ford

Given the cobalt is already pretty light, mine weighed sub 3k with driver and over 3/4 tank. Yet i still want to drop more weight if possible. At the same time i like my seats, and a/c.

Things like lighter wheels and CF trunk/hood are always a easy way to drop weight. As are the standard removal of spare/jack.

Am i missing any easy items that won't be missed? Just brainstorming here, no idea is a bad one.

574

iTrader: (5)

Remove passanger seat for the track

AaronJ

iTrader: (4)

I've tried bringing up this topic before, but usually get flamed by people saying "just make your car faster instead".

Lighter wheels: Enkie PF01s or OZ Aleggritas

Lighter battery: Braille 21lb battery (saves about 20lbs, works all year) or Braille 15lb battery (saves 25lbs, only good for the spring/summer/fall)

CF hood & trunk: The reason I haven't done this yet is because CF parts cost so much compared to a $150 battery that saves just as much weight.

Remove spare tire and jack

m33pm33p

It really is pointless.

Wanna go faster in the 1/4 mile go buy a camaro.

Cobalts are meant for corners. Not flaming, but they weren't meant for drag racing, so why waste your time?

Sox-Fan

iTrader: (7)

Get rid of the lip and lower side trim kits.

wingless

dump the pad under the trunk. And under the hood if your car has one.

catless/mufflerless/side dump ahead of the wheels.

Anything you can do with unsprung weight helps a lot. Never get on a twisty road? sell that hardcore bar.

lower grill insert. gone

potentially some of the plastic surround on the radiator, though that might harm cooling.

see ya later floor mats. and any insulation under the carpets.

empty that stuff collector that we call a glove compartment.

Sox-Fan

iTrader: (7)

One of the more obtuse posts I've ever seen. Congratulations on that.

1) some of them are really good at drag racing.
1a) so you're saying don't even bother trying to improve?
1b) just because you don't think it's fun doesn't meed we should. go check your ego somewhere else

2) you want to drag extra weight through the corners and down the straights between them?
2a) weight is weight, and there is no need for extra be it straight or around a corner.

srt-10

The question is what are you willing to sacrifice? Not sure if these parts are avalible but this is what i can get/have for my evo.

Lighter rims
2 piece rotors (perhaps even a small brake kit if you are set on drag racing)
racing seats
a/c delete
light weight battery
coilovers
gut the interior including sound deadening, air bags, rear seats...pretty much everything that the driver doesnt need.
stearing wheel
lightweight flywheel
remove or replace with lightweight front/rear crash beams.


stfu. You do realise that you can drop weight and go do corners alot better as well right?

Cobalt_Daddy

OP said he wanted to drop weight but not sacrifice comforts. taking out the passenger seat or removing the sound deadening is not realistic.

Ford: my suggestion. go on a diet

srt-10

Then a diet is the answer. Seriously unless you are willing to sacrifice comfort, you wont be able to drop enough to notice a difference.

Also not sure if ford does any other type of racing but you gotta think about where you are removing the weight. It can really **** up your balance on the car. Which is why people recommend not only trying to keep the weight balanced but to get corner balanced when you get coilovers.

Sox-Fan

iTrader: (7)

I don't know what land you're in. Apparently one where road course cars don't go faster if you make them lighter and Cobalts shouldn't drag raced.

m33pm33p

Nah you're 100% right, cobalts were made to be drag race slayers. I'll let you have that.

Comfort is a weight penalty.

rookkid112988

kdub1492

iTrader: (8)

Why did you delete your other comment? I don't know why you keep referring to Camaro's, they are ******* pigs and most that I have seen running at the track have not ran 11's. If the guy wants to take his Cobalt to the track and run it then so be it. Do I personally think that a Cobalt is made for the strip? No, but I don't come in threads bashing the dude because that's what he wants to do with HIS car.

m33pm33p

Not worth my time arguing, camaro's are pigs, but are easily capable of faster times for half the price of any built cobalt made.

Never did I bash him, but he will also realize is takes a lot of cash to drop weight on a car and whoever told him more power was 100% correct.

