z32= fat! trying to cut weight

The Nissan 300ZX (Z32) general community discussion forum
nissanz300
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:08 pm
Car: 1991 nissan 300zx tt

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so does anyone know the real true weight specs for parts. not guesses. like how much does the intake, hood, nose piece, fan pulleys ect weigh? since she is a little heavy from the factory im trying to slim her down. any ides for the first things first?


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Zwicked
Posts: 3133
Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 6:19 am
Car: 1990 300 ZX tt, 1990 240SX

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I'm not sure one actual parts weights, but unless you change out metal for CF or something there aren't a lot of things the car can do without. The hood is aluminum as it is. Most after market rims are heavier than the stock ones.

I guess some things to consider:

-Delete EGR, PRVR, CC, AIV's, front headlamp washer bottle, plenum coolant hoses- Headers are lighter that the exhaust manifolds and so are test pipes than the main cats- 1 piece lighter driveshaft and no centerbearing- Lightweight flywheel and pulleysAll of this as a guess might net you something like 100 pounds or less.

I think a rule of thumb in drag racing is 100 lbs = .1 second ET saving.

Not sure what else you could strip off short of changing seats and completely deleting interior panels etc

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clickdoc
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:51 am
Car: 1990 300zx NA

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There was a buildup of an NA z on here and he weighed every piece he took off and aftermarket parts he added -- i think is was an NA slicktop -- after he blew the old motor -- best write-up so far on the Z and weight


cmeasley
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:08 pm
Car: 92 300zx na 2+2 (sold) 97 maxima GLE (DD)1990 300zx TT!!!!!!!

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ya bro look for "project slicktop"

apostrophe28
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:07 pm
Car: 1993 300zx Twin Turbo

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if your serious about weight savings then gut the interior...evertthing but carbon fiber seats, gauge cluster and shifter..then go for a fiberglass or CF hatch w lexan window...DS and PS lexan windows...a CF hood will weigh more than ur oem aluminum hood...if its a 90-93 you can delete your hicas because its hydrolic and its quiet heavy. drop your stock exhaust for a custom bent side exhaust! (cats and mufflers are heavy)

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evildky
Posts: 14713
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:23 pm
Car: 71 240ZT, 87 300ZXN/A-T, 06 350Z GT, Tundra TRD RW
Location: Louisville, KY
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if you wanna get real light strip to the bare shell, remove all sound deadening and undercoating, convert to manual steering and put back only what is needed to stop go and turn, thats kinda my way of doing thingsmy Z31s30

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freakonaleash1187
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 5:09 pm
Car: '93 300ZX N/A, '97 200SX SE

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There is another member on here that was doing weight reduction on his slicktop for a while. Doing weight reduction on a Z is hard to do, unless you start replacing stuff with lighter material as almost all the body panels are steel (excluding the hood).

zerothread?id=235095

DunnJH4
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:54 pm
Car: 1990 300ZX TT Chrome intake plenum, BOV's, exhaust, you know Just under 500HP
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Wow I am a nub Had no idea the hood was aluminum, as I was about to buy a cf hood for "weight savings" and a better look. Now I'm not so sure. I should have checked the hoods weight to compare, but I do know when I took it off it was heavy enough to cut the paint on my A pillars up bad! lol

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NSR_s30
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 5:10 pm
Car: '99 Ford F250 7.3L Diesel, '71 Datsun 240Z
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Jerry has shaved a ton of weight off his Z. Have to wait for him to chime in here.

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RemixZ
Posts: 199
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:37 am
Car: 2003 350z Touring & 1990 300zx NA, Past Sold 1991 NX2000 & 1999 Frontier King Cab

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Compared to the 350z and 300zx(z32) the suspension and sub frame is where all the weight is, besides the engine. The 350z uses aluminum(suspension), so maybe if you fabricate a new sub frame and suspension with customized aluminum alloy equivlants you may save a hundred pounds or 2 at the least...

Or you can start "drilling holes" in the unibody and reinforce it with some light weight composites... (I build RC airplanes and need lightweight strong fabrication for the g forces). Though once you start messing with crumble zones in cars, its probably not worth it for obvious safety issues...


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redsun43
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:48 am
Car: 1990 twin turbo 300zx

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how much weight do you want to shave.

Milo (San Antonio)
Posts: 854
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:43 am
Car: Project LOWFATZ (weight reduced slicktop TT)

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Okay here we go...*cracking knuckles*

1) Kill rear wiper and motor (see SPL Parts for a nice hatch plug) it's probably around 5-10lbs.2) Kill hatch weight, weight next to hatch (around 5-10lbs)3) Kill spare tire, anti-flat canister and chucks, jack and tools (20-30lbs)4) Remove cargo cover (2-5 lbs)5) Kill cruise control unit (2-5lbs)6) Kill carbon canister (bypass it)7) Kill stock airbox with all ducting and replace with POP (not sure but probably save a few lbs.8) If engine out - eliminate entire EGR system (5-10lbs)9) Remove headlight aiming kit behind drivers seat (1-3lbs)10) Eliminate power drivers seat for manual drivers seat (20-30lbs difference I believe)11) If TT, HICAS elimination is possibility. See Hicas eliminator or TT->NA PS swap. (20-30lbs)12) Sound deading kill. Varies from (5-30lbs depending how deep down the rabbit whole you want to go.)13) Eliminate brake dust shields (1-3lbs)14) Eliminate 1 or both rear towing hooks (varies from 5-20 lbs normally)15) Eliminate AC system, sometimes this a deal breaker but as an entire system it is around 50lbs or so.

This is a lot of the basic stuff, after that you have to get creative.

But note the most noticable weight loss will alway be reciprocational mass weight loss or moving part weight loss. 1) lighter 1pc drive shafts2) lighter brake rotors3) lighter rims4) lighter flywheels5) lighter crank pulleys4) Lighter engine internals even (knifing crank, valve springs/retainers)

The key is to be creative. I went to far as to opt for slicktop which starts you out at a much lighter stock weight to begin with and then went onto doing weight reductions as well. But that is when you get a little extreme.


Milo (San Antonio)
Posts: 854
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:43 am
Car: Project LOWFATZ (weight reduced slicktop TT)

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freakonaleash1187 wrote:There is another member on here that was doing weight reduction on his slicktop for a while. Doing weight reduction on a Z is hard to do, unless you start replacing stuff with lighter material as almost all the body panels are steel (excluding the hood).

zerothread?id=235095
Agree, that link and writeup are a great how-to.

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GAZ32
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:20 pm
Car: 300zxTT, 2003 Duramax

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Nice Milo...

Don't forget that you also ride in the car too. So maybe you can cut some extra lbs from yourself.

Milo (San Antonio)
Posts: 854
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:43 am
Car: Project LOWFATZ (weight reduced slicktop TT)

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Heheheee. I could stand to loose 5-7lbs. Shaved my head already .2 ounces of savings there, btw, that is all the hair. Just throwing it out there.

Maybe another 2-3lbs in clothes if I decide to drive with no clothes, t-back optional.

And I'll probably purge, like the supermodels do before a big photo shoot, to save a bit more.


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