Weight Loss, Car, Not Me...
 

Well, I finally did it, my master plan for modding my base 2000 Boxster is complete with the addition this weekend of OEM GT3 seats. I will try to get some pictures loaded up later today. I got the seats from a PCA member and great guy that lives about 3 hours drive away. I removed the passenger seat before I drove my Boxster to his place, and we installed the seats there.

I did the 3 hour drive home with the old drivers-side seat bundled up next to me. The seats feel snug and I dont seem to sit any lower than my stock seats, but they felt great, even for the longish drive home. One of my strategies to make the car more fun to drive has been to lighten it up, here is what I figure the weight savings has been for my car:

Barille Lightweight Battery: 25 lbs

Lightweight Flywheel: 15 lbs

Aftermarket Exhaust: 20 lbs

No Spare Tire: 25 lbs (Car, not me...)

GT3 Seats: 45 lbs (stock seats 51 lbs, GT3 seats 28 lbs)

That puts the wieght of my car (these must be dry weights) at 2650 lbs or so, assuming a stock weight of 2775 lbs for a base 2000 Boxster. The car sure feels great, quite responsive. Now, if I can only lose 15 lbs which I have put on in last few years.....


Ed

:dance: :dance: :dance:

Here are some pics:

Ed

:cheers:

I never know how big to make the image files for the pics, several of the last batch look like they came through too small, here are the first two a little bigger:

Ed

:cheers:

Larger wheels are almost always heavier than smaller ones and they not only add to straight weight, but rotational inertia. Are those 18"s?

It looks great, I particularly like the 986 badge. :cheers:

I would make one recommendation, for daily driving leave the spare tire in the car. Not only is it a good idea to have a spare but it is also part of the cars structural integrity. It will help protect you if you are ever in an accident.

I have a question. I understand the seats don't lean back but do you have them slid all the way back? Buy the looks of the pictures there sure is allot of room from the back of the seats and the back of the compartment. I'm 6' and need the seats all the way back and the seat back leaned back until they contact the bulkhead.

"Larger wheels are almost always heavier than smaller ones and they not only add to straight weight, but rotational inertia. Are those 18"s?"

Good point, the 18" wheels with PS2's weight about 4 lbs heavier each. Between the extra weight and especially the greater moment of inerta the car felt noticably slower when I put them on.

Also, my aftermarket stereo adds another 10 lbs or so. Still, I figure the car is about 100 lbs lighter than stock, and with the performance mods on the car, the dyno says I am getting 210 hp to the wheels, it feels pretty quick and oh so much fun. I had the car out this morning and was doing some tight s-turns, the GT3 seats make you feel part of the car, no more sliding around in the seats on cornering, that part is great.

I still have to get used to the snug fit in the seats for my 5'10", 175 lb body. Also, the seats are almost the same seat height as the stock seats, and you sit in a fairly upright position. I may decide drill some holes in the side mounts and lower the seats about an inch or so.

Ed

:cheers:

Get some CCW wheels. 18x10 weigh less than 18lbs. Smaller sizes are obviously lighter.

Ed,
I like em. They look great and fit nice too.

very nice, and great looking car
but i do have to agree with Rick, don't toss out the spare tire

"Get some CCW wheels. 18x10 weigh less than 18lbs. Smaller sizes are obviously lighter."

Interesting, tell me more, I went out to the CCW website but could not firgure out which of their wheel styles were very light weight. 18 lbs for the rear wheels would be a huge weight savings.

I think the aftermarket Carrera "lightweight" 18x10 wheels I am using from Wheel Dynamics weigh 26 lbs! Is anyone using CCW wheels and if so, which ones and what do they weigh......


Ed

:dance:

Whats all this don't toss out the spare tire talk? I've seen tons of wrecked Boxster pics on the net,only ones that showed any damage close to the spare tire area were the same ones that had the driver and passenger doors missing and top ripped off.

http://www.wreckedexotics.com/boxster/boxster_20060224_001.shtml
http://www.wreckedexotics.com/boxster/boxster_20060405_001.shtml

Maybe I'm just crazy,but I don't see the safety factor as much as everyone else.

Hey Ed,

If your looking for super lightweight wheels check out O.Z. Racing,BBS,HRE, SSR and all those high end brands. Any decent wheel from them will run 18-23lbs or so.