TheCorvetteKid

Hi everyone,

Just curious if anyone is using carbon fiber body panels on their street car?

The reason I ask is 'cause I was checking out the Exotic Muscle website the other day, and was going through all their carbon fiber body parts for C4s (hoods, doors, rear quarters, etc...). Great looking stuff, but a large majority was labelled "Race Only". I don't know if that's for liability reasons, or because the carbon fiber stuff poses some kind of problem for daily use. Anyone know?

And for those that are running carbon body pieces, do you notice a true SOTP difference due to the reduced weight?

Thanks in advance.

Zix

That stuff is usually labled "Race Only" because it's very thin...the street carbon bodywork is thicker to put up with daily wear and tear better...also it's *usually* a little smoother in the carbon weave so it can be painted...race stuff is usually a little rougher and easier to tell when painted because you can see the weave pattern. Overall unless you have a lot of money to spend I would look at putting it elsewhere in the car.

Slalom4me

I agree with Zix.

BTW, The biggest SOTP improvement from weight loss comes
by reducing mass from the fastest moving components. Start
at the engine and work your way out to the wheels.

To generalize, chopping 10lbs from reciprocating mass in the
engine has roughly the same performance impact as does dropping
150lbs of weight from the chassis, body, interior & ect.

.

TheCorvetteKid

REALLY?!? 10lbs. is equivalent to 150lbs, huh? I like that!

OK, I know this is off topic but where would you start to remove this 10lbs. of reciprocating mass on an '89 L98 (6-speed)?

Slalom4me

Titanium rods.

Looks like I over-generalized in what was intended to be a simple
example. How about if I amended the post to read 'reciprocating
and rotating mass in the engine'?

Then we could sum up the frisbee, pulleys, harmonic balancer,
flywheel, clutch & so on, along with the Ti rods and ditch much
more than 10lbs.

If using such parts seems impractical, do up a budget for what
the REAL cost of changing over to carbon fibre body parts is
and then compare the cost/benefit against swapping to lighter
engine parts. Consider maintenance over time, too, to arrive
at a true impact on Total Cost of Ownership.

Or do you take issue with the part about how losing 10lbs recip/rotat
at engine speed has an impact on acceleration that is more or less
equivalent to losing 150lbs off the chassis & other non-recip/rotat
components of the vehicle?

.

Baldturbofreak

along with an ex nextel cup lightened billet crank, casidium coated titanium wrist pins, wiseco shape 5 pistons, aluminum flywheel, 7.25in 3 disc clutch, aluminum ati balancer, carbon driveshafts. That should about do it. It will rev like a GSXR, and with proper valve train/heads will scream right to 9k. Beats a carbon fiber body everytime.

TheCorvetteKid

Slalom4me, I don't take issue with what you've said at all. In fact, I completely and totally agree with you. I had a friend of mine swap out a stock flywheel for a lightweight unit on a Honda Civic Si he once had, and he let me take it for a quick spin. The difference was VERY dramatic, so I am a total believer in what you've said.

Something like titanium con rods is not something I'm prepared to do right now, and the clutch and dual-mass flywheel (stock) on my car are only a couple of years old with probably 10,000kms on them so they have alot of life left in 'em. I have already removed the frisbee from the front of the engine in the quest for weight reduction, and the the lightweight balancer and pullies you mentioned are something that I have been considering for some time now. Any recommendations for either one?

Rev like a GSX-R and scream to 9000rpm!!! BOY, do I like the sound of that!!! I realize you're probably exagerating just a little, but it still sounds cool.

As I mentioned above, I'm not ready to break into the bottom end of the engine as of yet. But the carbon fiber driver shafts sound intriguing - who makes 'em? Any idea on price?

And an aluminum balancer? Really? I didn't know anyone made aluminum balancers. I'm gonna check it out - thanks!

This thread may be heading off topic, but I don't care - this is GREAT stuff!!!

vader86

Denny's makes the CF shafts.

