...and still keep the car from simply flying away?
I am more than likely going to be driving the 1ZZ for a while (hopefully). I might be able to afford a C60 trans and the labor to swap it, but a 2ZZ is most likely not in the cards unless my financial situation changes substantially (it could happen!). One plays the game with the hand in front of him.
So, in order to get more, better grins through improving the weight/HP ratio, I still have a couple of broad avenues available to adjust the equation on either side: Reduce weight, and increase the HP of the 1ZZ. I know there are many ways to tweak the HP, but that is for later, and I can read up on that later. I want to focus on weight reduction for this thread.
Up front, I will say that I have very little body fat to spare, so I won't start there. The Frog will need to lose some weight before I do, and I know he has some to spare. The bonus is that I would assume I might also see better MPG, at least a little.
I also know there are many ways to reduce weight, and while I am interested in those details eventually also, I can look at old past posts for ideas there too.
So, the explicit question to start the thread is:
What are the safety implications of reducing the car, say, 100, 200, 300, or even 500 lbs. I do understand that -500 lbs is epic and unrealistic for a street car, and likely prohibitively expensive regardless, but I don't want to consider costs just yet. For now I am mainly interested in the safety impact of progressively reducing the weight of the cart, as that guides future research and eventual implementation.
My thinking/guessing about increased risk of reduced curb weight is along the lines of increased hydroplaning, or just taking mini-flights at higher speeds. I have serious doubts that once you get below a certain point, that adding air dams will be effective at counteracting the drastic changes in aerodynamics from a 10%, 20%, or 30% weight reduction. Plus, I personally don't really like all the air dams and dingleberries; I like the smooth, minimalist look.
Discuss!
I am more than likely going to be driving the 1ZZ for a while (hopefully). I might be able to afford a C60 trans and the labor to swap it, but a 2ZZ is most likely not in the cards unless my financial situation changes substantially (it could happen!). One plays the game with the hand in front of him.
So, in order to get more, better grins through improving the weight/HP ratio, I still have a couple of broad avenues available to adjust the equation on either side: Reduce weight, and increase the HP of the 1ZZ. I know there are many ways to tweak the HP, but that is for later, and I can read up on that later. I want to focus on weight reduction for this thread.
Up front, I will say that I have very little body fat to spare, so I won't start there. The Frog will need to lose some weight before I do, and I know he has some to spare. The bonus is that I would assume I might also see better MPG, at least a little.
I also know there are many ways to reduce weight, and while I am interested in those details eventually also, I can look at old past posts for ideas there too.
So, the explicit question to start the thread is:
What are the safety implications of reducing the car, say, 100, 200, 300, or even 500 lbs. I do understand that -500 lbs is epic and unrealistic for a street car, and likely prohibitively expensive regardless, but I don't want to consider costs just yet. For now I am mainly interested in the safety impact of progressively reducing the weight of the cart, as that guides future research and eventual implementation.
My thinking/guessing about increased risk of reduced curb weight is along the lines of increased hydroplaning, or just taking mini-flights at higher speeds. I have serious doubts that once you get below a certain point, that adding air dams will be effective at counteracting the drastic changes in aerodynamics from a 10%, 20%, or 30% weight reduction. Plus, I personally don't really like all the air dams and dingleberries; I like the smooth, minimalist look.
Discuss!