Removing dash for track car
Discussion
My Mk2.5 is doing a great job so far in it's role as my track toy. I've had successful outings at Cadwell, Mallory and Silverstone as well as a not so successful trip to Bedford (damn cam position sensor).
At the latest event at Cadwell a fellow mk2.5 owner was there with a significantly stripped back car to the extent that the entire dash had been removed including heater matrix and all air bags. The instrument binnacle was Magyvered in place with zip ties.
It got me thinking. I've done a fair amount of stripping back on mine - no soft top, no carpets/panels from the seats back. But the dash, door cards and main carpets still remain in place.
The car is purely a track toy with no day to day responsibilities. So I'm toying with the idea of gone whole hog on mine and getting rid of all remaining trim and dash accoutrements. Has anyone done this and if so, any hints or tips? Especially when it comes to disarming the passenger airbag (I already negotiated the removal of the drivers to fit my new wheel). Also - any reason why this is a bad idea?
The car does need to remain road legal to drive to/from track.
At the latest event at Cadwell a fellow mk2.5 owner was there with a significantly stripped back car to the extent that the entire dash had been removed including heater matrix and all air bags. The instrument binnacle was Magyvered in place with zip ties.
It got me thinking. I've done a fair amount of stripping back on mine - no soft top, no carpets/panels from the seats back. But the dash, door cards and main carpets still remain in place.
The car is purely a track toy with no day to day responsibilities. So I'm toying with the idea of gone whole hog on mine and getting rid of all remaining trim and dash accoutrements. Has anyone done this and if so, any hints or tips? Especially when it comes to disarming the passenger airbag (I already negotiated the removal of the drivers to fit my new wheel). Also - any reason why this is a bad idea?
The car does need to remain road legal to drive to/from track.
You can get a heated windscreen. That would probably get past that particular obstacle.
One question though - what would you say your level of track driving expertise is? It's just that, unless you are really good and can extract every last bit of performance from the car and hold it right on the edge of adhesion through every corner then losing a couple of Kg really isn't going to make a great deal of difference and will make the car an uncomfortable place to be when not thrashing around on track.
One question though - what would you say your level of track driving expertise is? It's just that, unless you are really good and can extract every last bit of performance from the car and hold it right on the edge of adhesion through every corner then losing a couple of Kg really isn't going to make a great deal of difference and will make the car an uncomfortable place to be when not thrashing around on track.
Fair points on both the demisting and the note on perhaps taking it too far.
Personally I believe I am a driving God, but then don't we all!
I think it is perhaps a case of idle hands and trying to do something on the cheap and putting off the inevitable forced induction upgrade that is lurking around the corner....
Personally I believe I am a driving God, but then don't we all!
I think it is perhaps a case of idle hands and trying to do something on the cheap and putting off the inevitable forced induction upgrade that is lurking around the corner....
Oldandslow said:
skibum said:
Airbag-I already negotiated the removal of the drivers to fit my new wheel
How did this go down with your insurance company?(Self interested curiosity)Take a door off and feel the weight of those! A dashboard would never bother me, but ripping out window motors and adding poly windows would help.
How about the spare wheel? Binned that and replaced with a can of foam? Are the wheels nice and light? Lightweight seats etc? All those things would be higher up the list for me.
How about the spare wheel? Binned that and replaced with a can of foam? Are the wheels nice and light? Lightweight seats etc? All those things would be higher up the list for me.
Yes - the boot is completely stripped and the spare wheel is only in there on the way to/from the track but comes out for laps. Door cards still on, but are on the list for looking at. Not sure how well plastic windows will work on frameless doors - do they still keep a good seal?
People are right though - I think I have made the biggest/easiest changes and everything from now on in is going to have minor if any impact on weight but greater impact on practicality and comfort.
People are right though - I think I have made the biggest/easiest changes and everything from now on in is going to have minor if any impact on weight but greater impact on practicality and comfort.
Dashboard is very heavy and would make a substantial weight saving. But as mentioned make sure you have a means of heat and demisting.
Doors are very heavy but the glass and doorcard aren't too bad. The doorcard weighs nowt the glass isn't too bad (for the downside of removing it on a road car it's a bit like running without a heater )
The door shell is a heavy old lump as are the internals, not easy to trim them down much without losing a lot of practicality.
Seats are moderately heavy. Hood frame and hood is heavy.
Doors are very heavy but the glass and doorcard aren't too bad. The doorcard weighs nowt the glass isn't too bad (for the downside of removing it on a road car it's a bit like running without a heater )
The door shell is a heavy old lump as are the internals, not easy to trim them down much without losing a lot of practicality.
Seats are moderately heavy. Hood frame and hood is heavy.
Not sure about removing structure from the doors - that's what'll stop someone/something from joining me in the drivers seat in case of a side collision.
Soft top and frame already long gone as are standard seats - replaced with a pair of Cobra Monaco Pro's - could go lighter with composites I guess.
Soft top and frame already long gone as are standard seats - replaced with a pair of Cobra Monaco Pro's - could go lighter with composites I guess.
My track car is a Eunos 1.8 R-Ltd and the previous owner had already removed the complete dashboard leaving just the instrument panel cabled-tied to the dash frame (which lives under the dashboard). It also had no heater whatsoever.
Yes its undoubtedly lighter but the lack of a heater is real pain. I have re-fitted the dashboard, though I removed every piece of ducting and anything else that looked remotely heavy. So now it has just a bare shell of a dashboard - looks civilised but is still quite light.
The real issue is the lack of heater. Bloody cold driving to a track day in a drafty MX5 and windscreen demisting is a nightmare. I'm very tempted to re-install a heater or plan B is to buy one of those daft little electric demister/ heater blower things.
I have to say that removing the heater on a car that spends even a short time on the road is not a good idea.
Yes its undoubtedly lighter but the lack of a heater is real pain. I have re-fitted the dashboard, though I removed every piece of ducting and anything else that looked remotely heavy. So now it has just a bare shell of a dashboard - looks civilised but is still quite light.
The real issue is the lack of heater. Bloody cold driving to a track day in a drafty MX5 and windscreen demisting is a nightmare. I'm very tempted to re-install a heater or plan B is to buy one of those daft little electric demister/ heater blower things.
I have to say that removing the heater on a car that spends even a short time on the road is not a good idea.
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