Do not expect power gains from going to them, their benefit is strength. Their inertial moment is actually slightly higher than the stock shafts, so they cost power, albeit a negligible amount.

Only if you can find someone who makes lighter and smaller shafts would you be guaranteed of gaining anything back.

NitrousSam

I have participated in several weight reduction threads during the past year and actually one of the best weight reductions can be lighter weight wheels and tires.

You asked about CF parts...I am in the process of cutting weight out of my 1984. My goal is to get it down to 2800 lbs. I have purchased a carbon fiber hood, lexan rear window, a melrose roof skin, added aluminum heads, light weight intake, light weight starter, light weight water pump, removed the heavy factory carpeting and lots of other stuff. I still have a ways to go but I am sure I can get it down to 2800 lbs or less with some continued tweaking.

While many will tell you to make your power in the engine and not worry about weight of your car and that is fine...however if your car is lighter it will be MUCH easier on parts. Most of the guys breaking their Dana 36's are making some solid horsepower in a fairly heavy cars. Nothing to get hung up on but it is certainly worth considering.

TheCorvetteKid

Excellent suggestion! Any recommendations?

montie98

Why not just ride a motorcycle?

NitrousSam

Sure I have lots of recommendations but before we get into them I would need to know what purpose you would be using the car for. Drag racing or Road Racing? It makes a HUGE difference which ones I would recommend.

My goal is mainly drag style racing so for me Bogart or Weld wheels tend to be the better choice. The Aluma Star by Weld are great ones http://www.weldracing.com/Weld_Motor...k/15alum2.shtm, the Magnums are also very nice from Weld http://www.weldracing.com/Weld_Motor.../15m1pcBO.shtm. I like the look of the Aluma Lights http://www.bogartracingwheels.com/wheels/alumalight.jpg

NitrousSam

I have no interest in bikes at this point in my life. I enjoy playing with cars and I have been building fairly fast and street driven hot rods for around 20 years now. My Vette is a project I am enjoying even though it is taking longer than most of my other cars but it may be potentially the most rewarding. I have had a lot of fun meeting and talking with other Vette owners...and have found this group to be some of the nicest and most helpful people I have ever dealt with.

Slalom4me

There is roughly an 8 lb difference between an '89 wheel w/ cap
and a '03 OEM Z/06 Speedline wheel (17x9.5). That's a reduction
of 32 lbs per set. (52 lbs vs 44 lbs with the same 275/40-17
Goodyear GS-C tire mounted.)

The benefit from reducing chassis rotating inertia is not as great as
that from reducing engine RI. Still, if you removed a 12" dia disk
that weighed 8 lbs from a wheel hub, this would have three times
the benefit of removing a jack and lug nut wrench weighing 8 lbs.

.

Baldturbofreak

Rev like a GSX-R and scream to 9000rpm!!! BOY, do I like the sound of that!!! I realize you're probably exagerating just a little, but it still sounds cool.


QUOTE]
nope not at all, in fact it's commonplace in Nextel cup cars. they turn 9000+ for 500 miles. 4.125" bore, 3.34(?) stroke, they are very over square and like I said with the proper valvetrain, Such as a good used set of "short track" Sb2 heads/intake makes for one Badss small block. By anyone's standard. Ask Jeb, I believe he went Sb2 recently.

NitrousSam

TheCorvetteKid

This is a GREAT discussion!

The car is mainly a street vehicle, but any racing would be strictly road racing.

I will admit, I like the idea of a set of '03 Z06 wheels. But I'm sure there are other street/road racing wheels which would be even lighter. Any suggestions?

NitrousSam

What is your budget for wheels?

TheCorvetteKid

I don't know. I mean, I don't want to spend $10,000 for a set of wheels, but I also understand that I probably won't find anything decent for under $1,000 either.

Let's say, up to $4,000 (give or take $500) not including rubber.