Where to start for weight reduction?
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
Can someone inform me more about lightweight clutch/flywheels? Car is mostly a street car that I race 1/4 mile once n a while. Also, what would you suggest for brakes?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Spec III clutch. AL flywheel
Brakes are fine, just some better brake pads. C5Z brake pads are actully very good.
Also if you have any bling chrome under the hood, get ride of it.
Lighter seats, Sparco Evo or Evo II are great seats, and HardBar or Sparco mounting rails.
The seats will be fixed and no longer slide back and forth.
Leave your battery, Light wt batteries are OK, may not hold charge very long. need to keep on a tender when not in use.
Brakes are fine, just some better brake pads. C5Z brake pads are actully very good.
Also if you have any bling chrome under the hood, get ride of it.
Lighter seats, Sparco Evo or Evo II are great seats, and HardBar or Sparco mounting rails.
The seats will be fixed and no longer slide back and forth.
Leave your battery, Light wt batteries are OK, may not hold charge very long. need to keep on a tender when not in use.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
A couple/few pounds could be saved by swapping out your factory stereo for a small aftermarket. The factory unite is HUGE compared to the small Kenwood I put in. Got the stereo,bose speaker adapter and the face plate installed for about $340. It was maybe 1/4 the size of the OEM!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
A couple/few pounds could be saved by swapping out your factory stereo for a small aftermarket. The factory unite is HUGE compared to the small Kenwood I put in. Got the stereo,Bose speaker adapter and the face plate installed for about $340. It was maybe 1/4 the size of the OEM!
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
Remove the front sway bar. you wont know it's missing unless you get on a road course.
Get manual seat tracks for both seats. I mean really, why do you need a power seat if you're the only one driving it?
Like others have said, replace the entire exhaust with headers/X-pipe/Z06 Ti mufflers.
When doing the headers, remove the AIR system - 4 lbs.
If you're going to the track just take the passenger seat out. Put it back in when you get home.
Get some GTO spares to use as skinnys up front.
Have fun.
Get manual seat tracks for both seats. I mean really, why do you need a power seat if you're the only one driving it?
Like others have said, replace the entire exhaust with headers/X-pipe/Z06 Ti mufflers.
When doing the headers, remove the AIR system - 4 lbs.
If you're going to the track just take the passenger seat out. Put it back in when you get home.
Get some GTO spares to use as skinnys up front.
Have fun.
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Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
not interested in that work and money for just a couple pounds. Trying to knock out the bigger things first before I get too involved.
Does anyone know off the top of their head if C6 Z06 will save me any weight over my C5 Sport seats? Thanks!
Does anyone know off the top of their head if C6 Z06 will save me any weight over my C5 Sport seats? Thanks!
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
Remove the front sway bar. you wont know it's missing unless you get on a road course.
Get manual seat tracks for both seats. I mean really, why do you need a power seat if you're the only one driving it?
Like others have said, replace the entire exhaust with headers/X-pipe/Z06 Ti mufflers.
When doing the headers, remove the AIR system - 4 lbs.
If you're going to the track just take the passenger seat out. Put it back in when you get home.
Get some GTO spares to use as skinnys up front.
Have fun.
Get manual seat tracks for both seats. I mean really, why do you need a power seat if you're the only one driving it?
Like others have said, replace the entire exhaust with headers/X-pipe/Z06 Ti mufflers.
When doing the headers, remove the AIR system - 4 lbs.
If you're going to the track just take the passenger seat out. Put it back in when you get home.
Get some GTO spares to use as skinnys up front.
Have fun.
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
Just if you do get the C6 seats (or any for that matter) put manual tracks on both. The power assembly is heavy.
