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XLR weight reduction

Fzjadam

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Messages
10
Location
Gastonia, NC
Thought I’d find a thread on weight reduction but haven’t seen anything. Has anyone done a detailed thread for this? I know the seats are 61 lbs each so there’s a feasible start. What else can be done to cut weight without doing stuff like deleting door panels? Am I wasting my time even considering?
 
Howdy,
I haven't seen such a thread here. I guess the big question is, what's your intent with the car and what are you willing to sacrifice in regards to features and such?

By example, I have no interest in the car as a convertible, so I've carefully removed all the bits and pieces, pump and cylinders etc and without demolishing anything so in theory if the day ever came I changed my mind, it could all go back in to place. It all tends to depend on what you want from the car when you're done. :)

HTH!

Gord :thumbsup
 
Howdy,
I haven't seen such a thread here. I guess the big question is, what's your intent with the car and what are you willing to sacrifice in regards to features and such?

By example, I have no interest in the car as a convertible, so I've carefully removed all the bits and pieces, pump and cylinders etc and without demolishing anything so in theory if the day ever came I changed my mind, it could all go back in to place. It all tends to depend on what you want from the car when you're done. :)

HTH!

Gord :thumbsup

Agreed. Any idea how much weight was saved removing the hydraulic stuff? Does the trunk open manually now? Would be cool if someone made a lightweight alternative to the hydraulics.
 
Hi,
With all I've removed at the moment, I'll guess about 100 pounds and there's still more to go as some of the brackets and hinges are getting sliced up but not before I acquire replacements - again, to be able to restore the car if and when.


Yes, the trunk is manual which is fine by me and there's no 'rear tonneau' and associated hardware (wouldn't need it), no 'trunk divider' etc (ditto) and the front tonneau is on the way to being replaced with a fixed panel as all its linkages and junk are obviously not needed too. That center panel of the forward rear tonneau cover is insanely heavy. I think it's cast aluminum or magnesium perhaps but they made it beefy enough to stand on.


You would really have to sacrifice to get great weight savings I'd say. Most of it is going to be done in small increments, besides as you mention, the seats if you want to do without the stock ones. Then there's the less than easy mods or depending where you live, the less than comfy ones as well. Rid of the A/C system and sound as well.


I've been doing the suspension forever it seems - (just the way this year has gone) and all the flashing on every component has been removed and while the gains are miniscule, it's really satisfying seeing the bits as they really should have been for a car of its caliber. I have Rays/Volk VR.G2 forged wheels which must be 10 pounds lighter than stock and I did stay on 18 inch because of the roads up here. Then a take-back because of a brake and caliper upgrade which I'll guess at the time is adding a few pounds on each corner.


Again, it all depends what you want to do with the car and if you care if it can be returned to stock or not. I'd approach my project quite a bit more aggressively if I was not of that mindset or had decided to race the thing or not be able to restore it. I could never do seats in this province (laws against touching airbags) so I do what I can and with what I'm willing to do without.

Gord :thumbsup
 
lighter XLR

Fzjadam.

Replace the reractable top for a corvette soft top, as they have somes similar measurements, remove all its hydraulic components.
Change the seats for the corvette ones as they are also alike, install lighter wheels.

You could feel sorry when it is modified , as the XLR will look more like a corvette.

Instead why not trading it for a corvette of your choice, lighter with more power. this is where you can realise that the XLR and the corvette are only similar.

IAN :wave:
 
Last edited:
Will need to investigate seat removal as BCM has many interactions with seat position, etc. you will get continuous DTC’s.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Fzjadam.

Replace the reractable top for a corvette soft top, as they have somes similar measurements, remove all its hydraulic components.
Change the seats for the corvette ones as they are also alike, install lighter wheels.

You could feel sorry when it is modified , as the XLR will look more like a corvette.

Instead why not trading it for a corvette of your choice, lighter with more power. this is where you can realise that the XLR and the corvette are only similar.

IAN :wave:

I agree with the last paragraph. Why not just purchase a vette.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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