Seeing if anyone on the board has some insightful ideas about weight reduction on an 850 sedan? I've removed the obvious stuff (spare, jack, tools) for around town driving. But are there some other thing I can go without that aren't going to badly effect things? I realize that this is a 4 door car, so its not going to be too much of a lightweight, but going from a 1800lb Honda CRX to this, seems like night and day. Thanks!
How do you put an 850 on a diet?
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If you're like me, and don't listen to music while you drive, you could remove the stereo system (speakers, amps, head units, etc.). Additionally, if you don't usually drive with passengers in your car, you could remove the rear seats and the front passenger seat. If door panels aren't your thing you could remove them as well. You could take it one step further and remove all creature comforts such as the air conditioning system (remove the compressor from the engine compartment along with all associated hardware), and remove all the plastic dashboard surrounds.
Sure, that won't really remove much more than 100 or so pounds, maybe even 150, but it's a start. To remove even more weight would require lots and lots of money, and involve such things as having all your body panels made from either lightweight aluminum or composite materials, have all your suspension components fabricated from aluminum (such as Alcoa T6061 or equivalent), and there are a few manufacturers of seriously lightweight wheels as well. The sky's the limit, but usually the pocketbook creates an immense deal of friction between the ground and the sky.
-he who stacks pork
Sure, that won't really remove much more than 100 or so pounds, maybe even 150, but it's a start. To remove even more weight would require lots and lots of money, and involve such things as having all your body panels made from either lightweight aluminum or composite materials, have all your suspension components fabricated from aluminum (such as Alcoa T6061 or equivalent), and there are a few manufacturers of seriously lightweight wheels as well. The sky's the limit, but usually the pocketbook creates an immense deal of friction between the ground and the sky.
-he who stacks pork
This is aimed at a 240, but it gives a good list of weight loss ideas.
http://www.volvoeh.com/weight.html
http://www.volvoeh.com/weight.html
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There are a number of things that you can do. First of all on a hot day, go under your car and scrape off all of the undercoating (used to help emliminate road noise, but it weighs a bunch). If you are interested Rick, at [email protected] is going to be making carbon fiber hoods, and many other parts:
"I'm basically looking for parts that have
yet to be produced, from interior to exterior almost anything I believe can
be made of Carbon Fiber… "
He is going to be making molds for the parts sometime next month.
If you are interested email him and mention my name
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im trying to get some free parts.
Pete
"I'm basically looking for parts that have
yet to be produced, from interior to exterior almost anything I believe can
be made of Carbon Fiber… "
He is going to be making molds for the parts sometime next month.
If you are interested email him and mention my name
Pete
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93 Posts
You can ask him for anything that you would want in carbon fiber. He is looking for what parts people are interested in. If you want anything email him, if there is enough interest in that part then he will do it.
Pete
Pete
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326 Posts
850's aren't fat, they're big boned!
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421 Posts
I feel bad for you, man.... cause sedans a pretty heavy, but you have a WAGON!! Now, your ride is excessively big-boned!
hmm, are you saying the wagon weights a lot more, cuz it doesnt. 3426 lbs, not bad when compared with other sedands in its class, blows other wagons out of teh water. Going by the 1996 car and driver comparison of a bmw 525i, audi A6, and Volvo 855 turbo, the Volvo one hence why I still have the article, it beat out a bmw, something that hasnt happened since, as far as I know. Anyway, the volvo weighted in at 3426-according to them of course, so its accurate. The BMW wieghed in at 3768 and the audi at 3814. So again, why do people think these cars are so heavy. Its in the same size class as an accord or camry, but its a bigger car, and only wieghts about 200 pounds more, or so. Pontiac Bonneville SE wieghts 3601 pounds. Oh and the volvo has a 59/41 weight distro, so some front weight reduction would do it some good. Carbon fiber hood baby. Oh and here is another competing sized car, an Acura 3.2tl at 3500 pounds. I dont know what the sedan weights, but if its that much less than the wagon, then its a light ass car for its class, I think they are about the same. They arent fat or big boned, they are the fit beasts of the group.
No, the sedan is only like 75 lbs lighter than the wagon i think. The thing about weight dist. is if you're using the stock suspension, i recommend leaving the foreward weight and that will help with weight transfer on hard accel. If you've got a really stiff suspension with new springs/shocks/struts to account for front end lift on take off, i say drop all the tonage you can.
The hood should save about 30 lbs, and will be ready in a month or two for the 850/70 series.
There will also be a carbon (VST Style) front chin for V70R's and a crap load of other stuff, just want to keep you all drooling for the time being.
I don't use my AC very much, so i'm getting it disconnected and having the condenser removed for times other than summer, that thing is a whopping 100 lbs for just the condensor. Also getting some Carbon-Kevlar SP-A seats which weigh 12 lbs each, which will drop me 60 lbs per front seat (heck yeah).
There's lots to do, and by dropping 300 lbs, you're in WRX weight zone, and you KNOW we can rule over them.
The hood should save about 30 lbs, and will be ready in a month or two for the 850/70 series.
There will also be a carbon (VST Style) front chin for V70R's and a crap load of other stuff, just want to keep you all drooling for the time being.
I don't use my AC very much, so i'm getting it disconnected and having the condenser removed for times other than summer, that thing is a whopping 100 lbs for just the condensor. Also getting some Carbon-Kevlar SP-A seats which weigh 12 lbs each, which will drop me 60 lbs per front seat (heck yeah).
There's lots to do, and by dropping 300 lbs, you're in WRX weight zone, and you KNOW we can rule over them.
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WOW! You guys are pretty serious! That's awesome to see that much enthusiasm, I'd be pretty serious about the carbon fiber hood, cuz that hood on my red 850 would look pretty nice!
Hmmm carbon fiber. I almost forgot to mention, completely gutting an interior will save a lot of weight, and it doesnt have to look bad. Volvo uses tons of dampening material, trim, wood false floor, etc. Take it all out, put carpet back down, replace trunk area with just carpet, lots of weight gone. I dont know how much, an dit may be less than I think, but I know this. My friends in Corning, who we all joke have wieght problems beacuse they will gut a car long before anything else. Anyway, his civic lost 500 pounds by taking out everything, and I mean everything in the inside. He lost another 300 by removing the AC stuff and some other heavy items in there. I dont know what all it was but his civic weights in at a wopping 1200 pounds now. I personally dont care enough about that to give up seating for 5, wood dash trim, luxories galore, and the many other amenities. Since I do have a hard as a rock suspension now, Carbon fiber hood weight reduction here I come.
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