though I don’t know how much.


#5

You will struggle to get down to that weight. Maybe you could get within about 100 lbs but I don’t see you getting much closer than that.


#6

In my opinion, SE30 offers a great combination of competitive fields and room in the rules for you to get close to the minimum weight.

If you did an all-out build and lost every ounce of car weight (e.g. replacing those heavy metal nuts on the tail lights with zip ties), you might get within shouting distance of the minimum, but as Chuck alluded, corner weighting might be a challenge.

IndyJim and others accuse me of being Safety Sally but if I were in your shoes I would pick the car that made through-window exit easiest, then pick a race class. Both at Nationals and the first Southeast race this year they did timed exits. You have to get out in 15 seconds through the window or 10 seconds through the door.

A friend of mine who races Spec Miatas peaked at about 350 a couple years ago and managed fine, but I never saw him try to get out in a hurry.