shaving weight
 

i know most people on this fourm go for even weight but i just want to know if it is possible for a bug to weigh 800 lbs with a stock body just moded with a fiber glass font end

i dont think fiberglass shaves that much weight. i do know carbon fiber is quite a bit lighter.

from what i know, 800 lbs=362.87392 kg. This is a "bit" imaginary i believe.
My engine was weighted (calculated) at 135 kg. add the gearbox, the pan, suspension, brakes, drivetrain. IMO is out of physicaly possible, Just from the mechanicals... Racing bugs in Greece come close to 650 - 700 kgs (1433.00 - 1543.23lbs) with stock metal bodywork,fenders, bumpers, rollcage, buckets, stripped interior

units convrted at :http://www.laurasmidiheaven.com/Tool...onverter.shtml


Chris

maybe if the chasis and body are entirely carbon fiber, and it is airtight inside, then, maybe fill it with helium ;)

yeah that would work but u would die in the 30sec it took you to get on the track

& you would probably be heading the wrong way without a care. :haveadrin

I know some realize this already but I should point out that race cars such as NASCAR and Formula One are made of a carbon fiber/kevlar composite. When cars collide either with each other or an embankment of some kind, the cloud of dust as that section of car explodes is the carbon fiber whereas the shredded body parts still clinging on to each other are what's left -- the kevlar.

Also, there is more science to it than just lighten everything. If the body were straight-swapped metal for composite, the front/rear ratio of weight balance would be exaggerated. In other words, a mid-engined car like a 914 would not have too much of an effect; a rear-engined car like a Beetle/Super Beetle would be worse.

dang man what posessed you to post on this topic. :confused: i mean thanks but it has been sept since someone has posted. does anyone by chance know where to get fiber glass doors and how much they cost because im thinking of buliding a few



thanks bo

Here are some Carbon examples:

http://www.rennkaefer.de/Carbontuere...or-outside.jpg

http://www.rennkaefer.de/

Scroll al the way down, they are made by Carpe Diem Racing (not yet a site available)

Who are you talking to? Besides, I didn't know there was time limit on making responses. Furthermore, this thread started in late October.

Changing out stock parts for fiberglass parts will save a lot of weight. I have 2" wider CCC fenders and they are much lighter than stock steel. I also purchased a CCC W decklid, and its is featherweight compared with stock. I'll probably get a CCC hood as well. Those changes will probably remove 75 lbs from the car.

Jason

im sorry oisas i wasnt talkin 2 u and im srry i didnt mean to get the dates mixed up and no there isnt a time limit on posting. also can you get those doors here in the states and how hard do you guys think it would be to make some

acid dip can remove a good bit of weight depending on how long you leave it in. You can realy loose some pounds but it will get thin. :agree:

and hope you have no rust. acid will eat even a small rust spot all the way out back to good metal.the guy who painted my car told me about a 69 camaro he restored for someone who had insisted on an acid bath. before the car went in the owner had been offered 18,000 for the car. when it came out the otherside todd (the paint guy) said he wanted to check the vin to make sure it was the same car. he also said he wouldnt have given the guy $180 for it. however when it was completed todd said the old car was right as the weather, and was one of the most sound cars he has ever done. and now theres not even the mention of rust on it. so there is good and bad.

i just thought he was kiddin but he was for real wasnt he

www.remmele-motorsport.com

sells both fiberglass and carbon fiber doors...
(see the "plastics" section)

thanks quick

Located in Nevada. http://markvfiberglass.com/catalog/o...oorsD0109.html

Have you ever worked with fiberglass? If not you would first need to learn about all the chemicals and different fabrics and their weights. You would then need 2 perfect doors (each side). Make a mold of each door. If you wanted the top of the door to have a rounded edge on it, make that more work. Then if you wanted to have a working window you would have to glass in the metal mounts for the regulator to bolt up to, glass in metal nuts for the weather strip, glass in the metal nuts for the door handles and latchs to bolt up to, and glass in the inside part of the door. It would be a lot of work and it would not protect you from any side inpact at all. If you have a cage then ignore the last part. It would be really expensive unless you know somebody that works in a shop and could get you a discount.

Glassing is fun but making big stuff is time consuming and expensive. Most stuff you can find already made elsewhere.

Mike

thanks and yes i built an airplane in my grage called a long-ez it was designed by burt rutan it was my dads build but he is algeric to fiberglass so i took over at the age of 14 we call her lumpy

bow - No, is the answer. :(
With that said..., for grins and giggles this is about as light within reason you can make a hypothetical flying beer can, using something that resembles a VW beetle door slammer. This won't be NHRA legal, just a Saturday night special.

128 lb. - motor no cooling, no generator, no external oil filter, stinger exhaust, non counter weighted crank, and a 12 lb. FW.
3 lb. - 14v Drill motor battery (2volts extra won't hurt).
165 lb. - swing trans, wide5 drum brakes w/drill holes to lighten and rear brakes only.
26 lb. - both back wheels, M&H slicks - 6" wide Michelle rims.
17 lb. - both front wheels, shaved 125's - aluminum wheels, spindle mount.
200 lb. - tube frame car, alum. front end, 1 seat and belts and 1 gal. fuel tank.
300 lb. - body w/aluminum beer can thin floors, gutted interior, tubs-n-rear section, glass tilt front end, lexan windows.
120 lb - driver..., :D will 100 lbs. and twenty years+ ago and I remember what it was like.
7 lb. - 1 gal. fuel
NO - pressure gages, tach, starter, rear horns to set transmission in (hang it from da'cage), and no torsion housing (look at a FV1200 vw track car).
Yes, this will take some planning, but if you want something close to that 800+/- number bad enough, this is how it's done.

966 lbs. are the numbers here, my alcoholic rail was 1040 wet (driver and fuel), that was about 1982-84yr.

well that is pretty much wat i have rigt now minus the 1 gal fuel tank i run a half gallon i made

Yep, he's got some cool parts, but from what i've heard, he doesn't ship to the states. Got any freinds in France?:laugh:

^ i wish. i have been expirementing with some stuff ,but i have just been enjoying my fat slow bug right now i love it :D

hey I have email remmele and I was looking at the cup fenders he said that he would send them to canada but it was 220$ shiped on a boat plus the cost of parts but I think it's well worth it they got some sweet parts, or you could take a trip there and bring them back with ya ;)