Losing weight in a Miata while keeping it streetable

ISC racing sells a fiberglass hood with the headlight panels built in. No fab needed

unk577 wrote: If you search Craigslist in Tampa there is a guy who makes hardtops out of fiberglas that weight approx. 11lb without the window. Add lexan and I think you'll be sub 15lb for the hardtop which is a huge savings over the factory one. Quality is pretty nice too

A 1/8" Lexan rear window is right around 5-6 lbs. See what I mean about weight loss numbers? Still, a good option for track cars if it's legal. Note the lack of weatherstripping, that's going to mean some pretty bad leaks around the windows on a street car.

Fixed the link, the forum munched it for some reason.

As for headlights, there are some Vision X LED lights that would work as headlights and fit behind the turn signal openings. Should be light - but also not very good for low beams and you'd lose visible front turn indicators. So not really streetable. And really expensive.

My buddy took the headlights from a CAMARO of all things. The hood doesn't weigh but a few pounds more than it did before.

Keith Tanner wrote:

unk577 wrote: If you search Craigslist in Tampa there is a guy who makes hardtops out of fiberglas that weight approx. 11lb without the window. Add lexan and I think you'll be sub 15lb for the hardtop which is a huge savings over the factory one. Quality is pretty nice too

A 1/8" Lexan rear window is right around 5-6 lbs. See what I mean about weight loss numbers? Still, a good option for track cars if it's legal. Note the lack of weatherstripping, that's going to mean some pretty bad leaks around the windows on a street car. Fixed the link, the forum munched it for some reason. As for headlights, there are some Vision X LED lights that would work as headlights and fit behind the turn signal openings. Should be light - but also not very good for low beams and you'd lose visible front turn indicators. So not really streetable. And really expensive.

I'm sure there's a way to fabricate weather stripping to avoid having the wet stuff get in the car

I think I'm gonna go with stripping the trunk out (leaving the jack and spare), AC compressor, plumbing (leaving the heater core so I have a heater), remove the Power Steering, and remove the sound insulation from the interior that's under the carpet. It would put me close to the target weight of at least 50 lbs to shed from the Miata. Perhaps I'll remove the rear bumper support, but not too entirely sure yet. Would free up some power as well, but not really a whole lot. In a Miata, every last horsepower counts!

There's not much weight to that soundproofing. I'd call that the lowest priority of your list. But not a bad start!

I love AC. I'll never remove AC from a car that I daily drive.

My miata is the first car I've owned with working AC, no way I'm giving that up!
As for weight savings, seems like diminishing returns unless you're willing to compromise DDability and/or safety (or shell out some bucks)
Me? Yanked spare and scissor jack, called it good.

If it were legal for STS, I would have put a light flywheel on my '91 years ago. That's 10 pounds that can make a real difference.

There is also this thread about miata weight loss.

http://www.lightweightmiata.com/beast/lightness/

Seems nuts to go on an extreme diet but keep the spare and jack. I would leave it out except for long trips. Local trips just have a can of slime.

I weighed a Miata spare tire last week. It was 19.6 pounds.

Glad I had the factory full size spare, jack and tools in the back of my car this morning when I had a flat getting onto the freeway.

It did suck changing the left rear tire on the shoulder of I-25 at 7am as traffic whizzed by at 80mph tho.

Sucked even more when I found out that the tire couldn't be salvaged and I had to replace it.

My AAA card weighs little enough, and has replaced my spare and jack for years. I do throw them in for long road trips, but with a 200 mile tow "prepaid," I'm good to go for most of my travels. Having an extra set of wheels and tires at home certainly helps. If I am the only one in the car on the road trip, I will actually carry a full size spare in the passenger foot well. Makes crossing the border especially fun.

Drive around with the fuel light on.

My refined plan is to delete the AC, PS, replacing the factory driver's seat with the Sparco seat I got from the 5X Racing shop and the Pro-Car Innovations mount, and I'm considering the spare tire and jack. Still not 100% sure on it yet, but losing 50 lbs in the Miata just seems like it's gonna be too easy to obtain and I can lose more weight the more that I think about it. I've already taken out the radio, speakers, and Dynamat and installed a 5X Racing Radio Delete Plate. The plate us aluminum and weighs as much a feather almost. Im sitting about 2200 lbs with my Hard Dog Hardcore M1 roll bar installed and I want to get about 25 lbs under the factory weight of 2150. I'm gonna be getting an intake soon that bolts up to the MAF and rids the stupid factory airbox. The intake is aluminum and even with the filter, it's stupid light. Weighs about as much as an almost empty can of Red Bull. Hahahaha.

If I didn't state before, the AC system is a R12 system. Yeeeeaaahh....it's pretty much useless and I'm not willing to shell out the money to retrofit it to a 134A system. I've gone through 2 summers in Florida without the AC, so I'll survive without it. Being nice n cool really isn't on the top of my priority list while driving.

I tried going without A/C this summer in Charlottesville, Decently hot and humid. I got through the summer without it. Of course, if I get rid of it completely, next summer will be hotter, and more humid... Still think I am going to do it though. If I can find a rental with a garage, I'll add the Exocet kit, and I certainly won't have A/C in one of those.

I think that with a lightweight flywheel, AC removed, PS de-powered, Sparco seat, trunk stripped, radio and speakers deleted, lightweight aluminum intake to MAF (stupid airbox will be rid off), Sparco steering wheel, and taking out the spare and jack would be a pretty considerable weight loss. What fo you guys think about the above mentions?

The aluminum intake tube there is not enough of a weight savings to make it worth while. Also the aluminum will heat the air more than the plastic will.

mistanfo wrote: I tried going without A/C this summer in Charlottesville, Decently hot and humid. I got through the summer without it. Of course, if I get rid of it completely, next summer will be hotter, and more humid... Still think I am going to do it though. If I can find a rental with a garage, I'll add the Exocet kit, and I certainly won't have A/C in one of those.

We get the occasional customer asking about using an auto trans in their Exocet (before you rag on them, it's usually old guys with knee problems). I would LOVE to see the first person to retain AC in their 'cet. There isn't really anything stopping you (besides the obvious weight and power penalty), you could have a hose from the blower aimed directly at your crotch under the wheel.

Your brain starts thinking crazy thoughts when you're idling in traffic in Atlanta without AC. A cool-suit would be amazing for long trips. There's tons of room behind the seats to make a nice cooler mount, and the battery is right there for your aquarium pump.

Cool-seat would be a good idea. Saw some of the cold blowers at PRI that don't use a refrigerant or ice. Nice but big $$

The intake would save a little bit of weight, yeah albeit not a whole lot though. I plan on getting that gold heat wrap that's supposed to block out heat and wrapping the aluminum on the intake. The power gain I will get from the intake over the factory air box will be worth it it though.

I might even fabricate a sheet of aluminum to create a box to shield out the heat. What are some other ways that I can shed some weight in the Miata and still keep it civilized enough for street?

How much do you weigh? Possible to knock off 20 pounds there?