So i'm looking into carbon fiber parts and any ideas on how to lighten the front of my car. i've taken a good bit off the back but i'm looking to keep my damn car balanced ..

Here's what i'm thinking about:

1. Carbon fiber or fiberglass fenders ( good idea? worth the ~$200?)
2. Lighter battery.. don't know if this is worth it.. what the weight differences are
3. Removing A/C parts. Already started on this.. AC 'radiator' is out but other parts are next. 45lbs total, yeah?

I'd like to keep out of the interior in the front.. but are there some heavy support bars in the dash that could go?
Any brilliant ideas are appreciated.
thanks.

 

this car is your racerar, or your d/d?

 

fenders don't weigh that much.

i would buy a small motocycle battery. i had one it was really light, too bad it died on me.

a carbon fiber hood.

 

it's a dd so my aim is to keep it comfortable, quiet, and fast.
Also thinking about some sort of lightened material for the rear windows.
Dunno.. anyone here seen a weight loss from fenders? i hear that carbon fiber hoods drop a measly 10-20lbs or something.. not really worth it.

I've thought about a lighter battery... i know there is something called an optima whatever.. dunno about the weight difference though.

 

- The fenders will not shed much weight - certainly less than the typical 15 lbs for a C/F hood.

- If you want to pick up a lightweight battery, that can save around 10 depending upon the one you choose. You can also then relocate it to the rear for better weight balance.

- The A/C can come out (I think I've seen estimates of around 30 lbs, but I am not certain) but I wouldn't be willing to lose it on a DD that wasn't a convertible.

- You can also remove the power steering if your car is equipped with it, which is good for about 15 lbs and anywhere from 4-7 whp freed up.

- You can also swap out the stock exhaust manifold for a header, which is normally another 15 lbs or so in weight reduction.

 

You'd benefit more from corner balancing and spring rates appropriated to your car and driving style.

You could spend $3000 replacing oem with CF parts, or make $3000 worth of power and handling capability and do much better.

 

a header swap.. i never thought about that. Turns out i might keep my D motor for a little longer. I know that headers usually jack up your high end and dampen your low end power though.. is there a good header out there that won't kill my low end? after all, that's why i'm trying to reduce weight.

yeah, i'll probably be doing the rear windows..

Power steering... dunno man. Maybe once i get the chassis lightened up .. this ain't no crx just yet, haha..

 

4-2-1 headers usually favor the mid to low end.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neptronix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I know that headers usually jack up your high end and dampen your low end power though.. is there a good header out there that won't kill my low end? after all, that's why i'm trying to reduce weight.</TD></TR></TABLE>

A good header will increase power across the entire power band. Check out SMSP

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neptronix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Power steering... dunno man. Maybe once i get the chassis lightened up .. this ain't no crx just yet, haha..</TD></TR></TABLE>

The effort is not as high as you might think.

 

fenders would probably be a waste of money because the diffrence in weight isnt that much and plus you've got to paint them.. If anything just remove the complete A/C, P/S, and get a fiber glass hood.

 

I think you're wasting your time lightening a daily driver equipped with a d-series economy motor.

 

man... im suprised syndicate hasnt been in here hating yet.

just wait for it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek forever guy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think you're wasting your time lightening a daily driver equipped with a d-series economy motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think you're not wasting your time.

 

you can buy my dc sports 4-2-1 header... they made good power all the way across but then i went turbo

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jwolf &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">man... im suprised syndicate hasnt been in here hating yet.

just wait for it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Aahahaha oh man whats up with this guy. Syndicate is always helpful. Maybe he bashed on you because you said something stupid.

 

Civics are front wheel drive cars. Why loose the weight in the front that can cause wheel hop? If anything you want to add weight in the front and balance out the back to make up for it.

Corner balancing is the only way to do this right, everything else is just trying to be cool.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Civics are front wheel drive cars. Why loose the weight in the front that can cause wheel hop? If anything you want to add weight in the front and balance out the back to make up for it.

Corner balancing is the only way to do this right, everything else is just trying to be cool. </TD></TR></TABLE>

And you know I am going to agree with this. I would never spend money on CF for weight reduction either on the front or rear of my car. All that money could go into the motor and help it produce more hp.

 

Better suspension parts will solve it easily.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Corner balancing is the only way to do this right, everything else is just trying to be cool. </TD></TR></TABLE>
agreed

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by esco562 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Aahahaha oh man whats up with this guy. Syndicate is always helpful. Maybe he bashed on you because you said something stupid. </TD></TR></TABLE>

You haven't been around much, have you? He's expressed a desire to be more helpful and less abrasive though, which I am glad for. We need more of that around here.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Civics are front wheel drive cars. Why loose the weight in the front that can cause wheel hop? If anything you want to add weight in the front and balance out the back to make up for it.

Corner balancing is the only way to do this right, everything else is just trying to be cool. </TD></TR></TABLE>

There is a lot of benefit to having a 50/50 weight distribution, regardless of which wheels are driven. Adding weight is almost never desirable, though in a few rare instances it has been used by manufacturers in an attempt to make handling "safer" (as was the case with early 911's).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You haven't been around much, have you? He's expressed a desire to be more helpful and less abrasive though, which I am glad for. We need more of that around here. </TD></TR></TABLE>

No i havent been around much, almost a year. It just seems that when i have looked for help, Syndicate has always helped me, even via pm he has answered many of my questions that i have had in the past. It just seems when someone says something.."stupid" he gets on they're case, almost funny to watch but non the less i have seen him (from the time i have been here) to be more helpfull towards people. Even if they say something "stupid." After all, this is honda-tech right? Where people come to get help with there cars.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Civics are front wheel drive cars. Why loose the weight in the front that can cause wheel hop? If anything you want to add weight in the front and balance out the back to make up for it.

Corner balancing is the only way to do this right, everything else is just trying to be cool. </TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek forever guy from 10 posts before &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You'd benefit more from corner balancing and spring rates appropriated to your car and driving style.

You could spend $3000 replacing oem with CF parts, or make $3000 worth of power and handling capability and do much better.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek forever guy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You'd benefit more from corner balancing and spring rates appropriated to your car and driving style.

You could spend $3000 replacing oem with CF parts, or make $3000 worth of power and handling capability and do much better.</TD></TR></TABLE>

why waste your money on CF parts when you can spend it else where.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek forever guy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think you're wasting your time lightening a daily driver equipped with a d-series economy motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It'll have a better motor in it eventually but a big chunk of my b series swap money is going bye bye so i figure eh.. why not lighten the chassis for now. Makes sense to do mods i'm eventually gonna do.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neptronix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It'll have a better motor in it eventually but a big chunk of my b series swap money is going bye bye so i figure eh.. why not lighten the chassis for now. Makes sense to do mods i'm eventually gonna do.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It makes sense regardless, as long as that's what you want to do. Weight reduction is not only effective if you have a powerful engine. Indeed, light weight is the reason that cars like the Lotus Elise are able to perform as well as far more powerful automobiles.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94c1v1cex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you can buy my dc sports 4-2-1 header... they made good power all the way across but then i went turbo</TD></TR></TABLE>

I might take you up on that. I'd like to keep my muffler/cat/piping stock until i get a swap though cuz i really don't want to lose low end power. Would i see a boost from a header alone?

BTW i have a stock intake system, but the baffle is cut out.. it flows a little bit more than stock.

As for weight balancing.. i currently have no issues with wheel hop, lol. I'll worry about that when i am pushing substantially more than 127.1hp