carbon fiber weight savings?
 

most people buy carbon fiber cause well it just looks so purty. but it does have its weight advantages.
how much weight did you save with all your cf parts? with a hood you can save anywhere from 25-60lbs. what about with your interior parts, trunk, doors, fenders etc. i plan on throwing on alot of cf and want to know a basic amount of weight id be saving. im guessing around the 600lb mark or more...

definitely not 600 lbs. your crazy

in total weight reduction. doors alone weight aloot. replace them with cf, full front end trunk and dash, gut interior get rid of heat sheilds and other parts on the car that really dont do anything. spare tire and jack. get a 7lb flywheel and mill it down so its even lighter. theres alot you can take off or reduce the weight on...

you want to lighten a 7lb flywheel?
there are many more cost effective ways to lighten a car than replacing everything with carbon fiber. and by replacing things like hood/doors/trunk/etc on I'm going to take a wild guess and say a civic/integra chassis, there is no way you can come close to loosing 600 lbs. what is the car for?

What happens when you get Tboned with CF doors?

you hope they go slow enough and it holds up, lol. Higher strength in the CF but no flex eeeep!

but to OP, uh more like losing 50-60lb TOTAL with the mod's listed above. Your hood you'll lose 5-15lb, and trunk 3-10lb at the most. Your door has panels, glass, side impact bars etc, thats where the weight is. Not the tin piece of metal. Pick up your fender, it barley weighs anything, swapping these will net 1-2lb loss.

You can remove back seats and get 20-30lb loss, remove the tar from the floors for 5-15lb loss, remove misc plastics and lose 5-10 lb, but honestly people remove stupid shit like carpet etc to get 1lb loss and it makes the car look horrible. Please dont just strip the car to be "jdm cool y0". Your rotors, control arms, ac unit, radiator etc is a bit of weight there. Swapping the rear drums from a CRX SI to HF will net 12lb loss iirc.

yes because the flywheel and clutch design is retarded huge on cars these days. you loose so much power cause the motor is trying to turn a big heavy flywheel.
in the end the car will be strictly for SCCA and or show so im not worried about road safety (getting tboned) as far as the weight reduction goes im just going off of what i read in another forum about the weight differences between cf and the oem parts. either way in the end even if i dont get the weight reduction i want. its still what i want to set the car apart from others out there.

the whole CF ordeal is exaggerated, you don't lose that much. And adding CF wont make you different its the current "cool" thing to do, just like body kits in the 90's hehe. There are far better things you could spend 2,000-3,000$ on CF body panels to lose 60lb. That could go to a nice head! Or a great suspension setup. Honda's body parts are pretty darn small so weight loss is pretty minimal.

safety wise, again im not worried about. if i get hit...it happens i get hurt i learn my lesson. the cf doors will mostly be used for track purposes.

i know i can loose more weight than 50-60lbs. ive done it..that was an underestimate...i dont want to be as you put it "jdm cool yo" i just want the car to be very clean and how i envision it in my head.

when the time comes and i am able to build the car ill make sure the be very extensive on the build thread when it comes to precise details. every part. the cost and weight saved. what i set suspension to. what i do to get the weight distribution dialed in etc.

great posting nelmsar. Also, Im not 100% sure but I think you have to meet certain minimum weight requirements in scca and other competitive road racing events.

cf parts, yes they are the in thing to do. but everyone shows it off. mine will be painted over. it sounds dumb and really doesn't make sense to me. the whole car is one of those, i stayed up all night and couldnt sleep cause i was dreaming up this car, kind of scenarios. im going off of that.

in all im going to blow tens of thousands of dollars on the car. its not the smartest thing to do but its worth it sentimentally in the end. its a car im never getting rid of.

oh you can most defiantly lose more than 50-60lb. There are many threads on the exact weight of most parts such as the heater core to your air system, the tar under the carpet, misc plastics etc. i was talking body panel swapping i doubt you would be able to lose more than 50-60lb (as thats quite a bit if you think about it). There was a guy running around with an S2000 that shaved roughly 200LB off his car. And that car already doesn't have much in it, and is already fairly light from the factory as it wasn't designed to be a daily commuter. Toolkit, tire, heater core, AC components, tar from the floor, windows, interior plastics, misc under the hood parts, over weight suspension components (most are steel and can replaced with aluminum).

600lb is just a rather extreme, my 90 CRX SI w/ me in it and 1/4 tank of gas was 2050lb if i recall. And im a big guy, it was pretty raw on the inside(thanks to the last idiotic owner ggrrr spent a while restoring it).

very good point with the weight requirements. but those are for certain classes. some racing series have unlimited classes where the limitations are minimal.

a stock Si is around the 2300lb mark. i know a base model with basic weight reductions can be trimmed down to 18xxlbs i know 600 was an exaggerated statement now that i think about it.

lol as it is the car shouldnt weight to much with me in it 6 foot tall 118 lbs on a good day ;)

Whats your point in trying to save weight? for why?

