Thread: Basic weight reduction in VE powered B13 (some pics)

So since we had a tropical storm this weekend, I just spent a good two hours in the garage with a hammer and chisel removing the rest of the tar under the front carpeting, driver and passenger sides. For some reason, the passenger side pieces came out much easier, in large like 4"x 4" chunks, the driver side.. not so much. Chiseling away. Extremely monotonous and boring work. Move chisel, hammer a bit, remove and toss chunk(s) in bag. Occasionally hit hand with hammer and/or cut a knuckle. Repeat 1000x.

I placed all of the tar from the entire car and some pieces of random carpeting that also were cut out, into 1 large garbage bag, and it has to be at least 40-45 pounds. And I haven't gotten to everything yet. I'm sure some of you know this, but theres some kind of rubber lining way up under the dash with more carpeting, that thicker heavier kind. The rubber doesn't seem to weigh a lot, but combined with the carpeting it must be a few pounds. I removed some of that carpeting and cut rubber above. I'd say I'm about 85 percent done.

I'm not removing the dash or anything like that, but I thought about the door panels. The only thing that stops me from doing it is having to reinstall those pesky roll-up window handles. I've broken one every time I had to remove a panel to replace a speaker etc.

So far (some of these were already in place):

1) No power steering
2) No rear spoiler
3) No A/C
4) No sunroof
5) No seats or seatbelts (besides driver)
6) No spare tire/jack/tools
7) No rear carpeting, wooden piece, trim pieces etc.
8) No floormats or sunvisors
8) 95 percent of all tar removed under the carpeting
9) Just starting to work on the rubber cowl piece/carpeting up under the dash

I do NOT plan on removing (at this point):

1) Headliner (it's in too good shape to mess with)
2) Front speakers, rear speakers/deck or head unit
3) Any parts of the dash board besides the ashtrays
4) Glove box (except its contents)
5) Door panels. While it's tempting, and I know that there's the 25lbs worth of collision bars or whatever in each, I still drive it on the street, and I have to drive it to the track (with fiancée following me with all my parts and tools)
6) Anything with the bumpers or bumper supports

Looking good. I am down the same alley as u. I have done just about the same stuff, except ps removal. That tar crap came out easy for me in the rear sitting area on both sides. The fronts for me where the hardest, and I didn't remove the carpet, just pulled it up a bit. That firewall blanket sure is heavy as well, amazing b/c it don't look heavy. I only cut out what I could get too, the middle area is still there a bit. Prob like 1-2lbs.

I am also with you on some of the stuff that will remain. I don't want a gutted car, but want as minimal crap as possible. I will prob remove the back speakers, I don't think they are working anyway, and may look inside doors to see what can be pulled/cut out. I would also like to maybe look into the rear bumper and see what can be pulled or cut there.

I have a place to go weigh car when I am all finished, but this is also a b14 not a b13 but nonetheless, it is free performance and I got nothing better to do with car here lately and spending money on it has gotten a lil old, lol. cant wait to see final weight for both our cars.

Ha yeah, I was thinking the other day, I have like every NA mod on this car except for a few real expensive ones, so I thought, why not try removing some weight? Its free other than time. I have a bag full of tar and carpeting now.

Earlier I removed nearly all of that secondary thicker carpet (that's glued to the underside of the actual carpet) - not much weight, but not much effort either, kinda just came right out in big pieces. Added 6lbs total to this bag in the photo, showing me holding a little piece of the tar in one hand. 36lbs total with the carpet pieces:



You can see that trash bag is stretching pretty well. It's funny, when you first start removing the tar, it doesn't seem like it's going to be much, but as you make your way around the car the bag gets heavier and heavier. I drove the car around a bit, no louder/more annoying than before, haha. 3" exhaust with no cat will do that I guess.

I was gonna pull that part of carpet too, didn't think it would be 6lbs. Your talking about the big thick pieces that is only under the seating areas right? Guess I can do that now that I see it is 6lbs worth, lol. Good stuff, lets keep it going.

Turn up the boost

Ahh, most definitely my friend, ha. I need slicks though first, I am shooting for 11.xxx with this car, b13 was sooo close, but didn't make it.

Hey Jordan, did you coat any of the spots you removed tar from with a primer or anything? I just did that for a lil good measure, car is garaged buy never know. I did have a hole about the size of a golfball behind driver's seat from rust all the way through. I patched in some flat aluminum I had laying around and patched top and bottom and will coat underneath with that rubber undercoating crap.

Did you pound any holes through floor hammering? Did you poke any of those lil square thin pieces? I did on two of them, lol, patched them too. What a pita, but worth it I think.

there is another 1-2lb in the glovebox cover. that thing is filled with a metal plate. super easy to take on/off. just take it off for the track.

*edit*

on second thought, you may be able to cut a bunch of it out to save weight, and still retain the door.

There is also a lil metal bar behind the glovebox. 3 bolts and it is out. on my b14 anyway.

No holes pounded, lol. I just used a hammer and small chisel and in parts, a flat head screwdriver. I hit it at an angle where it woulda been tough to puncture

On mine, it was easy to see where the little holes were (with the black circular tape over it) from the factory I guess, but I didn't find any rust at all in in the bottom. It may be a bit different with the B13 and B14 but almost the entire car was filled with that thick carpeting and all around it began to add up, and it was fairly easy to remove, just pull on it and the glue lets its go easily