musicmankeb

Alright so I'm looking to do some weight reduction on my 06Z and I'm not looking to spend money like Halltech and Katech lol. I'd like to put together a cheap way to reducing weight aka the poor man's weight reduction list let's call it. I'm also looking to do a head/cam package soon so I have to keep that in mind as well (explains the clutch and headers).

So far I've come up with these ideas:

-Wheels/Tires
Wheels=OEM
Tires: Michelin Super Sport Tires (this is expensive to do but not if you already need tires)
Price:

-Brakes
Swapping out rotors to a 2 piece design. (not sure which brand is good and cheap?)
Product: (up for suggestions)
Price:

-Seats
Option 1: Keeping factory seats but swapping out the brackets? (Not sure if this is possible)
Option 2: Going with an aftermarket seat and brackets (Not sure which offers best weight reduction to price ratio?)
Product: (up for suggestions, not sure if pfadt is still available?)
Price:

OEM Drivers Seat Base-------->26 lbs
OEM Driver Seat Base--------->Pfadt Seat Mount 5.4lbs

OEM Passenger Seat Base----->10 lbs
OEM Passenger Seat Base--------->Pfadt Seat Mount 5.4lbs


-Battery
Odyssey PC925MJT 26lbs (-10lbs) (for people who don't want to have to trickle charge if they don't drive their car every week)

-Exhaust
B&B Bullets 34.2lbs (-16 lbs)

-Headers + X Pipe
American Racing Headers 1 7/8" w/ Catted X Pipe
or
American Racing Headers 1 7/8" w/ no cats X Pipe (not sure which I want to go with but I do live in PA)
Price:

-Interior
Remove Cargo mat
Remove Sun Visors
Remove passenger floor mat
Remove Cargo net+cloth cover
Price: Free

-Exterior
Carbon Fiber front splitter
Product: (up for suggestions)
Price:

-Engine
Remove plastic LS7 engine covers
Price: Free

Remove wiper fluid and unplug tank
Price: Free

Swapping out motor mounts to Hinson or Pfadt mounts
Price:

Swapping out OEM clutch + flywheel for an upgraded one which also is lighter and holds more power
Product: (up for suggestions)
Price:

-Suspension
(Up for suggestions but I know there is weight to be lost here but not sure if it's cheap)

Anyone want to add to the list or fill in information/make suggestions. Feel free but these are my ideas so far without going overboard.

-Kyle

DaytonaFIC6

Not sure how extreme you are trying to get. You could take out the ac, wiper motors, and wiper blades. All of which is free.

LFZ

If your primary concern is performance, then I would start off with reducing weight where it counts. That is what I'm doing with coilovers, sways, and tyres. Shedding a few pounds here and there with things like battery, exhaust, free take offs, etc. is just an added bonus.

whatcop?

Its cheaper to add power than take weight out to gain performance. Put in a cam, spring kit, and tune and you will spend about $2200 and gain ~50whp. For that same gain you would have to drop 500lbs off of your car. Its just unrealistic to do it by dropping weight. Somethings I can understand as doing as it will increase different performance aspects of your car such as coilovers but unless you are a diehard track guy you won't reap the benefits from them. Also a clutch may drop 15lbs with a lightweight flywheel, but are looking at $2500-3000 with parts and labor.

63Corvette

"Cheapest Weight Reduction Ideas"

Kyle, the "cheapest" is to watch what you eat, and lose DRIVER weight! That worked for Dan Gurney, and is the foundation of pro driver's........yep, it's also the cheapest

whatcop?

You could always buff off layers of your clearcoat........ Just sayin

40YRW8

Don't forget that adding power costs fuel mileage. Reducing the weight will also let the car stop quicker, corner with more g and turn in quicker. Power won't do any of that. There are a few things you can do that take off a decent amount of weight but the real benefit comes from adding up dozens of little things that no one else will do. Not too many things cheaper than taking something off your car. I haven't made any permanent changes to my car so it can be put back stock. I have a whole garage closet full of stock parts that have been taken off my car or replaced with something lighter. They are all labeled so my wife can give them to the guy that buys my car; WHEN I'M DEAD!!
Gary

whatcop?

I agree to an extent, but putting shocks and brakes on a Z06 will offset any weight loss you can do and keep the car still as a DD. It probably will even be cheaper to do the two.


Someone add up what cost and weight savings is for these items:

Seats
Battery
wheels
2 piece rotors

Those 4 items for really good lightweight products will easily be in the 10k range. Realistically you will only drop 150lbs which is equal to a 15hp gain.

Then compare it with the cost of:

Tune
Intake
Headers
Aggressive pad
Base DBA Rotors
Coilovers

Those 6 items right there will cost you about 6k and net you roughly 40-50hp
If you don't do cats you dropped 27lbs and I am not sure how much the coilovers drop.
You will out brake, handle, and accelerate the other car and still have 4k in your pocket.