Didn't want to derail the thread either, but some people could use a search button more effectively as well.

kdub1492

iTrader: (8)

I mean the cost also depends on what year Camaro you are talking about haha. If ur talking about a new one, and adding bolt ons you are talking about 30k+...You can get a turbo swap LSJ for less then 15k fully built...I know it's apples and oranges. Didn't mean to accuse you of saying something you weren't just kinda sounded like it. But my buddies ask me all the time why I don't go to the track and I tell them it's because my car wasn't built for that...now Autobahn or Road America...that's a different story! haha

breds2k

iTrader: (1)

this thread is going places...

Cobalt_Daddy

bah go to the track with a cobalt... so what if it's front wheel drive? so what if it can't compete with a RWD setup on the 60ft?

90% of people at the track don't even know that the car is capable of beating alot of cars there. it may not be AS fast as some...but it will definately impress people even if it isn't as fast.. it's still a very quick car for what it is in the 1/4... FWD or not.

anyone with a brain knows FWD doesn't compare to RWD in a 1/4 mile scenario. and when a FWD car CAN keep up with a good chunk of hte RWD cars there it gets alot of respect to those who have a true appreciation of cars in general.

574

iTrader: (5)

Troof

AaronJ

iTrader: (4)

This is exactly how every weight thread talking about small weight losses turns out. Some jackass comes into the thread saying "Why bother, INSERT RANDOM CAR HERE is faster in the 1/4 mi just buy one of those. Cobalts aren't made for drag racing. Weight doesn't matter on a road course. Blah blah more stupidity blah.". m33pm33p proves my point exactly.

It does not cost a lot of money to drop a little weight on these cars. Even a little weight makes a difference, anyone who has taken physics should know that. F=ma. 1% less mass has to be made up with acceleration since the force to the wheels stays the same.

riceburner

iTrader: (66)

Cobalt daddies the man

It is hard to remove weight and keep creature comforts. Or keep it cheap. I mean sure u can buy a lightweight flywheep but those save u what five lbs? And cost like 300 bucks.

Best options im seeing is removing backseat/rear carpets when possible. Lightweight battery (best to take more weight out of the back for proper transfer) and removing spare tire, replace with can of fislx a flat. Remove trunk floor panel and ugly hood blanket. Looks better without the hood blanket anyway.

TX.SS.TC

iTrader: (5)

When I removed the stock seats and put in my Corbeau seats it seemed like they were alot lighter, although I didn't weigh the two. And the corbeau seats are comfortable

nobody2u

Weight reduction mods in general are very expensive, and not really worth it.

riceburner

iTrader: (66)

Visual light mods are a bit more worth it though like cf hoods and trunks and lghtweight wheels and seats

LS6Rally

iTrader: (14)

as said above, un-sprung weight is your worst enemy. the rule of thumb is for every 1Lb of unsprung wieght saved is like 3 lbs of sprung weight.

do you use your back seat? you can pull that out and put in a piece of fiberboard with some black clotch to cover it and make it look somewhat finished, wingless, all of your trunk stuff, except the battery! im sure there is more.

if you think drag racing a cobalt is pointless, whats witht eh 1/4 mile time in your sig? **** off

srt-10

depends how you look at it. If you DD your car and go to the track a few times a month, then no. But if you go to the track alot then yes it is. For me my car Evo is going to see more track time then on the streets. So...

AMS AC Delete - $110
AMS Lightweight Battery - $220
AMS Lightweight crossmember - $220
Lightweight driveshaft - $800
Racing seats - $3000
ACT Streetlite Flywheel - $340
PF01 rims - $1000 (used)
2 piece rotors - $1550
turbo back exhaust - $1200 (used)

So $8440 for approx 192lbs (33lbs rotational mass). Thats just on parts that cost me money that ill be doing this summer. Thats not including stripping the interior, trunk(spare tire and tools) and **** like that. As well as out of that 192lbs, parts gave me more hp and others gave me better handling (well in theory it all did since less weight gives better handling)

Edit: also forgot to add in lightweight crash beams. For some reason the jap's version of the evo the crash beams and brackets are a total of 8lbs lighter.