Racer Z Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 (edited) In another thread ( http://forums.hybrid...tion-mods-240z/ ) we were talking about how to reduce the weight of a 240z. This subject comes up often enough that there should be a thread dedicated just to that with FACTS, not just hearsay and rumor. The basic concept it to do something, like buy fiberglass fenders for the purpose of lowering the weight of your car. But, how much weight saving do you actually get for your money and efforts? What are other methods of putting your Z on a diet? What did you do and what were the results? We need facts so we can better decide before we spend big money with small results. How much does the the stock steel fender weigh? How much does the fiberglass fender weigh? And, how much lighter is your wallet? In the case of non-stock items, such as fiberglass fenders, the more information the better. Who made them, what model number, how many layers of glass did they use... etc... For the bulk of this, I am using our 1973 240z that we are setting up as a race car (road racing). As we take parts off, I will weigh them and post it here. We have a beam type scale, incremented from 1/4 to 500 pounds. Bathroom scales work with heavier weights, like doors and fenders, but can't resolve small changes. Post you findings here and I will keep this table updated. Weight - Item name or description (stock OEM parts) Weight - Item name or description (after market in italics) Weight - Item name or description (bold denotes something of importance) (all weights are in US Pounds) 1972 240z 37.10 Hood 04.40 Cowl with Styrofoam pad intact 02.40 Center valence piece 01.10 Right and left valence pieces, each 13.00 Right and left fenders, each 23.30 Left door, bare. No glass, window frame, door latch, mechanisms, hinges, nothing except the bare shell 09.70 Left door glass with the metal brace that bolts to the bottom of it, nothing more 02.60 Left door window regulator 03.50 Left door window frame w/ felt strips 19.20 Rear hatch, bare. No glass, weather stripping, rubber, latch, lock or emblems 02.50 Right and left headlight buckets, metal, each 03.00 Right headlight bucket, original FRP style. Yes, they are heavier than the metal ones. 00.60 Gas filler flap, metal 01.00 Engine bay inspection covers, each 02.40 Grille, 240Z style 01.10 Taillight finishers, each 07.30 Front bumper, completely bare 01.10 Bumper mount brackets, each 00.50 Bumper overrides, each 00.45 Bumper rubber strips, each 04.00 Interior vinyl kit (from MSA) includes center console, luggage riser, wheel housings and shock towers with cardboard shock tower pieces. Does not include door sills, headliner or a-pillar trim. 1973 240z 07.50 Wiper motor, linkage and blades 23.50 Heater system, blower, core, plenums, ducts 02.00 Parking brake lever, pivot pin, rod (cabin half) 20.25 Dash with defrost trim, no meters, wires or switches 04.50 Center console with choke lever and cables 08.75 Interior parts - plastic covers, rear sides, taillight cores, dome light, kick panels, boomerang panels, etc. 16.25 Momo Corsa racing seat with Datsun adjuster (32.5 pair) 35.00 Original seat with adjuster (70 pair) 01.75 Carpet under seats. Most of the carpet was missing or got sucked up in the vacuum prior to this, so I can't weight all of it. 05.12 Interior vinyl from strut towers, door sills, trans-tunnel (headliner still in car) 16.50 Front bumper w/override bar 01.50 Wiring removed from rear harness (we removed the unused wires and put the rest back) 02.50 Whole rear harness before mod 13.25 Tool kit, jack chalks, jack handle, lug wrench, bag 02.25 Door seals (both sides) this is just the rubber outer seal 00.25 Shifter boot and flange 12.87 Tar paper floor & firewall insulation 04.62 Fiber mat Insulation/padding (incomplete when we bought the car) 04.25 Stock steering wheel w/horn pad 03.00 "Racing" steering wheel - "Personal" is stamped in the aluminum finger, took it off an old truck haha 04.50 Headliner & foam, sun visors and rear view mirror mount (no mirror). This includes the vinyl on the A-Pillars. 