Boxster weights - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

j.fro · 09-30-2011, 02:16 AM

Sooo....AX season is almost finished and I'm already thinking of this winter's projects. One thing in particular that I've realized is that the Box sure does love losing weight to go faster. Currently my car (2000 986S) is around 2750. I'm not a Spec racer, but just for reference, what's the Spec minimum? What are some of the things Spec guys have done to pull weight out of the car?
The major things I've done:
Top and all it's stuff is gone
Spoiler is gone (I'm using Aerokit II lid and wing)
Carpet is gone in cabin and both trunks
Racing seats
Braille battery (absolute junk, it causes electrical issues)

what should be next???

Topless · 09-30-2011, 06:33 AM

BSX class is 2900 with driver (my car weighs 2710 empty)
BSR class is 2650 with driver (empty car is around 2470)

Boxster Spec Racing Official Website

It just depends on how far you want to go. Stock muffler, A/C system, stereo, carpeting all add weight. Eric523 has a great BSR build thread on Renntrack. His car is to-the-max and he really knows how to drive it.

Guess who just got a boxter?

jaykay · 09-30-2011, 10:49 AM

Awsome link...thanks!

DenverSteve · 10-05-2011, 07:36 PM

You said "racing seats". Remove the passenger seat, spare, radio, A/C, door panels...

insite · 10-25-2011, 04:48 AM

you got a lot of the low hanging fruit.

you mentioned carpets; the sound deadening around the engine is HUGE (35lb+); it's 8" thick in some parts.

cat bypass pipes save 20lb over the OEM cat pipes.

racing muffler saves 45lb over OEM

(precision chassis works sells a BSR legal header back exhaust system that weights only 17lbs. the OEM is close to 90lb)

AC was much lighter than i thought it would be. 15lb for the compressor, 5lb each for the condensers & 4lb for the tubing (29lb total).

you mentioned the convertible top & all its 'stuff'. did you get the transmissions out? they're HEAVY.

obviously speakers & stereo stuff

side airbags = 5lb each
passenber airbag = 10lb
steering wheel / airbag = 12lb (if you install a racing wheel instead)

it's a slippery slope.....

j.fro · 10-26-2011, 03:34 AM

Funny, the more I do, the more I forget that I've done! I've taken care of the exhaust: headers, Fabspeed bypass pipes, and a Borla muffler. I've also removed all of the stock sound deadener around the engine. The top transmissions and all hardware is gone, as are the clamshell linkages. It's now held in place with rubber tie-downs. I've also removed the rear trunk latch and cable, replacing that with aluminum pins. A CF or fiberglass hood may be in the future..
I plan to ditch the door & passenger airbags this winter, as soon as I can get a little quality time with a PST-II. The AC is also on the chopping block. If the PST-II has a disable feature for the secondary air injection, all of that will be gone as well.
I've heard that the rubberized undercoating is pretty heavy. Any thoughts on that?

My personal "rule" is that I can drive the car to and from autocrosses. That means keeping a VA inspection sticker. The folks I take it to aren't worried about the exhaust, but I can't have airbag lights on, and can't replace the steering wheel. I'm wondering what I could lose from the doors, but I think I'm stuck with the power windows, as I need some function there.

jaykay · 11-04-2011, 05:29 AM

My engine bay insulation is starting peel off at the top opening. Is the same material that you pulled out? I am surprised that this came to forty pounds!!! Can get it all out with the engine in? Did you notice a big change in noise? I sometimes run with no storage box and no engine cover insulation. You hear everything....vibrating and buzzing

Quote:

Originally Posted by insite

you got a lot of the low hanging fruit.

you mentioned carpets; the sound deadening around the engine is HUGE (35lb+); it's 8" thick in some parts.

cat bypass pipes save 20lb over the OEM cat pipes.

racing muffler saves 45lb over OEM

(precision chassis works sells a BSR legal header back exhaust system that weights only 17lbs. the OEM is close to 90lb)

AC was much lighter than i thought it would be. 15lb for the compressor, 5lb each for the condensers & 4lb for the tubing (29lb total).

you mentioned the convertible top & all its 'stuff'. did you get the transmissions out? they're HEAVY.

obviously speakers & stereo stuff

side airbags = 5lb each
passenber airbag = 10lb
steering wheel / airbag = 12lb (if you install a racing wheel instead)

it's a slippery slope.....

insite · 11-04-2011, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaykay

My engine bay insulation is starting peel off at the top opening. Is the same material that you pulled out? I am surprised that this came to forty pounds!!! Can get it all out with the engine in? Did you notice a big change in noise? I sometimes run with no storage box and no engine cover insulation. You hear everything....vibrating and buzzing

NO! that stuff is pretty light. the material i'm talking about goes around the sides of the engine hatch, on top of the hatch, and behind the seats. it's VERY thick; it's made of the same stuff the engine hatch insulation is made of. extremely dense & heavy.

insite · 10-26-2011, 03:44 AM

oh! you just reminded me: flash to the RoW program with the PST. this disables the secondary air injection system, allowing removal of the valves & the pump. that pump is HEAVY!! the RoW flash will also eliminate the second set of O2 sensors & the clutch start switch.

airbag light is easy: remove the bulb!

undercoating is appx. 40lb. if you figure out an easy way to remove it, do share!

one thing that caught my eye the other day was the windshield wiper apparatus at the cowl. HUGE chunks of metal moving those things! wondering if it can be simplified & have some of the framing removed.

so you've done all that & you're still at 2,750?!?!? i haven't put mine on scales, but it's a no option '99, which was listed at 2,800lb when new. i'd be shocked if it was over 2,600.

