LTW Project - warning ugly car inside

[Myx]

37 lbs (actually kind of light).

Thanks! Was hoping they were 40lbs+. May be removing them for some test and tuning times. Trying to get to a specific power-to-weight ratio for drag racing testing. Thanks!

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[dellyjoughnut]

Go with aluminum exhaust system past the front pipe.

 

[RS27]

Another project today.
Removed heater core and gutted under side of dash.
Good for 6 lbs.

The freaking heater core is feather light, 1.2 lbs!

Funny I was planning on the A/C delete when pulling the dash and heater core, but being it’s summer time, I kept it (for this year at least).
Plus the right way to do A/C delete on the K20C2 is buy the Canadian idler pulley (from the Canada DX with factory delete) that take place of the compressor. I haven’t found one to buy yet. That is where all the weight is at. The condenser, blower box with air mix motors, evaporator and expansion vale and A/C lines are max 20 lbs. compressor alone is probably 15lbs.

The dash gutting went remarkably well. It looks cleaner, and the A/C can only blow from center of HVAC blower box and upward. so it hits the dash under side and bounces toward me. Effective haha.

Attached some pics of progress today. The heater hose delete we just looped and chopped the line off the driver side of the head. Just under my red intake boot. Worked well.

 

[RS27]

While in there we changed engine and cabin filters. For the SECOND TIME and my car has just under 19k miles. Honda says to change those every 25k. Mine are filthy every 8-10k. Cheap and easy to do so may as well swap them.

Did my annual service 2 days ago. Honda genuine 0W-20 Full Synthetic and this year I changed the Brake Fluid and the MTF with Honda fluids. Wiper inserts also.

So the dash beam and add on brackets are not liking the open salt air. Corrosion on surface. I think i can take car to metal working shop to saw off and smooth all the brackets I don’t need off the beam. That should save 8-10 lbs and then I’ll sand and paint the beam black. At same time, I’ll gut the stereo wiring off the harness and clean that up around HVAC control panel. Will probably mount same panel on underside of dashboard.

 

[too old for this shit]

RS27,

Great post! I’ve read everything you posted so far on your weight loss adventure and joined the forum because of you. I’ve done similar projects on 3 Mustangs and now my civic type r. The type r to a lesser degree to preserve the warranty and creature comforts. I’m 40 and live in Georgia so Humidity for me and my 8 year old requires AC.

Exhaust systems for my car are way over priced and I don’t believe much performance gain will gained with a stock car (except Injen cold air) from doing just cat-back (preserving the warranty), so I chopped of my mufflers and did a turn down. I saved 25 pounds.

 

[RS27]

^A lot of weight to be lost with the huge muffler the R comes with, good idea.

Sorry for lack of update guys, I did gut some more dash and order the Invidia so I'll get the small weight loss benefit and maybe added power, I'll update when that is installed with pics and new total car weight, Should be 2,440.

Edit: also bought a house in Honolulu, so the time hasn't been around for the car as much, just a one car garage and the wife and I have two cars, so mine hit the street in front ?

 

[too old for this shit]

Happy wife happy life!

 

[too old for this shit]

I also went with RPF-1 wheels in 18” about a year ago. Best bang for the buck over the stock 20”

 

[RS27]

^RPF’s would be my first choice on the budget front if I bought a FK8.
…..speaking of I almost did haha. Local had a 17 one owner CW with 16k miles for $37,800. But I bought $35,000 in Ford Stock and $33,000 in Rivian. So there went my funds.

In my car news, I found a unicorn for a great deal. OG TE37’s in Hyper Blue in the ultra rare 15x7 with 5x114.3. A bit small for the 10th cars, but my car doesn’t care about looks lol. My scale is a bit off, but they are between 10-10.8 lbs per wheel from my research online. Comical picking them up, they are so light. Tire size is under size though. Only option with sport intentions is 205/55. Which is over an inch shorter than stock.
Luckily! I bought some Bilstein B14 coil overs from Tire Rack I’m getting this week.

