Lightweight

Alain - The Red Scorpion

Alain - The Red Scorpion

True Classic
Preparing my X for vintage racing/occasional street, I believe that Light is Right. I know front bonnet (hood) in fiberglass is available. My question relates to the rear engine cover and boot cover, both quite heavy. Any info on a one-piece lightweight cover for both engine and rear boot?
 
Alain said:
Preparing my X for vintage racing/occasional street, I believe that Light is Right. I know front bonnet (hood) in fiberglass is available. My question relates to the rear engine cover and boot cover, both quite heavy. Any info on a one-piece lightweight cover for both engine and rear boot?
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I was going to pick up both from Midwest and just fuse them together.

Odie
 
We made a single piece rear cover out of aluminum that I like. It's pinned and I can easily remove it by myself. Admittedly, I didn't make this myself and to my knowledge, this is the only one in existence.
photo (2).JPG
 
Superb! Exactly what I was looking for. Wish you were close; I would have asked to use it as a template. Any chance you would make another? :)
PS: lovely Multipla in the back.
 
On my old DM Autocross car, I was able to get it down to 1500lbs. Had to add weight to get it within specs. There was still room for more reduction.

Have fun.
 
DaleS said:
We made a single piece rear cover out of aluminum that I like. It's pinned and I can easily remove it by myself. Admittedly, I didn't make this myself and to my knowledge, this is the only one in existence.View attachment 38232
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I like the way that cover turned out. I also like the side-scoop extensions, rear apron treatment, shaved holes, flares. What does the nose (front spoiler area) look like?
 
Alain said:
I believe that Light is Right.
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There are several components on the X that seem ridiculously heavy in comparison to the overall size and weight of the car.
I recall a thread a few years ago where someone was trying to see how light they could make their X. The discussion was mostly about ideas to further reduce weight. I don't know if the final weight was posted or not.
@fastx19, 1500 lb sounds great. ;) Did that still have the windshield and posts?
 
Dr.Jeff said:
There are several components on the X that seem ridiculously heavy in comparison to the overall size and weight of the car.
I recall a thread a few years ago where someone was trying to see how light they could make their X. The discussion was mostly about ideas to further reduce weight. I don't know if the final weight was posted or not.
@fastx19, 1500 lb sounds great. ;) Did that still have the windshield and posts?
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I want to keep mine street legal and not too loud. Already saved 50 kg (110 lb) by removing US bumpers and attachments, spare wheel, metal tray in rear trunk. My objective is to remove 150 kg in all. Everything else being equal, this equates to a gain of 14 hp, ie a 17% boost for a standard 85 hp 1500cc engine.
 
Other ideas... rear trunk carpeting, frunk carpeting if it is a Bertone, access panel between the rear trunk and the engine, jack and Fiat tools (if they are still there). Not much around the engine, maybe the heat insulation on the firewall and all shields under the engine. Inside, the carpeting, the door panels upholstery, the electric windows motors (if it is a Bertone)and the top insulation if there is some (later cars). The headlamp motor (leaving the lights in the UP position). I guess you will keep the wiper motors in case of rain.


BTW, the one piece engine lid/trunk lid is available from Europe.

Did you find another one or are you still waiting for mine?:rolleyes:
 
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Yes removing bumpers and spare wheel is a good way to lose 50kg (and 50cm 😁). The seats are very heavy. Replace them with street legal racing seats and save another 25-30kg. A lightweight racing battery is just 1-2kg compared to stock 10-12kg. Leave the Targa roof at home 8-10kg.
 
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I tried to remove as much weight from my 83 street X as was reasonable. Removed bumpers, all carpet, dashboard, headlights, engine bay insulation, stock exhaust, all rear trunk floor panels, panel between rear trunk and engine bay, gutted top, my own minimal wiring harness. This is a street car and has to be parked outside so I had to keep the door glass in but I did make aluminum interior door panels. Engine cover rain tray is heavy and easy to remove. I removed all but the perimeter underside bracing on the rear trunk cover and drilled holes everywhere I could. Front trunk lid is heavy but determined there wasn't much I could do to it to make it lighter.
 
One of my most significant weight savings was getting rid of the stock steel wheels and spacer plates. My stock factory tires also had tubes. The 13x6 alloy wheels with 185s on them cut the weight by nearly a factor of two (no spacers needed). I'm guessing that your factory wheels are long gone if you are racing.
 