Brad Roberts · 11-02-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

one thing that caught my eye the other day was the windshield wiper apparatus at the cowl. HUGE chunks of metal moving those things! wondering if it can be simplified & have some of the framing removed.

Takes 20min to remove the whole wiper assembly. I take it with me to the track and reinstall as needed

B

Brad Roberts · 11-02-2011, 06:04 PM

Quote:

oh! you just reminded me: flash to the RoW program with the PST. this disables the secondary air injection system, allowing removal of the valves & the pump. that pump is HEAVY!! the RoW flash will also eliminate the second set of O2 sensors & the clutch start switch.

and makes it run like poo poo.. You can remove the pump and valves without the flash. Porsche sells the factory blockoff plates for $16 (euro cars don't have smog pumps) and our cars only use them during cold start.

I have tried the euro tune multiple times. Unless you "retune" their tune.. it makes less power.

insite · 11-03-2011, 06:09 AM

brad -

really? how much less power? all i've ever run on my 3.4L is the RoW. wouldn't i trip a CEL?

as for the wiper assembly, do you know what it weighs? ;-) thanks

DenverSteve · 11-03-2011, 06:24 AM

Where does this stop? The way I see it is that, unless you are going to dedicate a car exclusively to racing, worrying about the weight of wipers and small items borders on "automotive anorexia".

You can remove everything from the car except essential items (including gallons of gas not needed for a specific run) but in the end, unless the car is a dedicated racer, you just have a stripped Boxster.

blue2000s · 11-03-2011, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Where does this stop? The way I see it is that, unless you are going to dedicate a car exclusively to racing, worrying about the weight of wipers and small items borders on "automotive anorexia".

You can remove everything from the car except essential items (including gallons of gas not needed for a specific run) but in the end, unless the car is a dedicated racer, you just have a stripped Boxster.

What's wrong with a stripped Boxster? I'd love a manual roof and more engine noise. Get the car light enough and it no longer needs the power steering that disconnects you from the road, you don't need the huge heavy tires and the lower mass makes the chassis and brakes more communicative as well. It not only makes the car faster, it makes it more fun in general.

pothole · 12-03-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

What's wrong with a stripped Boxster? I'd love a manual roof and more engine noise. Get the car light enough and it no longer needs the power steering that disconnects you from the road, you don't need the huge heavy tires and the lower mass makes the chassis and brakes more communicative as well. It not only makes the car faster, it makes it more fun in general.

Yeah, the roof works surprisingly well in "manual" mode. Clamshell is heavy enough to sit flat and not jump around just under its own weight. Top goes up and down in seconds by hand - very light and easy to operate.

I love the idea of losing the power steering, but you'd have to strip an awful lot of weight out to make a big difference to the effort.

I'm thinking about trying an underdrive crank pulley for a bit less assistance.

Oh and re noise, I think you have to be careful about that. I tried running with out the carpet thing on top of the engine cover. It wasn't the fact it was louder that was the problem. it just sounded a bit rough.

blue2000s · 12-03-2011, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pothole

Yeah, the roof works surprisingly well in "manual" mode. Clamshell is heavy enough to sit flat and not jump around just under its own weight. Top goes up and down in seconds by hand - very light and easy to operate.

I love the idea of losing the power steering, but you'd have to strip an awful lot of weight out to make a big difference to the effort.

I'm thinking about trying an underdrive crank pulley for a bit less assistance.

You won't notice a difference in steering effort with the UD pulley.

insite · 11-03-2011, 06:29 AM

haha it NEVER stops! think about this: the ONLY two things that affect EVERY aspect of performance are tires and WEIGHT. a few hundred pounds makes a very, very noticable difference in lap times.

Brad Roberts · 11-03-2011, 08:21 AM

I promise I have built the lightest Boxster we will see based on a factory steel tub

1985lbs.. with ABS.. yes it is an obsession and anything under 2300lbs becomes VERY difficult. Yes, it is a dedicated AutoX car, and yes.. I could have easily pulled another 20-30lbs out by getting rid of the stock gas tank

and going to fiberglass door skins.. oh.. and getting rid of the big cage in the car.

I believe I can build a 1925lb tub if I start with a bare tub

Insight? I believe you have a Roock conversion car correct? Do you have the cheap Chinese made headers?

B

insite · 11-03-2011, 08:32 AM

i did my conversion myself. basics on the engine install:

- '99 3.4L w/ LN IMS, LN oil pump drive, & some new bits
- Stock 3.4L RoW program
- eBay Headers (1-5/8" primaries & 2" secondary)
- fabspeed cat bypass when at the track
- stebro race muffler
- custom intake w/ BMC air box
- Boxster MAF mounted in BMW 3.5" MAF housing (from BMW 540i)

BTEMY · 02-23-2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by insite

i did my conversion myself. basics on the engine install:

- '99 3.4L w/ LN IMS, LN oil pump drive, & some new bits
- Stock 3.4L RoW program
- eBay Headers (1-5/8" primaries & 2" secondary)
- fabspeed cat bypass when at the track
- stebro race muffler
- custom intake w/ BMC air box
- Boxster MAF mounted in BMW 3.5" MAF housing (from BMW 540i)

Would you be interested in taking on one more 3.4 swap for a fellow boxster owner? I would fly you out to San Francisco