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
And - I dont know how much you plan on spending on C6 seats, but Arizen - forum vendor - has some really nice seats that can be customized the way you like.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 0
From: San Diego California
Reading this post reminds me of the effort I went thru to shed weight for more acceleration and lite handling on my "heavy" C3 vette-..... but its alot harder on the C5 and most modern cars if you want to keep some daily comfort level, and not strip it down to a drag racer. The C3 was pretty easy- lose the spare tire, carrier and jack, and swap the rear steel spring for modern fiberglass... about 120 lbs GONE from the rearend. Then at the front, swap out the iron heads for new aluminum, and the same for the intake manifold- and radiator if you want. Install a new exhaust system, headers to mufflers. and lose a lot of pipe that used to circle around the spare tire .... get rid of the wipers and motor (it doesn't rain in San Diego), and swap in an aftermarket lite fiberglass hood (no steel skeleton).... about 120 lbs GONE. You get a real seat of the pants feel by shedding atleast 200+ lbs..... Not so easy with the C5.... but you should know that both the C3 and C5 are now about 3200 lbs. The GM engineers already did a pretty good job to get skinny with newer vettes- probably for fuel savings. Now if that could work for me.... and the good lookin', but fat 3800lb Camaro.....
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
glad i made this thread. figured you guys would be more helpful than this. Bunch of idiots on here being smartasses, thanks! I am 6' 165 lbs as already stated. don't need to drop any weight here. If you have something helpful to post, please do, if not then please GTFO
Yup. change the tires to non runflats.
Seats, but not the C6 seats, Sparko Evo and Sparko Seat rails. That could be 70-80 lbs LESS the stock seats.
http://www.ltbmotorsports.com/sparcoevo.html
Light wt battery could save 10 lbs, but need to keep on battery tender.
Not too much else if you want all the normal things.
carbon fiber hood saves 20 lbs
Take out speakers if you dont listen to tunes
Carpet weighs quite a bit, but that is also sound and heat insulation
dont have any under the hood bling shinny metal crap
Good Luck
Last edited by AU N EGL; Jul 25, 2009 at 08:14 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 22
From: Cary NC
2 piece rotors save a 1-2 lbs, maybe, and they are expensive.
Consider going to Z06 wheels. They are pretty light. Might be cheaper than Magnesium wheels. Not sure.
I'm with Tom on the battery. The small lightweight dry cell ones are only good for track weekends. The rest of the time they will be a pain and need to be on a battery tender. Stick with a regular battery for DD.
Loosing weight in the interior means giving up creature comforts. That is a given. Do it, don't do it.
Since you put the Pfadt coilovers on the car. If you autocross it you just bumped yourself to ASP. So you can change quite a bit more on the car. I'm not sure those are a good choice for drag racing. They do well on autocross and road courses.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23,682
Likes: 9
From: Flagstaff Az.
Here is where I lost the most weight.
1. Stock exhaust change to headers, X pipe and Z06 titanium exhaust
2. Non-run flat tires
3. Two piece rotors
As you go from here cost start going up or more creature comforts start going away. The exhaust netted me around 70 lbs front to back.
1. Stock exhaust change to headers, X pipe and Z06 titanium exhaust
2. Non-run flat tires
3. Two piece rotors
As you go from here cost start going up or more creature comforts start going away. The exhaust netted me around 70 lbs front to back.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,331
Likes: 61
From: Port Huron MI
thanks for the good responses. I don't auto X however would like to try and most likely would get hooked 
I drag, so I am up in the air ATM if a lightweight flywheel/clutch would benefit me. Looking to do seats, ditch stock runflats that I use at the track, scratch light battery now, don't want to deal with a tender. Try to cut around 100 lbs if I can just to be a tad lighter. Not looking to go nuts, just shed a couple pounds if possible..... looks like it's a tough task to do on a vette
I drag, so I am up in the air ATM if a lightweight flywheel/clutch would benefit me. Looking to do seats, ditch stock runflats that I use at the track, scratch light battery now, don't want to deal with a tender. Try to cut around 100 lbs if I can just to be a tad lighter. Not looking to go nuts, just shed a couple pounds if possible..... looks like it's a tough task to do on a vette