09.00 Door panels (pair) 02.00 Door pulls and related hardware (both doors) 320.00 Engine L24, no intake, exhaust, flywheel, cooling fan; all covers in place (rocker, oil pan, etc); water pump, alternator, oil pump in place 75.00 Transmission 4-speed 12.00 Alternator 59.25 R180 differential; 3.364 gears; dry 22.75 Flywheel (stock, 1973) 12.75 Pressure plate (stock, 1973) 02.00 Clutch disk (oem type, 1973) 1978 280z 65.00 Entire RHS door (bathroom scale) Year & Model Uncertain (not that it matters much) 70.50 R200 with 3.9 gears; dry After Market Parts 09.50 Fiberglass front fender "SubtleZ" by Reaction Research 01.31 Stock replacement fiberglass headlight buckets by Reaction Research 01.37 "filled" style fiberglass headlight bucket by Reaction Research 11.00 Reaction Research Notes: bathroom scale 05.00 Rear quarter panels "SubtleZ" by Reaction Research (weight confirmation needed) 03.00 Headlight bucket, original FRP style. Yes, they are heavier than the metal ones. 12.00 Momo Corsa racing seat without adjuster (these might be ten years old) 03.00 "Racing" steering wheel - "Personal" is stamped in the aluminum finger 02.50 Fiberglass interior door panels by Hybrid Z vendor (Rayven14) (With user modified tweeter hole and built up material) 12.00 Dash from 1990 240sx dash (with vents, but without gauges, wires) 14.00 Headers, 6 into 2, 1 5/8" primaries, unknown brand 35.00 Autopower 4-point roll bar (SCCA type) 01.75 Wink mirror 5 panels 30.75 ATL SP112 12 gallon fuel cell 03.00 - Headlight bucket, original FRP style. Yes, they are heavier than the metal ones. 12.00 - Momo Corsa racing seat without adjuster (these might be ten years old) 03.00 - "Racing" steering wheel - "Personal" is stamped in the aluminum finger 02.50 - Fiberglass interior door panels by Hybrid Z vendor (Rayven14) (With user modified tweeter hole and built up material) 12.00 - Dash from 1990 240sx dash (with vents, but without gauges, wires) Edited April 1, 2011 by johnc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 These are Reaction Research parts. Weighted with calibrated scales accurate within 1/4 oz. Parts as delivered before any fitting or trimming. Fenders will lose a couple of ounces when the holes for the headlights are cut out and the edges are trimmed for exact fitting. SubtleZ front fender 9 lbs. 8 oz. Stock replacement fiberglass headlight buckets 1 lb. 5 oz. "filled" style fiberglass headlight bucket 1 lb. 6 oz. I also confirmed the weight of the steel headlight bucket at 2 lbs. 8 oz. So you can take 10 lbs. off the front of your Z with just fenders and headlight buckets. Or just stop eating so many burgers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Thanks Dan. I updated the OP to include your info. When I took off the door panels from our Z, I found that they included the felt strip necessary to keep the glass from banging into the steel. I removed the metal cowl from the wood panel as well as the vinyl. I used pop-rivets to secure this "cowl" back onto the door. Our Z lives outdoors and we need the glass still. The metal cowl with felt weighs 2.5 pound (pair). The complete door panel before I hacked it was 9 pounds for the pair. The door pulls and related hardware is another 2 pounds. That's a reduction of 8.5 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehelix112 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) Another entry: Aftermarket Parts 11.00 Reaction Research FRP door without any inner: Notes: bathroom scale. Mods: sticky please? Dave Edited March 8, 2011 by thehelix112 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I did a little weight test of some parts and here are some of the results. Bear in mind that my scale is not to the ntthhh degree accurate. My stock '73 dash gutted, meaning without any gauges, wires, vents was roughly = 20.5 lbs My '90 240sx dash With vents, but (Without gauges, wires) = 12 lbs Aftermarket: Reaction Research "Subtle z" rear quarter panels (which bond over the cut, stock metal panels) weigh in at roughly 5 lbs. Hybridz vendor (Rayven14) fiberglass interior door panels (With my added tweeter hole and built up material) = 2.5 lbs I'm sure there is some fluctuation to my scale but this is what I came up with, and hope it helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 240Z Engine Weight - 320 pounds No intake No exhaust No flywheel or clutch No cooling fan All covers in place (rocker, oil pan, etc.) Water pump, alternator in place Oil pump in place 4-speed gearbox - 75 pounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Alternator - 12 pounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Got it all updated. Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 R180 differential from 73 240Z - 68 lbs. 3.364 Gears No oil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 R200 with 3.9 gears no oil was 70.5 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Awesome We (beermanpete and I) have some loose parts buried in the corners we will dig out in a few weeks to add. I know we have some front suspension parts that are loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 My goal is to get a new accurate scale this weekend and then I can provide some aftermarket suspension/brake weights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 My goal is to get a new accurate scale this weekend and then I can provide some aftermarket suspension/brake weights... Nice goal. We picked up an old beam type scale a few years back so we could weigh things accurately. I think I paid $50 for this. Good thing I have a truck so I could haul it home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 A few more items for the list: Headers,6 into 2, 1 5/8" primaries, unknown brand: 14 lbs Flywheel (stock, 1973): 22.75 lbs Pressure plate (stock, 1973): 12.75 lbs Clucth disk (oem type, 1973): 2 lbs Autopower 4-point roll bar: 35 lbs R180 Differential 3.364 gear: 59.25 lbs Wink mirror 5 panels: 1.75 lbs ATL SP112 12 gallon fuel cell: 30.75 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbonat240 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 (edited) R180 differential from 73 240Z - 68 lbs. 3.364 Gears No oil A few more items for the list: R180 Differential 3.364 gear: 59.25 lbs Any idea where the 9 pounds difference comes from ? 68 lbs is quite close to what's given for the R200. would be great to have weights to compare 240z stock axles (u-joints style) and Z31turbo CV's or any other CV axles that are commonly used for conversions (like wolfcreek?). This is a great thread by the way! I could add (weighted on a cheap digital bathroom scale): 4.8 lbs : 2 1973 OEM tailights (so 2.4 lbs each) 15 lbs : 1970 OEM rear hatch glass (with vertical defrost) 6.9 lbs : urethane air dam with brake cooling ducts for '70-'74 z (naked). Bought from MSA 10 years ago (actual p/n on the Z store 50-1411) (xenon part number 3124 stamped in the back) Edited July 16, 2011 by turbonat240 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I finally got a more accurate digital scale and weighed a few more parts as well as redid some. Reaction Research front subtle z fenders(with BMW lights) = 11Lbs 2oz Reaction Research rear subtle z panels = Drivers side 5Lbs 2oz, Passenger side 5Lbs 8oz Techno Toy Tuning front adj control arm = 6Lbs Techno Toy Tuning tc arm = 4Lbs 8oz Momo race air leather shift knob = 4.5oz Aeromotive a-1000 fuel pressure reg with Marshall gauge = 1Lbs Recaro Mitsubishi Lancer evo 9 seat (including the stock sliders and female seat belt receiver) = 36Lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Any idea where the 9 pounds difference comes from ? 68 lbs is quite close to what's given for the R200. would be great to have weights to compare 240z stock axles (u-joints style) and Z31turbo CV's or any other CV axles that are commonly used for conversions (like wolfcreek?). This is a great thread by the way! I could add (weighted on a cheap digital bathroom scale): 4.8 lbs : 2 1973 OEM tailights (so 2.4 lbs each) 15 lbs : 1970 OEM rear hatch glass (with vertical defrost) 6.9 lbs : urethane air dam with brake cooling ducts for '70-'74 z (naked). Bought from MSA 10 years ago (actual p/n on the Z store 50-1411) (xenon part number 3124 stamped in the back) I'm not sure why there are two weights listed for the same unit. BeermanPete is my brother and we only have one stock Datsun unit and one WRX unit. I was there when we weighed the 240Z R180 @ 59.25 pounds. He said he didn't know why he got a higher reading earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Hood latch with cable; complete with nuts, bolts, screws and related hardware from 1973 240Z = 2.5 pounds. Single post "Racing Style" hood latch = 1 pound. This is a solid shaft stainless steel post. I mounted the single post in the center of the hood where the stock latch had been. This weight includes a bracket I made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer Z Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 http://qwildurn.game...tOfWeights.html Hybrid Z does not allow editing of posts after they're a few weeks old. Because of this limitation, I'm using an external web page to host the List of Weights. This external page allows for better organization tools to create an easier to read table. Please continue to post your item weights here and I will add them to my HTML table. http://qwildurn.game...tOfWeights.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRSanko Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Is there some reason your "table" doesn't list O.E.M. parts and weights next to the weight of the part(s) you replaced them with? This isn't a table, it's a series of lists that one must read through and struggle with to extract any meaningful information. I will do this and post a spreadsheet that actually show a "table" of comparisons so that one can actually use it at a glance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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