Cheers Dude!
Throughout the season there has been monitoring of speeds up the main straight and consistently I have been at the bottom of my class through the speed trap, and most likely top speed as well. This is not surprising as me and my car had the lowest power to weight ratio in the class at 170 whp/T (including me ie race weight) and being the only FWD Na powered car.
Speeds recorded by the trap 1/3 up the main straight in reverse direction.
While some may be discouraged by this I take lots of encouragement from this data as going by the numbers I should be finishing last every time but instead have usually been placing well. This means that I am at least equalling the performance of the faster cars in the corners, and in most cases and outperforming some of them in the twisty bits
I am upgrading my suspension this winter as I have been using old 2nd hand Tein Basic coilovers. The new suspension should yield improved times as the Teins are a bit soft. Where I think there is loads of time to be had is in weight reduction.
When I first got the car it weighed in the region of 1220kg (without me) with 10L of fuel in it plus the spare wheel and other guff. I estimate I lost over 130kg to reach 1085kg by doing the following:
Fibreglass bonnet
All AC from engine bay removed
All AC and interior blower removed
All interior removed
Passenger seat gone
Carbon driver’s seat (still has sliders + Cobra seat mounts)
All (well most) sound deadening gone
Radio aerial removed
Rear wiper removed
Intake resonator removed
Swapped OEM front lower beam for a traction bar
However adding a welded in custom roll cage and things like beefy brakes and heavy Whiteline ARB's pushed the cars weight back up to 1150kg. It is my aim to try and loose a further 100kg (optimistic I know) and boost my whp/T. I want try the following:
Lexan polycarb windows
Remove both door skins, safety bars and window actuators (loads of weight here)
Strip wing mirrors
Remove strapping from roof
Remove boot inside skin + all hinges and replace with pins
As much of the interior skin as possible
Strip more from the dash
Lightweight battery
IF I can get a further 100Kg out of the car it will give me a further 15whp/T which I think is worth a second a lap round Knockhill, although it will be hard to prove since I'll be fitting new coilovers as well, but it should be a bit more visible at the speed trap. Removing 100kg of weight is equal to adding 18whp in my car.
If anyone else has any ideas on how to save weight I am all ears