Wife’s coupe got ceramic tinting with a tint strip and I purchased the same Etsy blackout side chrome trim delete tape. Also planning on carbon fiber H badges and she will get my RPF’s and my Eibach springs. Lightening her car and making it cooler! (Pun intended haha). The stock 18” Sport wheels are something like 28 pounds EACH. The Goodyear eagle sports are 25lbs each. Insanity. So my 13.7 lb RPF’s should drop about 19 pounds PER CORNER. I can’t say I’ve ever dropped that much before. I told her she should get about 3mpg better. Which should offset some Brandon gas price increases.

 

[RS27]

Oh and as seen in the Volk pics, they have some small kine curb marks. Anyone know who could match the Hyper Blue color of these? Looking for a touch up paint amount. Not worth refinishing this nearly 20 year old finish for a couple curb marks.

 

[Myx]

^RPF’s would be my first choice on the budget front if I bought a FK8.
…..speaking of I almost did haha. Local had a 17 one owner CW with 16k miles for $37,800. But I bought $35,000 in Ford Stock and $33,000 in Rivian. So there went my funds.

In my car news, I found a unicorn for a great deal. OG TE37’s in Hyper Blue in the ultra rare 15x7 with 5x114.3. A bit small for the 10th cars, but my car doesn’t care about looks lol. My scale is a bit off, but they are between 10-10.8 lbs per wheel from my research online. Comical picking them up, they are so light. Tire size is under size though. Only option with sport intentions is 205/55. Which is over an inch shorter than stock.
Luckily! I bought some Bilstein B14 coil overs from Tire Rack I’m getting this week.

Wife’s coupe got ceramic tinting with a tint strip and I purchased the same Etsy blackout side chrome trim delete tape. Also planning on carbon fiber H badges and she will get my RPF’s and my Eibach springs. Lightening her car and making it cooler! (Pun intended haha). The stock 18” Sport wheels are something like 28 pounds EACH. The Goodyear eagle sports are 25lbs each. Insanity. So my 13.7 lb RPF’s should drop about 19 pounds PER CORNER. I can’t say I’ve ever dropped that much before. I told her she should get about 3mpg better. Which should offset some Brandon gas price increases.

I am foaming at the mouth over your wheels weight. Simply WOW! Wow, Wow, Wow..... Congrats!

As for your tires, what was the size of the tires that were 'undersized'? I'm interested in the size and model it is as opposed to the tires you will have fitted on it. I went with 205/50-15 Vredestein Quatrac 5 on my Civic. Lowers the car significantly. The weight was 17lbs (4lbs less than stock).
Stock final drive gear ratio is: 4.81:1
Vredestein Quatrac 5 Tire gear ratio: 5.31:1 Gear Ratio Calculator
Miata Tire Size Calculator shows a -9.4% change from stock and a -1.7% from current setup.

Their only purpose was for lightness and acceleration. That 17lbs (or less) with the increased gear ratio, combined with your 10.8lbs wheels. Oh my......... I know you like grip though. They are grippy.

 

[RS27]

^205/55. 19lbs each.
sneak peak of the rear Bilstein PSS kit with the adjusters completely removed. The car is about 1.5” lower than the eibach pro kits. I can really tell when standing next to the car where it sits next to me. Keep in mind the two finger gap is fully slammed, my car just has so much weight reduction and undersized tires. Should still settle a bit from this pic. Which also shows the TE’s. They are *very* blue haha.

in other news. TIRE RACK IS WRONG in showing the Bilstein PSS kit they say fits the coupe and sedan. It very clearly shows hatchback only on the Bilstein USA website. So we had to reinstall my stock front struts and Eibachs because CLEARLY a 52 MM bottom front strut insertion diameter WILL NOT fit the sedan and coupes 50.5 MM. pretty upset about this issue.

 

[RS27]

LifPo battery from Ballade with the Type R battery cage dropped 19 lbs!!

so with the TE’s I’m down to 2420. Allmosstttt to the 23XX’s. Stoked.

 

[RS27]

And tire rack refunded my money for the Bilstein PSS kit. It fits rear though so I got that for just the cost of labor to install. Now I’m on the hunt for a good deal on Eibach Sportlines so I can split the kit and use just the fronts. I’ll then need some shortened, stiffer Struts for the front.

 

[ebatr24]

This is an awesome thread, your in fit territory for weight, I always thought the fit was a fun car that just need a slight bit more power.

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