What year Si? When I PCS (moved) being in the military you weigh your car before you load it and mine was 2880 with no spare tire and no fuel in it. Its a 2007 FG2 though.

i want an EM1 99-00

less weight increases hp very minimally but helps the handling tremendously, helps braking, and cornering.

hope it does not start cracking so soon..

just cause a flywheel is lighter does not mean its better. some time you need a heavier flywheel take offs

for race purposes i could run an aluminum flywheel that i just toss out after the race, street wise id have to run something a bit stronger but ill find ways to shave the weight off and keep a structurally strong design. if i had a motor in front of me right now i would design a completely different set up with more indy inspired designs. indy cars run a 4.5" clutch and flywheel. they are tiny, thats why they can take off so quick and effortless. if i could i would see if i could somehow make a smaller clutch and flywheel work. i would need to make block off plates and such i would think...idk stupid little ideas i have that probably wouldnt work

negative reducing weight does not increase HP, dyno it if you dont believe me.

and if you want to run said "unlimited" classes you will more than likely need a roll cage, fuel cell, and afew other items that will add to your weight once again. And certain organizations do not allow carbon fiber door's as far as i know.

and if you really plan on tracking the car, what happens when you make that one slip up into a tire barrier and there goes your 500$ hood, 300$ fenders, possibly one of your 600$ doors. All that money out the window when you could just go to the junkyard and pick up used stuff and have it painted to match.

IMO the whole show/track car thing doesnt fly unless you got uber deep pockets, especially with you wanting to run an unlimited class, ask someone who races about the damage your car will normally take during the course of a race or of a heat or what have you.

your 10x better of buying a cheap EK/EG/EF shell, putting a banging motor and suspension setup and having a track whore then making your current car (if you even own one) into a show car.

youll save money in the end anyways when your thousands in CF parts are safe at the show.

to me you seem like your dreaming kid, and defiantly a bit out of a realm of reality, makes me wonder if your wasting people's time asking all this info when its years and years away.

just saying.

your right it doesnt increase hp but it does increase the hp to the wheels. or bhp. i know what kind of damage cars recieve at the track, ive worked on indy cars, DSR, indy pro series, star mazda, mod lites, dwarf cars, pro trucks. etc. im not completely retarded when it comes to this. yea it may be ruined but im not buying all this shit from password jdm. im getting an Si hood or whatever part and having my CF guy make the moulds and hes either making the parts or i am. the only one im not going to make is the doors so that saves a shit load of money. i may be dreaming but im not being stupid about it all.

this thread has gone off topic from what it was intended to everyone knocking off what i want to do in the future.

were supposed to be posting any weight differences you guys have experianced. I.E my stock hood weights 34 lbs and my CF hood weights 15lbs saving me 19lbs. (stupid example cause idk the real weights but eh)....

i still find it weird that youve wrenched on so many cars and think that a hood can weigh 60 pounds on a car like a civic.

and that you think you can drop 600 pounds on say a 2800 pound car just in carbon fiber.

i call shenanigans

never said the hood weighs 60lbs. and as stated many times before i over exagerated the whole 600lb thing. just going off of what i had read previously and i didnt sit down and think about it.

eh maybe i did but just what i read. i can show you what i read if youd like.

this is what i read, it was posted on nonvtec.com by civic97

heres the link


Honda Civic Weight Reductions


1996-98 Honda Civics
Stock Weight - 2361 lbs (1997 Base Coupe Manual Transmission)
Stock Wheel Weight - 18.5lbs each/without tires

The 1996+ Civics's weigh approximately 2361 lbs, dividing by the horsepower of 115, we get about 20.53lbs/hp.

All Civic models, including earlier than 1996 models will greatly benefit from a decrease in vehicle weight. Because the car is fairly heavy from the factory their are many parts that can either be removed or replaced to save large amounts of weight. The performance gained from these reductions is unmatched as you will have increased accelleration as well as better braking, handling, and even an increase in your gas mileage!

Listed below are some easily removable items:

1. Front Drivers Seat (32lbs) - Replacing the front and passenger seats with non-power or lightweight racing seats is easy. Seats like the Sparco Roadster weigh in at only 14 lbs a piece!

2. Passenger Seat (32lbs) - The passenger seat can easily be removed by simply unscrewing the 4 bolts holding it in place. This can either be replaced by a lightweight racing seat or removed entirely.

3. Rear Seat (29lbs) - The rear seat is a little more complicated to remove than the passenger seat. When removing just remember where everything goes and it should be easy to put back in place whenever needed.

