Yeah come on then, somebody start on about how it's a different matter when you need them! FFS!

 

Mrs Turbo was stopped this afternoon by plod(not traffic) and told that the front number plate on the MAC2 Stillen Beast is illegal.

 

Okey dokey, because it was just cut down to the size of the letters. Apparently you have to have 79mm letters surrounded by at least 11mm of plate. Speed cameras have trouble otherwise...that's a real shame!

 

So she gets a producer and 14 days to rectify the plate and I/she will have to prove that the plate has been done.

 

So a very mad Turbo woman goes to the cop shop tonight to produce. My Mrs says that the only reason why he stopped her is probably coz she was driving a modified sports car.

 

Desk Clerk looks to see who it was..."Oh that's Andy, yep that makes sense. Within 55 mins of him going on duty this morning we had four producers from him!" she continued...

 

"He loves fast cars and wants to be in Traffic but can't get in, he has four cars of his own!"

 

Great! Sits on the side of the road all day picking people up for pathetic and minor offences just to skeg the cars and probably the women.

 

I dunno! LMFAO

 

 

 

------------------

Just get the lighter 2 seater car if you want to reduce weight....You don't even need to remove the rear seats!

Better still, buy a 2 seater slick top (intended for racing)....No heavy targa panels either!

Changing the size of your no. plate on a road car will make no detectable difference, apart from a purely cosmetic one! Sticking a heavy aftermarket body kit and wide wheels on your car will do much more to ruin your drag coefficient than any little number plate ever could!

Having a nice big number plate also keeps them bloody flys and stone chips off the nice coefficient front.

 

[This message has been edited by Devil (edited 17-08-2002).]

A car is a bunch of compromises. The main factors affecting car design I can think of are...

 

Visual appeal/aesthetics

Engine Power

Fuel Economy

Comfort

Accessories

Acceleration

Top speed

Emissions

Safety

 

Every modification/design to enhance any one of the above desirables, usually affects several of the other factors to a > or

 

For max. top speed, for eg., superb aerodynamics are critical and high engine power. Enter the 300ZX for eg.. But even a high performance 300ZX is designed for evryday use, so unlike a Caterham 7, has many accessories and comfort features. These all add mass, but they have been designed to be as a light as is practicable and affordable. So even where one factor is the main one, it is always desirable to optimise other factors as much as possible without affecting the main factor(s). We'd all love our 300's to do 35mpg, but not if this meant engine power was down to 150BHP ! If they did 5mpg, I doubt many people would ever have bought them.

 

My goal of reduced mass is ONLY where this doesn't impact on other desirbale qualities of the car. I know the car will never be light compared with most cars, but I don't want a lightweight roadster with no comfort/practicality/sound system/air con. etc..

Nelson, have you weighed all the carpet in the car. Was thinking about removing mine, just wandering if you know what you gain from it.

The 20kg I quote includes the rear seats, rear blind, boot carpet and wooden pieces. I's 22kg with the rear seat belts taken out and even more if you take out the jack and spare wheel. The carpet is pretty heavy on it's own. I plan to replace this with lightweight sound insulation-maybe fibreglass to combat increased road noise.

 

Other areas I am looking into are...

 

Headlight panel (heavy steel - replace with a Z centre 2/4 scoop piece)

 

Bonnet catch - I know it's small but it's heavy steel ! Doesn't need to be and always a good thing to take weight from front of car to balance that taken from middle/rear.

 

Performance exhaust

 

Lightweight alloys

 

Rear spoiler and weight -replace with racing spoiler - will help push the back and down fro traction, along with an overall saving in weight.

 

Take out air filter box and replace with twin air intake kit ?

 

I've been told that a Subaru Impreza has about 22 stone in weight of bitumen on the floor and around the gearbox - hard to believe. There must be a lighter alternative.

 

Engine mods I will probably leave till I need engine repairs doing. Flywheel is an example, although I have heard there are advantages in a heavier(standard) flywheel.

might i suggest removal of the nut behind the wheel - thats the cause of most accidents.

 

Be carefull though, you wheel might fall off.

 

HTH.

 

 

------------------

->Glen

-

Skyline GT-R

'You dont so much drive this car -

as hang on for dear life..'

J.Clarkson

Nelson, do you eat a lot of salad ?