90sundevil

Leave the gas tank only 1/8 full at all times, hit the head before you drive, in fact stop eating and drinking, shave your whole body and only Wear a thong when driving.

Garrett W

Hit the treadmill.

BigMike NY

I'm with you! Its not like these cars are heavy to begin with!

40YRW8

I did the tune, intake and headers along with a ported throttle body and a ported stock intake manifold and got 31 HP. You really can't compare weight loss with horsepower unless all you do with your car is drag race. The unmentioned tangeable is how the car feels when you drive it. Those benefits can be felt any time you move your car. Once paid for they don't cost a dime, they increase fuel mileage, never wear out and last for ever. However, my final comment is not either/or. Do both. If you are looking for "Bang for the buck" do power. After that, work on the weight. My car is my daily driver and I don't give up anything. If you have never felt what a Z drives like with a 175 pound weight reduction, you are missing out.
Gary

GMuffley

Man, that one hit close to home.

GMuffley

I'd be nervous if she takes pictures of the car and forwards the inventory of parts to third parties.

michaelinmech

Swap glass for plexiglass
Remove all power window mechanisms
Remove inside door panels
Remove center console
Remove all stereo and nav equipment
Replace drive seat with carbon fiber tub unit - remove passenger seat
Replace exhaust with titanium unit

mikes08z06

If you are really talking cheapest, then remove stuff (radio, A/C, any sound insulation, stuff above already mentioned, etc.), but you may suffer if your Corvette is also a pleasure car so that may not be practical. Light weight replacements get expensive. You may get maximum return by getting rid of the power/adjustable seats and going to reasonably priced replacements. You didn't mention if this is drag or road race. For handling probably best to concentrate on suspension un-sprung weight (brakes, shocks, springs, wheels, tires). For drag racing any weight reduction will help, or make more POWER!

40YRW8

If you do start making weight mods, start at the front and do all you can there first. Moving the weight bias to the rear with a reduction in weight at the front gives you double benefits. In addition to the weight loss, it moves the CG to the rear which helps with forward bite. It also makes a big difference in how quickly the car likes to turn in on the road courses or on the street.
Gary

musicmankeb

No body answered any of my questions or made suggestions where I was asking for them. I'm looking best price/weight loss ratio products

I only weight 150lbs so I'm not concerned about losing weight, if anything I want to gain weight!

If the pfadt seat brackets can be used with stock seats.... that would be awesome, cheap mod.

2 piece rotors are not that expensive

I'm staying with OEM wheels...they are light enough....to expensive for anything lighter.

Motor mounts are not too expensive either....I guess I'm going to have to make a list of products with prices and then get a price to reduction ratio going to see which are the most beneficial. I'd still like someone to address what I brought up in my first post though.

Has anyone removed the windshield washer tank all together?

MitchAlsup

Couple of items not mentioned::

A) replace bumper struts with fabricated aluminum bracked posts.
B) carbon fiber bodywork
C) delete stereo, speakers, and wires
D) forged magnesium or Carbon Fiber wheels
E) Titanium exhaust pipes
F) exterrior mirrors
G) Black box under passenger seat

OJCrush08

It DOES matter... If you do not believe that weight is important, suggest you read the recent Road & Track article testing all available variants of the '12 model - on the street and the track. Unanamous winner was the Z06, even over ZR1. And, the '12 Z weighed quite a bit more than my '10 3LZ - just 90 lbs less than the ZR1.

My '10 weighed in at 3157 lbs on race shop calibrated scales, with only about 4 gallons of fuel. This weekend, it will be at my friend's shop for substantial handling, braking upgrades, along with a bit more power, and a diet.

Goodyears replaced by 4 stock sized Michelin Pilot SuperSports at a savings of 4 lbs per tire and handling improvement in a totally different level (working with the already installed DRM Bilsteins). Four Coleman slotted rotors with aluminum hats replacsing stock - 10 lbs saving for each front rotor, 6 lbs for each rear - total unsprung weight savings of 48 lbs -equal to 96 lbs sprung weight. Stock exhaust replaced by Akropovic Ti evo system for a bit more power and another 33 lb weight loss. Thy car already dynoed on a race shop dynojet that is carefully maintained at 474 rear wheel. Only power mods are Halltech Carbon fiber SuperBee (MF 102??) and Hive plus manual fan controls to keep the water temps down - warranty intact.

That's what I am calling my "Z06 Crystal" project - car is Crystal Red. Hopefully, a Halltech DRED carbon fiber hood will come later - saving about another 14 lbs off the front with much better engine heat venting and aero.

After reading that Road & Track article, I am a believer. One of the major reasons that the C6R they tested so badly spanked the production cars (besides it uber expensive lightening quick tranny) was the fact it weighed in at only 2700 lbs - did not need more than its rated 500 h/p to blow away the stock vettes on the track and outdrag the ZR1.