DanielForest said:
Other ideas... rear trunk carpeting, frunk carpeting if it is a Bertone, access panel between the rear trunk and the engine, jack and Fiat tools (if they are still there). Not much around the engine, maybe the heat insulation on the firewall and all shields under the engine. Inside, the carpeting, the door panels upholstery, the electric windows motors (if it is a Bertone)and the top insulation if there is some (later cars). The headlamp motor (leaving the lights in the UP position). I guess you will keep the wiper motors in case of rain.


BTW, the one piece engine lid/trunk lid is available from Europe.

Did you find another one or are you still waiting for mine?:rolleyes::)
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Merci Daniel. Celle de Daniel Vendette est maintenant dans mon garage. Et cet embrayage, c'est réglé? Tu as le bonjour d'Amyot Bachand. :) Where in Europe for the one piece engine/trunk lid?
 
DaleS said:
Here's one of the nose before it was fully painted. I later added a splitter, mostly to protect the bottom front edge, because that's all aluminum.


View attachment 38243
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Thanks for the photo. Some claim that extracting radiator air from the hood (bonnet) allows for better top speed because the air is not "hitting" the wall right behind the rad. Also that air extraction from openings in the hood improves downforce. Have you experienced better top speed and greater downforce?
 
Alain said:
Thanks for the photo. Some claim that extracting radiator air from the hood (bonnet) allows for better top speed because the air is not "hitting" the wall right behind the rad. Also that air extraction from openings in the hood improves downforce. Have you experienced better top speed and greater downforce?
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Venting the radiator through the hood will greatly improve downforce if coupled with a splitter, air dam or spoiler. Redirecting that airflow over the body instead of under reduces the positive air pressure under the nose. Couple that with a proper splitter, which creates lower pressure from the Bernoulli Effect and you have a significant improvement in front grip. It will also reduce drag as airflow over the body instead of under reduces drag.

I have tested this on several cars and it is standard practice on purpose built racecars. Every factory built GT3 racecar employs the technique.
 
Bjorn Nilson said:
Yes removing bumpers and spare wheel is a good way to lose 50kg (and 50cm 😁). The seats are very heavy. Replace them with street legal racing seats and save another 25-30kg. A lightweight racing battery is just 1-2kg compared to stock 10-12kg. Leave the Targa roof at home 8-10kg.
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Planning to replace the heavy seats and install an Odyssey battery similar to the one in my 1000TC. Also going are the - pitiful - electric motors in the doors, radio, speakers, door cards and probably original carpeting
 

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Steve Hoelscher said:
Venting the radiator through the hood will greatly improve downforce if coupled with a splitter, air dam or spoiler. Redirecting that airflow over the body instead of under reduces the positive air pressure under the nose. Couple that with a proper splitter, which creates lower pressure from the Bernoulli Effect and you have a significant improvement in front grip. It will also reduce drag as airflow over the body instead of under reduces drag.

I have tested this on several cars and it is standard practice on purpose built racecars. Every factory built GT3 racecar employs the technique.
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Much appreciated. If possible, a photo of the splitter would help.
 
Alain said:
Much appreciated. If possible, a photo of the splitter would help.
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It isn't an X1/9 but you can see the idea clearly. The splitter creates a pressure differential between the air on top of the leading edge of the splitter and the air underneath. If the splitter extends far enough forward the bow wave of air in front of the car creates high pressure on the top side. The airflow underneath is accelerated by the venturi effect and, per the Bernoulli Effect, the pressure is lowered, creating an even greater pressure differential. The splitter on this car (my MR2 autocross car) is limited in its size by the allowance in the rules but ideally, it would extend about 5 inches further forward and rearward to well behind the front axle.

The radiator has been repositioned (canted forward much like the X1/9 radiator) to promote airflow up and out through the hood vent. Two things to note about the hood vent; its located at the point of lowest pressure on the hood and it has a small lip spoiler at the front of the opening to assist with drawing air from the vent.

0723160649.jpg


You also mentioned light weight. This car weight, as it sits in the photo, 1630 lbs before ballast. It has a fiberglass hood, nose and rear engine/deck lid. The headlight motors removed, doors gutted, etc, etc... The car makes about 150 wheel horse power and does 0-60 in just over 4 seconds.
 
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