Light Weight E30

[E30Mechanik]

How light can you get with an E30? I'm talkin stripped interior, no pass. seat, anything that can be done. Post curb weight and weight mods. I'm still at about 3000 pounds but I'm going to autocross my 325is so I want it light. Comfort is not an issue.

[Pino]

There's no way you have a 3000lb e30. Isnt the stock number somewhere around 2750lbs? Do a search on this section for weight. There are a few threads about it. Someone here hit 2400lbs i think, but there could be someone with less. Not really sure. Myself, im around 2600 i believe.

[Emre]

How light can you get with an E30? I'm talkin stripped interior, no pass. seat, anything that can be done. Post curb weight and weight mods. I'm still at about 3000 pounds but I'm going to autocross my 325is so I want it light. Comfort is not an issue.

3000 pounds! Wow. How did you manage that? My E30 track car is right at 2600 lbs. with full interior (minus rear seats), deleted aircon, and a half cage. Getting it down to the 2400-2500 range would be quite easy. Getting it closer to 2100-2000 is do-able, but trickier (obviously).

Emre

[robtech]

ummm...the curb weight sticker in my door jam said some madness like 3400lbs or some such nonsense(which seemed rediculous to me for such a small car).......where you guys comin with the under 3000 madness?

[E30Nova]

ummm...the curb weight sticker in my door jam said some madness like 3400lbs or some such nonsense(which seemed rediculous to me for such a small car).......where you guys comin with the under 3000 madness?

No friggin way. My Nova weighs 3400-3500 by itself, and parked next to the 325, it looks a good 4-5" higher, 2 feet longer, and 1 foot wider.

Matt

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

325i's that are 2 doors weigh roughly 2,814 lbs - factory weight. it's not hard to bring them to 2,600.

[Macktheknife]

ummm...the curb weight sticker in my door jam said some madness like 3400lbs or some such nonsense(which seemed rediculous to me for such a small car).......where you guys comin with the under 3000 madness?

are you sure that's not the loaded passenger + load weight?

[chewysjetta]

thats not curb wieght that should be gvw.

[E30Mechanik]

That is GVW I know a guy at the garbage dump in my town and with a full tank of gas some crap in the trunk my 40 pound book bag and me in the car it ways 3027.

Pino What weight mods have you got?

[kishg]

That is GVW I know a guy at the garbage dump in my town and with a full tank of gas some crap in the trunk my 40 pound book bag and me in the car it ways 3027.

Pino What weight mods have you got?

your book bag is 40 lbs? whoa! hope your not getting urself a bad back carrying that around..

[red88ix]

That is GVW I know a guy at the garbage dump in my town and with a full tank of gas some crap in the trunk my 40 pound book bag and me in the car it ways 3027.

Pino What weight mods have you got?

Just curious, but you said you are lighterning the car for autocross. What class do you plan to run in? Unless you are radically modifying the car in other ways, most of the most comfortable (read: where they are the most competitive) classes for e30's require at least a front seat.

[Dominic49]

i'm around 2400 with rollbar.... i'll get the actual number 2morrow

[Pino]

That is GVW I know a guy at the garbage dump in my town and with a full tank of gas some crap in the trunk my 40 pound book bag and me in the car it ways 3027.

Pino What weight mods have you got?

Removed [For weight, to clean up the engine bay, and to allow more flow to radiator]:
Air Conditioning [left what’s behind dash] [-40lbs]
Trunk tar [48.5 lbs]
Spare wheel [30lbs?]
Window Washer Reservoir [2lbs? haha]
Pinstriping
Ireland Engineering Exhaust is lighter by [15lbs or so]

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

my truck tar was 53lbs
airconditing was 36lbs
Heater box/HVAC unit is just over 20lbs
and vents were a few pounds
Interior sounds dedening was just over 20lbs, including the sheets from the door
windshield Washer reservior was 10lbs if you count that fact that you no longer have a gallon of fluid in there
and cruise control is 2lbs
Backseats were 26lbs
and of course remove spare/jack

[Pino]

my truck tar was 53lbs
airconditing was 36lbs
Heater box/HVAC unit is just over 20lbs
and vents were a few pounds
Interior sounds dedening was just over 20lbs, including the sheets from the door
windshield Washer reservior was 10lbs if you count that fact that you no longer have a gallon of fluid in there
and cruise control is 2lbs
Backseats were 26lbs
and of course remove spare/jack

Where's the heater box/HVAC unit?
And did you remove the AC stuff thats behind the dash?

[broke30]

I have removed completely:
A/C
Windshield washer stuff
Trunk tar
Spare tire
Trunk tools
Back seats
Stock front seats for Corbeau's (which aren't much lighter)
Kosei k1's
ABS system (ran all new lines to remove modulator unit)
Catalytic Converter
Resonator
Harness wires that I didn't need/use/want
Sunroof track and motor
Headliner (absolutely useless)
About 50lbs of grease from the motor and engine bay
Hood insulation

I'm sure there is more but thats all I can think of right now....
Max

[robtech]

yea...trust me i was definately thinking theres no effin way my lil e30 weighs that much...

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

Heater box/HVAC unit is right in the center of the dash...take out the dashboard and you can't miss it. And from the engine bay you can remove the cover in the middle of the fire wall and see the blower motor...this is also were you remove the bolts holding the havc unit in.

Damn dude...rerouting those brake lines must been a real fun day...or a few of them.
What kinda lines did you use as I'm considering doing this myself on account of the ABS not working.

[DeM3n]

Damn... that's a lot of weight. I replaced my seats with lighter ones, no spare tire, no AC, S50 conversion and my M3 weights 2600 lbs. I'm happy!

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

I believe the word happy doesn't justify the joy you must be experiencing.

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

forgot one

- Antenna delete (2lbs)

edit: forgot another

Rear seat belt buckles and assemblys/belts

as well as the truck mat (this weighs close to 17lbs)

[broke30]

Damn dude...rerouting those brake lines must been a real fun day...or a few of them.
What kinda lines did you use as I'm considering doing this myself on account of the ABS not working.

It wasn't too bad doing those lines. Its the second time I've done it so I got the hang of it. I had to run a t-fitting for the front two brakes so I ran a short line down from the master to a t-fitting, then one out to each of the fronts and then one line to the rear. The only problem with the fronts is that I couldn't find a metric t-fitting so I bought a standard one and standard fittings and lines with metric fittings on them. I used a flaring tool to cut off one metric fitting from each of the three lines (right, left, master) and put on an standard fitting in its place and flared the lines again then attached them to the t-fitting. So basically its a metric fitting on the master and a standard fitting on the t-fitting side, and the same for the front brakes. I'm not sure if that made any sense or not.... Anyways it takes some getting used to for bending brake lines. The first time I tried a crimped a couple by taking too tight of a turn... Anyways let me know if you have any questions when you do it!
Max

[E34 HOOLIGAN]

an excellent description which is very comprehendable - thanks broke30.
Just wondering how much was the total weight of all the abs equiptment.

[kendogg]

my truck tar was 53lbs
airconditing was 36lbs
Heater box/HVAC unit is just over 20lbs
and vents were a few pounds
Interior sounds dedening was just over 20lbs, including the sheets from the door
windshield Washer reservior was 10lbs if you count that fact that you no longer have a gallon of fluid in there
and cruise control is 2lbs
Backseats were 26lbs
and of course remove spare/jack

There's no way the backseats weigh 26 lbs., do they??

[Black IS]

They do. My seats have heat ellements in them.