4. Floor Mats/Front and Rear (4lbs) - This has to be the easiest weight reduction available for the Civic owner.

5. Carpet with Sound Deadener (40lbs) - The carpet and underlying can also be removed for a quick weight reduction.

6. Spare Tire and Jack (38lbs) - Another easily removable item.

Total Easy Weight Removal = 175lbs or about a 8.5hp increase on Civic base models.

Intermediate Skill Weight Reductions

The weight reductions included below can even prove more effective than some of the reductions included above. However, once you start removing these items you are taking away from the cars overall appearance and in some cases its more predominent ammenities.

7. Windshield Washer Reservoir (11 lbs when full) - Easily removable when not being used.

8. Front Hood (44lbs with insulation) - Replacing the Front Hood with a lightweight fiberglass or carbon fiber hood is a great way to remove some weight around the front end of the car. Total weight reduction will be close to 30lbs or greater depending on the aftermarket hood you choose.. If you dont intend on replacing the entire front hood you could also remove the sound dampener on the inside of the hood. This should help in cooling your engine a little.

9. AC System (27lbs) - The A/C system is not a necessary component and can be removed. This can generate a substantial weight savings especially in warmer cooler climates.

10. Stock Batter (40lbs) - Can be located to trunk for weight distribution and replaced with lighter weight alternative..

11. Stock Wheels (74lbs) - Can be replaced with lightweight alternatives, although normal upgrades to a larger diameter wheel 18"+ may not remove too much weight. Wheels in 16" sizes can however be found from 14 pounds.

Total Intermediate Weight Removal = up to 126lbs or about a 6.13hp increase on base model Civics.

More Weight Reductions

Stock Flywheel (20.5 lbs)- Can be replaced with lightweight aluminum flywheels or machined down in excess of just 10lbs.

Stock Steering Wheel (7lbs)- Can be replaced with lighter performance steering wheel with no airbag.

Passenger Airbag Removal (17lbs)- Can save some extra weight as well. (Not recommended for normal driving)

Interior Panels - Both the drivers side and passenger side front door panels as well as the rear panels can be removed and replaced with carbon fiber alternatives to save in excess of over 40lbs.

Stock Speakers (14 lbs Stereo, Speakers,Amp) - With a weight of close to 2 pounds a piece these can also be easily removed. The stock stereo, amp, and subwoofer enclosure can also net a good savings in weight.

Trunk - Can be replaced with lightweight carbon fiber trunk. Savings of roughly 11kg's.

Front Dash - Can be replaced with carbon fiber alternative netting a savings of close to 60lbs.

Replace Stock Exhaust - There are many alternatives when replacing your Civics exhaust system. Aftermarket exhausts can weight significantly less than the stock ones.

Wiper Motors - Although they are generally needed under almost all driving conditions they CAN be removed if need be although we do not personally recommend it.

Total Advanced Weight Removal = Approx. 192lbs or about a 9.35hp increase on Civic base models.

Weight Removal Totals

1996+ Civic Base Model- Approx. 493 Pounds Removed = 1868 Pounds or an increase of 24 Horsepower

some cf hoods weight more then stock.

Marin I don't know about recent cool thing, cf hoods have been in and out of style for 10 years

lol, im still seeing it everywhere. Its not as big now though.

uh BHP? LOL you just proved your self wrong man. losing weight changes the ratio of HP to Weight ratio. NOT increasing brake horse power.

quote from wikipedia:
"Brake horsepower
Brake horsepower (bhp) is the measure of an engine's horsepower without the loss in power caused by the gearbox, alternator, differential, water pump, and other auxiliary components such as power steering pump, muffled exhaust system, etc. Brake refers to a device which was used to load an engine and hold it at a desired RPM. During testing, the output torque and rotational speed were measured to determine the brake horsepower. Horsepower was originally measured and calculated by use of the indicator (a James Watt invention of the late 18th century), and later by means of a De Prony brake connected to the engine's output shaft. More recently, an engine dynamometer is used instead of a De Prony brake. The output delivered to the driving wheels is less than that obtainable at the engine's crankshaft."
source:

I am guessing your 17 and living a pipe dream about your first modified car. Just like most of us did you will soon realize that price / performance is more important than spending thousands of dollars on carbon pieces to drop a couple of pounds on a 3,000$ civic. Not to mention the legal issues of importing your Canadian SiR (which will not legally happen, regardless of it being 100% similar to american counter part you need a letter from honda saying they hold responsibility and will vouch for the similarities).

id like to see a pic of those doors if your so called getting them

lol ditto that. Ive only known one person to buy CF doors and it was on a skyline. A civic just isn't worth it IMO. So many more platforms ide rather waste 800-2000$ on doors haha (and thatd be the last thing ide probably purchase).