Lightweight

lookforjoe said:
This one makes sense for any X, to keep the door sill from rotting out
Click to expand...
Ironically on my very rusty parts car, the allowance for water to exit the bottom of the door lead to more rot in the top of the rocker panel/sill plate just below it. The window seal across the driver's side glass had failed, allowing water inside the door. That rotted the bottom of the door, allowing the water to pour onto the top of the sill plate area. So that upper rocker area rotted from the top down, mostly only across that top surface. The passenger's side has no rot.
 
ha. yeah, that's a bit extreme for sure.

I do like what the "Alfaholics" did with their GTA-R 290. Not sure where I was that I saw it with all the holes and weight savings they did but they got the thing down to 830 kilos (1830 lbs) via a fiber-carbon hood and doors and a holes in some of the bits like the hood arms, door recievers etc. That's what make me think of @mkmini (Jānis) post of the over the top holes. You can see bits of it at around 3:58
 
darwoodious said:
do like what the "Alfaholics" did with their GTA-R 290.
Click to expand...
That's a very cool build. I like what several shops are doing with 911's, J-types, and a few other classic cars, on a similar level. Some use modern driveline components from the same line of vehicle, others just build them to later (higher performance) spec with modern components added. Suspension, brakes, steering, etc, are upgraded accordingly. All of them do a excellent job of restoring the body to relatively original appearance but with the needed mods to accommodate the new level of performance. Interiors are usually upgraded to a higher level of materials and appointments. Overall it gives the look of a vintage classic with the performance nearing that of a modern supercar. Quite expensive cars, but very cool.
 
Getting back to discussing a lightweight X1/9 build. The use of carbon fiber replacement body panels would offer a large weight reduction. There are a couple of sources for fiberglass panels for the X, but does anyone offer CF versions? I know at least one of our members is an expert at making CF stuff. Although it is an expensive alternative, it would be great if a couple of the larger, heavier panels could be obtained as direct replacements. The stock bodywork is very heavy.
 
I'd like a CF roof ("targa"). The doors are fairly heavy too, especially compared to a similar model year VW Mk1 "Rabbit". Hood isn't all that heavy and as it is low and forward, probably helping with the weight balance.
 
darwoodious said:
I'd like a CF roof ("targa"). The doors are fairly heavy too, especially compared to a similar model year VW Mk1 "Rabbit". Hood isn't all that heavy and as it is low and forward, probably helping with the weight balance.
Click to expand...
Having built several custom VW Mk1's, it's interesting to note that there is a huge difference in door weights between the US-spec "impact" doors and the earlier Euro-spec (non-impact spec) doors. The early doors are very light, but the later doors are quite heavy.

Furthermore, if you remove some excess metal from a early (Euro) door - e.g. no window and winder, no supporting structure for those items, etc. - it is significantly lighter still.

I don't recall, has anyone here weighed a stock US X1/9 door compared to a stripped door?

Also, the X1/9's rear trunk lid is incredibly heavy for its size. The frunk lid is heavy, but as you say that might be ok given its location relative to the whole car.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
I don't recall, has anyone here weighed a stock US X1/9 door compared to a stripped door?
Click to expand...
I have both doors off my project - can weigh when I get home. Project car doors have glass still in them (I'm hoping to be able to finish/paint them without taking the glass out cuz that's a super pain) and my parts car has stripped doors. They're both 1976 cars.
 
darwoodious said:
I have both doors off my project - can weigh when I get home. Project car doors have glass still in them (I'm hoping to be able to finish/paint them without taking the glass out cuz that's a super pain) and my parts car has stripped doors. They're both 1976 cars.
Click to expand...
Sorry I wasn't very clear. I was asking about a completely stripped and trimmed door vs a stock door. For example, a steel "race car" door vs a factory equipped door.
 
Typically the crash bars inside the doors are about half the weight of the door, sadly they typically are not very easy to remove.
 
Yeah. 34lbs for a "stripped" door.
IMG_5325.JPG

IMG_5324.JPG


47lbs for a "complete" door (no doorcard but that doesn't matter really)
IMG_5323.JPG

IMG_5322.JPG
 
yeah 15lbs for glass/winder/handle/arm rest/door card etc is about right...per side

the intrusion bar alone is about that much more again ... I chopped the skins / intrusion bar off a pair of doors for the lemons racer and they were about 8.5kgs each.

a complete fibrglass skin / frame door would be under 10lbs (4kg) and a lot of that would be in re using the steel hnges

SteveC
 
Wow, I didn't know that the doors are that heavy. But is it a good idea to replace them with fiberglass? I think steel doors add a lot of rigidity to cab/targa cars. But with a roll cage it would be ok I assume.
 
I wouldn't want to drive a car with anything but intrusion bars / locks / hinges in the doors as fitted OE...unless it was a race car and it had a cage that performed the same function (and more)

I think there comes a point where removing or replacing some parts of the car with fibreglass or carbon fibre becomes a bad idea regardless of how much weight it saves.

SteveC
 
The problem with fiberglass doors is the windows.
If you need side windows, supposedly the only doors that are any good are the ones by DeFulvio that involve a side window frame that the X never had.
For a street driven X, fiberglass doors are no good unless you live in southern CA and just forget about windows.
 
Ulix said:
How stripped is the stripped door?
Gutted but side impact bar still inside?
Click to expand...
Yes, the impact bar is still there. The stripped door only has the glass and related glass mechanisms removed. As others have said, that impact bar is HUGE and heavy but yeah, that would give you a lot of protection in some collision.
 
fiatfactory said:
a complete fibrglass skin / frame door would be under 10lbs (4kg) and a lot of that would be in re using the steel hnges
Click to expand...
True. On some cars that are popular choices for track use (e.g. 911) they offer aluminum hinges and latch replacements to further reduce weight along with a CF door shell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top