[Kizza]

thanks for the heads up turby, ive already thrown the lumps of metal at the top of the head mounts, im not using the gas struts anymore and im changing the rear lifters for a couple of nuts and washers.

would you think its worth reconstructing the slam pannel or just keep it standard? mine is damaged anyway so im goin to need another one eather way. (i dont realy want to be in a crash but i want to keep at least some strength in the car)

just a thought but with the roll cage in can you remove any of the internal steel panneling?

im at a loss as it stands ive almost done everything i can do without spending some money (of whitch i have none of for the car atm)

[Turby]

Fair enough...

You may have done some of this already, but here goes...

To remove further weight for free, you will need to remove all sound deadening, remove all underseal, remove all seam sealer. Then remove every bracket no longer used, including rear seat supports, seat belt supports, unused brackets underneath, in the engine bay and inside the shell.

I'd be wary of removing steel panels on the shell, even with a roll cage...

You then need to remove both bumpers and strip as much weight as possible from them. Then trim any brackets down to the smallest size which still function.

Strip the loom of all unused wires.

After that its a case of spending money, fit lightweight brakes, polycarbonate windows, GRP or carbon tailgate, bonnet, roof, doors. Change non structural fasteners to aluminium, and structure ones to titanium.

Weigh everything, and reduce weight by removing bits or replacing with lightweight alternatives.

This should get you down to around 780 Kg... to get below that look at acid dipping the shell - but make sure its done by people who know what they are doing and are careful!

You'll get to a point, where taking weight out becomes very expensive and the money is better spent elsewhere such as engine mods, better tyres, and driver tuition (which you will have for life and not just whilst you own this car)

[Kizza]

i didnt think of the underseal, that does way a bit when you add up the several layers that have been put under the car over the years. and other than that i think ive done almost all of that free list hahahaha ive also stripped the unwanted wires out of the loom.

ive fitted persex to the front windows but as you sugested i will be fitting polycarbonate.

ive dabbled with making grp pannels before but nothing to the scale of doors, bonnets and tailgates. how difficult would it be and what would be the correct procedure to make them? thats if you know that is.

i will be buying and replacing all the parts that i can for lighter ones when i can aford it of corse.

ive got forever to work on the car and get it how i want it.

once again turby thanks for your advice

[Turby]

making panels... I don't have the skill to produce the quality I desire, therefore I pay to get them done

If you want to start making your own - then I'm sure Google can help you out. Bear in mind that a fiberglass panel may be heavier than the original panel!

[Kizza]

ive found loads of video's on youtube and this one seems like a good guide to make my own.

how to make grp pannels

ive watched it twice now and it seems simple yet precise in how its done.

i will post up a thread on making them when it come down to it. i could also make all my pannels like this including the rear quarters, wings and bumpers. i could custom make some rear arches and make them out of grp in this way and at a gues would be lighter than the standard rear arches (and not have the rust problem)


if i make good enough moulds i could make several of each also for anybody else who wanted any... at a price of course


what do you think about makeing my own then.

[happy-kat]

I think finish the car as you are doing then drive it and take it from there
Good rubber, good driving skills, and good suspension make up for weight.

[Kizza]

yeah i think your right happy-kat i think im getting to caught up with stripping weight out of her before even getting her road worthy hahahahaha i think i need to take a step back and look at the wider picture and get her on her wheels, fireing on all cylinders and cornering like she's on rails i can look at GRP pannels at another point when no other money needs to be spent else were.

[Guy5]

Its an easy mistake to get hung up on the cars weight, you will proberbly save 2 seconds over a lap. An interesting article I read a while ago was a chap who had stripped out a Saxo VTR and running standard tyres, they pitched it against a chap who had a standard VTR but fitted Toyo 888 race/track tyres, over a lap he was quicker than the chap who had spent hours and hours stripping his out. Tyres are the key to it although if you can afford both then its a double win.


What you have done to the car amazes me and you should be proud of all the hard work put in, I hope you have the money to run it on track which is also an expensive hobby, top work.

This post has been edited by Guy5: 03 November 2012 - 09:20 PM

[Kizza]

cheers for the heads up pal glad it was a good read. im goin for toyo tr1'son the back and 888's on the front. but going is so slow now i havent touched the car for a few weeks. just got another job now and although it doesnt pay amazing amounts of money i should be back on my feet soon and start working on the good old puma again.


cheers kieran

[happy-kat]

Excellent news about the job

[Kizza]

thanks happy kat im goin to be making a spit for the puma for over winter so i can get the underside looking as good as the topside. also cut out any/all rust and replace with new. just saving a bit here and there right now so i get one or 2 things for the car sometime soon. also my fiancee is due with daisy amelia griffiths on sunday and right now with everything to do with the puma has been put on hold. i cant wait to meet my little girl we've been counting down the days and she could be here any day now i will let you all know when the new griffiths arrives.

cheers kieran

[Kizza]

did i bit on the puma tonight. but with my fiance being induced tomorow i only had half an hour or so while she was packing one of the many hospital bags she's got. ive bought some more paint, rust killer and a shot blaster. the blaster is on order and should be here in a week or two. ive dropped the subframe and all the suspension to get at rest of the rust underneath. here are the pics.

















well my baby girl will be here sometime in the next couple of days so this is the last update post for at least a few day lol. i will let you all know when the new griffiths is here though.

cheers kieran

[Kizza]

on the 18/11/2012 daisy amelia griffiths was born. she was born at 1 am on the dot and she was 9 pounds 8 oz. me and mel (my fiance) are very happy. ill upload a pic for you all tomorow and as for the puma im goin to be buying some parts here and there but money is tight so progress is still gona to be ver slow and there wont be much done for a week or two

[satyrs]

Congratz!

[happy-kat]

Congratulations

[Kizza]

thanks for all the nice messages />

[Kizza]

ive been thinking about the width of the front end and how to make it 25mm wider like the frp for as cheap as possible. So far ive got this.

1 make the steering rods longer myself by 25mm, cost for me £0


2 make the drive shaft longer myself by 25mm, cost to me £0


3 make the wishbone longer myself by 25mm, cost to me £0


cost to me so far £0

on to the knuckes, i could eather buy some frp knuckles for £300-400 for the pair or get mine machined for about £75 but i have to work out the exact angle and if i get it wrong il need new ones to machine. the problem i then face is that the suspension wont fit so il need some other ones at a cost of £200-300 that are cone shapped like the frp.

but on looking at the problem further i have come up with the idea of just moving the top mount over by 25mm. if i do this i wont need to change my suspension and i wont need to change or get machined the knuckles so i save all that money aswell. with my engineering background in metal working i should think its an easy job for me to undertake also at the same time i can slightly alter the area above the tire so my suspension is less lighly to bottom out and hit the steel above. by altering the suspension tops im not expecting any loss in stubility and strength.

what do you think on my idea it will cost overall less than £20-30

cheers kieran

[Turby]

How about fitting 1 inch spacers to the front hubs along with some longer wheels studs ?

[Kizza]

ive already got that but it doesnt feel as sorted when im diving it. its hard to explain, it could be that the spacers ive bought are cheap crappy ones that arnt 100% right. do you think its a bad idea moving the strut tops?

cheers kieran

[Turby]

No we have moved ours on the race car, now using concentric top mounts which allow adjustment of camber and caster