Originally Posted by smokinstorm

This whole weight reduction thing has been most frustrating for me with the Vette. I keep reading about people with no weight reduction at all hardly with the full stock exhaust and A/C in place, etc that claim to weigh what we weigh now or even less. I have no exhaust whatsoever, no A/C components, drag brakes up front, a 6# Lithium Ion Battery that cost a fortune, 15" Weld RT's with 15 pound front runners, 17 x11 Weld RT-S's in the back with M&H 325/45-17 tires, coilovers, SRS passenger side removed, heating mechanism removed from stock "Sport" seats, no stereo for now but still have speakers in the doors, Super light hood and tiger shark front end. We still have the stock pop up headlights but those are coming out and doing something special ASAP. Now we do have a few things that add apparently significantly to the weight of the car. It's got a fancy transmission cooler with braided lines and built in fan, a dual pump fuel system with extra braided lines for extra fuel when the boost kicks in, a return style fuel system but that comes stock on the 97's and 98's as far as I know and a Procharger setup with a huge FMIC instead of the standard dual side mounts. We have a tigershark front end so we can get away with this as there's a nice opening in the front to allow air in. We just removed a documented 400 pounds from the car going from 3540 with a 1/4 tank of fuel to 3140 with a half tank of fuel. It's a little frustrating that we just spent thousands of dollars lightening up the car and untold effort as well and we're still heavier than a lot of people are claiming their car is with no weight reduction. I've got a plan to be sub 3000 by next year but it's not going to be cheap. It involves a new front crossmember and a manual steering box. Pop up headlight removal and rear drag brakes should get us to that magic 3000 pound threshold. Anybody else wanting to share their weight reduction techniques and results, please chime in. I'm really wanting to read as many success stories as possible to motivate me even more. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by smokinstorm

Has anyone ever completely removed the pop-up headlight assembly and just used brackets or whatever to hold the headlight cover in place? I'm scheming here. I've got a set of 55W auxiliary lights that are almost exactly the same size as the fog lights. We don't drive the car at night. Just thinking out loud here, so to speak.

Originally Posted by Gxpz06

if dont drive at night DRLs are plenty.. just a pain trying to make the light covers work and after ALL stock hood and mechanicals are PORKY.. I keep prospecting for someone to and or that makes drag hood that extends to light locations... LG responded to me on the forum that THey do and if I was okay with Pins and I said "HELL YEA" im okay with it.. then I tried contacting back Dozen times and no response..

is it possible that someone outthere makes this hood I speak of? fiberglass or carbon ? It was shave 50-60 pounds at least..

I thought of and THEY do make front clips that cover the headlight portion but Not complete with the hood (one company said didnt anymore SO it would seperate piece for hood).... the stock bumper and fenders are NOT heavy at all..actually by the time brackets are made to work I dont think it will save any weight.... the HOOD and light Secion for sure... That is my winter project this or the next

Originally Posted by Capthuff

People have removed the headlight guts and just fastened the cover in place. It certainly will save some weight.

I installed the cheap bugeye type headlights because the class I race in requires working headlights. They are very light.

I can't remember the brand offhand.

Originally Posted by smokinstorm

I looked at the non pop-up ones but the only one I would even consider using was $1400. That's just not happening unfortunately. We're going to try to fasten the cover in place and make it look stock when looking at it with the hood down.

Originally Posted by Gxpz06

how much does your hood weigh? and is there any weight difference too on the shark front bumper from stock?

I couldnt deal with the buggEyes so for NOW this!!!

Originally Posted by smokinstorm

I don't think there's much difference in the weight of the front ends. I like this one because it allows a huge FMIC right where it's supposed to be instead of two smaller side mounts like comes with a Procharger C5 kit. I never weighed the hood off the car but I can tell you it's thin and weighs almost nothing. You have to push down both side to make it latch as it's so thin that it will twist and tweak badly if you push down on one side trying to latch the hood. BTW, I love that color blue. I found the silver one I bought for sale in Michigan and the car had so much money already invested in it that I had to go for it. It was anything but a drag race car. I've been working towards that goal since acquiring it last December. Long, slow, expensive process. What mods on your car and what's it run? PM me if you don't mind. Thanks.

Originally Posted by romandian

non pop up headlights 40 lbs? really? racing buckets only the same?

Originally Posted by Mrsideways

Old update but no. Pop ups total were 22lbs. Replacing them with radio flyer was a net loss of 15lbs.