Losing Weight and keeping cool

After the summer action day at castle combe on saturday and the fun i had out on track i have made the decision to slowly transform my supra into a road legal track toy.

along with the Envy Hybrids i have ready to fit (courtesy of chiefgroover) my plans are to uprate the cooling system (uprated Rad and oil, gearbox and diff coolers as well as a power steering cooler) and put the car on a major diet.

im also planning on uprated suspension bushes, anti roll bars and strut braces along with a decent cage and racing seats with harnesses.

i was just wondering if i remove the rear seats, carpets, interior trim panels and sound deadening and replace the front seats with lightweight racing seats and the rear hatch with a CF one with a plexiglass window how will i affect the weight balance and handling of the car? im planning on relocating the battery to the rear to try to counteract the weight shift but will i need to make suspension adjustments to make sure the car isn't too tail happy?

also is there any modifications i can do to keep the brake fluid cooler? im running Dot 5.1 fluid at the moment would switching to RBF600 make a big difference? also would braided lines help to cool the fluid in the system?

any advice would be very welcome

You're living the dream, good luck with it fella

Braided lines just make the braking more responsive as the pipes wouldnt flex on braking like rubber ones would. Gimmie some info on a PS cooler if you end up getting one sorted

The electronics and loom are massively heavy, so get rid of air con, heater, all haetr and air con electronics, or as much as you feel able to, loom hacking wise, all window motors, and controls, electric mirrors, central locking, alarm9s), radio, stereo, speakers. As you surmise, rear hatch is very heavy, mainly due to galss area. Electric seats are very heavy, too. You need to move stuff to the back of the car, but WITHIN the wheelbase. For track usage you are looking at reducing understeer, WITHOUT compromising rear end grip. Really the engine wants moving back a couple of feet, but that is a somewhat major job.... My sort of project, I'll help if i can. DO NOT lower the car much, trust me, the geo goes to hell, i have it all mapped out on the PC, stay within 15 mm of stock at the front, 10 mm at the rear. The car will never be too "tail happy", on track understeer will be its natural trait. 99.9% of front engned road cars will be like that. You are confusing lack of traction with basic handling traits. the car will NEED a proper LSD, it will transform it.

I am able to get a proper "baby" PS cooler that we use with certain FMIC's.

Can't remember cost wise, its not a lot.

Anyway, sounds like a great project.

CW's points maybe a little drastic for a car still used on the road but good never the less

Gaz.

thats great Chris thankyou

to be honest i hadn't even thought about the loom and the AC system...

would you recomend the TRD LSD? or are there other options for me to consider?

Bobbeh - i will keep you in the loop re the PS cooler

I am able to get a proper "baby" PS cooler that we use with certain FMIC's.

thats great mate, could you find out a cost and let me know please?

cheers

Rich

There are 3 LSD's I can think of;

TRD,

KAAZ,

Cusco.

I'd research all three and the effects of 1way, 1.5way and 2way Diffs work before purchasing.

Becareful with Carbon bit like rear hatches...the ones backed with fibreglass could be heavier...a stock hatch with lexan plastic might be a better bet.

Thanks Alex, it hadn't crossed my mind that the carbon hatch could work out heavier, i will have to look into it carefully

i've just had a quick google for LSD's and im already confused, looks like i have a bit of research to be getting on with

Hi M8 sorry missed this one.....

Yeah I put my Sup on a diet and saved 150KG's.. all weighed parts separatly... well had to beat gtrgar some how!!!

As for the suspension... yes, listen to Chris.. mine was much better after just a 10mm drop and not a 25. Also look at the ARB's, im deff getting a trd LSD, make sure you get the carrier barings and the Auto version tho!!! lol

As for cooling, after this summer on mine... im pretty much the local master of cooling now... le me know what you have in mind an dill advise, but be warned.. it aint cheap!!!

i stripped loads on mine. took all stereo and rear seats out and tow hooks and rear strut brace things.air con.with air con you also have a big part behind dash where you have to strip all dash out to get to. then you have a air con pump too.

sounds a COOL project to do. im sure you could get used to NOISE when done.

have you weighed your light weight supra.

it helps if you have a NETTO supra with hardly any bits on.

I have had the carpets and bits out for over a month now while cleaning a spraying them (dont ask I just keep ordeing to little of the spray lol) But I cant wait to get the carpets and stuff all back in, its to hot with out it all and too much road noise.

But good luck with it all !!