Best places to remove weight from a 986?

[Brad Brownell]

New to the forum, but not new to Porsches.

I picked up a 1997 2.5 5-speed (one of the most underrated Porsches ever built in my eyes) earlier this year, and I'm doing something I call "Project Boxster Clubsport".

I'm looking to remove somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds from the car while maintaining a factory appearance.

The car is down about 100 pounds so far due to a much lighter battery, radio delete, door speaker delete, center console delete, floor mats removed, door sill covers removed, and a few other minor pieces. I even removed a few ounces by installing some shorter windshield wipers.

I know they are lighter, but I'd really rather not put GT3 seats in. I just don't like the way they look in 986s.

So the question is, where else can I pull weight from?

How much weight is there to be found in the sound deadening under the carpets?

I'm currently looking into the feasibility of a "Carrera RS" style door panel. without the speaker there, I should be able to get it relatively flat to the door. The only concern then is how to operate the door handle.

With the RS door panels finished, I'd probably also convert to manually operated windows, as well. Using the same window regulator, it would just require mating a nice looking modern window crank to the nylon gear that is on the window motor. Maybe some junkyard diving will turn up a good solution to this.

Currently trying to get a rear decklid in fiberglass that extends all the way to the back so I can delete the pop-up spoiler.

I'm also exploring possibilities of a manually removable "spyder" style convertible top. I think I know how to make this happen, but suggestions are welcome.

Give me your solutions, I'll consider pretty much anything.

See my current progress in my build thread over on Rennlist -

"Project Clubsport" a '97 2.5 build - Rennlist Discussion Forums

[jaykay]

The car looks great!!!

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by Brad Brownell

New to the forum, but not new to Porsches.

I picked up a 1997 2.5 5-speed (one of the most underrated Porsches ever built in my eyes) earlier this year, and I'm doing something I call "Project Boxster Clubsport".

I'm looking to remove somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds from the car while maintaining a factory appearance.

Very easy to do. When your local PCA Region allows you to start driving solo, and your ditch your driving instructor.

[jsceash]

Weight Loss - Requesting a Guide

[The Radium King]

there are two fg extended deck lids in the fs section of this forum at the moment. if you wanna go whole hog, check out the tuneRS rear deck lid (search '986 spyder' on ebay). the link previously posted gives weights for insulation removal.

check status or bimarco for other lw, inexpensive (relatively) seat options. stuff like exhaust, etc., is listed in the linked thread. otherwise, delete one wiper altogether, or remove the wiper assembly completely when at the track. charcoal canister is quite heavy. stable energies sell a bolt-in cage kit that allows you to remove the front portion and door bars when not required. brey-krause sell a roll bar extender. remove the seat sliders to lower your centre of gravity and lose some weight. electric power steering (search it on this forum) will drop some weight and lower the remaining weight. remove your bumpers. drill your radiator mounts. get rid of the undercoating. get a carbon hood. delete the airbags (and wiring).

[CoBeerToad]

Install rear spoiler. Delete old spoiler and motor.

Delete A/C. I'm sure there are smarter people than me that would know how to do this. Me, I'd start with the condensors.

[RedTele58]

Look at some of the different build threads for Spec Boxsters - those guys manage to strip a lot of weight off the car w/o compromising racing safety.

[Perfectlap]

Definitely check out the Spec Boxster builds. They'll probably say go light weight exhaust, 4lb Optima battery (don't know what you have now), custom headers, (2) 100 cell double cats, remove airbox, lighter clutch (Tilton?) cross drilled 2.7 rotors, BBS magnesiums, add LSD and non-fake racing seats. This of course after you find a suitcase with lots of cash.

[The Radium King]

fake racing seats? if you are referring to bimarco or status, both are fia approved. since he appears to be building a street/track car I noted these vendors as they offer more cover options than the race-only vendors. in reality, the gt3 seats in your car are most likely fia expired and as unsafe as any 'fake racing seats' without a seatback brace.

regarding the 'racing safety' comment another post, show me a spec boxster with either bumpers or airbags, if that indeed is what was being referred to ...

in fact, try to make a lw door panel with side air bags. impossible. there are early boxsters that came without side air bags; search 'boxster door panel' in ebay and look for ones without air bags or door speakers - get a set of these and you have a pretty lw door panel. there is a thread on this forum where someone fabbed-up some rs-style door pulls for a 986 as well (Porsche didn't start doing the rs door pull thing until the 9x7 series so nothing oem available).

[j.fro]

Cf or fg hood = 30 lbs or so
LWFW= 15 lbs
Lighter wheels

By the way, how much drivability are you willing to lose???

Removing the sound deadening from the carpet is tough... And then you get carpet that moves funny under the feet.
I dumped it all and made some floor boards from foam core and fg.
Here's a pic with a bit of my work...

[Timco]

Rear cats 12lbs each.

Spare 35lbs.

[BRAN]

cool project btw.

removing weight...hmmmm...really useless car parts have to go first and then depending on the driver --> weight loss (my personal fav)...fast, fun, healthy and affordable...great results, great looks on the winner photo oops...sparkling water

- 10-20 lbs should be easily possible in a month

[Stroked & Blown]

From another thread, SAI is good for ~10 lbs, plus one less thing that can break.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

fake racing seats?

The lightweight Chinese 'no name' knock offs often found on Ebay and online. They're light for a reason, and it's not a good one.

BTW, in case others didn't pick up your caveat, save for the very high end ($$$$) I wouldn't put much faith in the FIA ratings of most mass market racing seats sold today. You're safer in the stock Porsche seats which will not crumple around you like a Pepsi can in a road accident. Something to consider if you're planning on keeping the Boxster streetable. A second hand pair of GT3 seats are much better as these actually had to pass German road car safety standards which I trust more than the FIA's 'seal of approval' pasted onto cheap Sparco, OMP, etc. seats. And GT3 seats bolt right into the existing holes in the floorboard. 10 minutes to swap out for each side with a simple socket wrench. Plus, obviously much lighter than stock.

[The Radium King]

i think thats a good discussion but perhaps not for this thread. for this thread i presume the requirements would be defined by whatever sanctioning body he is driving with (ie, is fia Required?).

otherwise yeah, why do harnesses time-x but seatbelts do not? should we be replacing seatbelts as they wear or are they made to a higher standard than harnesses? if so, why are harnesses made to such a low standard that they don't last? OR, does fia have higher standards for race cars than road car safety standards? ditto seats. i would suggest that fia standards are higher, but also acknowledge that race buckets are designed to work in combination with harnesses in a track environment to protect against certain types of impacts, whereas road car systems are designed differently. gt3 seats are engineered to work in both worlds and perhaps constructed to a higher standard as a result. that statement, however, doesn't negate the fact that a used gt3 seat is most likely fia-expired regardless and perhaps not as safe in a harness and track environment as a current fia approved seat.

if you like i can cut/paste this to a new thread to continue the dialog?

[The Radium King]

jfro - classic9 does a carpet kit for the boxster. pricey, however. i am hoping this winter to pull the carpets and make a template - use the templates to get some lw carpets fabricated then epoxy or velcro them in place when done. hoping to also get an additional piece fabricated to go in place of the large block of insulation that sits around the engine bay. if all goes as planned i'll keep the folks here updated.

[husker boxster]

Your list says you got a new flywheel but was it a lightweight one?