Hillclimbing, the 2007 Season Project.

rob4620

You gossip?!?!? Never

Santa Pavlo has been busy so he tells me.

Happy christmas all.

Blademaster

Rob sent you pm.

How about getting a new thread going 2008 season?

And Graham should be thinking about the same...2009 season.

Need something to read!

Hope all have had a good Christmas break.

Bought myself a Christmas present, wifes gonna kill me!

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...g?t=1198949778

rob4620

I'm going to pesevere with this thread and see if the nice webmasters will change it to 2008 on the thread title, I think it's the best way to show the progress of the car in it's development and progress in my driving, along with all the other hillclimbers/sprinters who have used it.

Nice present, buy her something to divert her attention from it, thats my trick.

rob4620

Removed my engine yesterday, I'm a bit unsure about Zen/Paul's new eco freindly stroked unit but time will tell.....

911

CLEAN THAT ENGINE BAY!

I'm sure the Zen engine will puurrrrr really well!

So, you will have a 2.2 litre or is that a 2.2 litter!!

You will all miss me next year....

Got to go, the men in white coats are at the door.

rob4620

Had a go at making the shell good where I had removed the sound proofing, my Dad and Pete brought over some steel wheels for the battery drills which just blasted it off and left the shell prepped and ready for some paint in no time. Pete put a coat of hammerite smooth over and it looks great with just 1 pass even if all the fumes nearly killed us all.
I have a good idea on how I want the car to be and when my dash returns from being flocked I can really start to move towards a finish before it goes off to Zen.

John Murphy (Blademaster)called by to see the progress and we did a bit of part wheeling and dealing. I also got to see his impreza graveyard which is an impressive arrangement indeed.

rob4620

My friend who has started his own detailing company is going to be sponsoring me next year he is coming round to give the car the full treatment, starting with the engine bay so it should be spotless soon.

The men in white coats won't catch you if you get that MR2 engine in the smart!

911

Smoothrite is fab stuff and covers so well plus in the cool temperatures flats to a great shine indeed.
Worries me he has a grave yard of Impreza's!

Looking and sounding good Rob.
Remember stickers on the car will add weight

Zen Performance

Be ready to cut some more things off the car.

rob4620

There is a hell of a lot of redundant metal that could go, i just want to do a decent job of it so I will discuss with you the best way of going about it when i come up.

911

1000 Kg hillclimber?
Good luck both, and happy new year.

rob4620

1000kgs in a 4 door with a cage, I can't see it happening personally, not without spending mega bucks anyway. So far my weight saving programme has cost me £0, so I will be happy with sub 1100kgs for £0 spent.

Happy new year to you to mate, and everyone on here!

Tim W

Spare wheel well is a good starting point Pop rivet an aluminium sheet in it's place

John Stevenson

I reckon you will struggle to see sub 1100 for no money Rob, for a little money, do-able !

1050 is acheivable on a modest budget.

---john---

911

Have you weighed your doors as stock and when 'hollowed' out Rob?

iirc David Wallis did the same mod and was dissapointed at the saving, but a saving it was.

Glass to Plexi will take 20 of that 'missing' 50Kg, wheel well as Tim says.

Change the cage?

1000Kg x 450 bhp = 450/tonne
1050Kg x 450 bhp = 428/tonne

Plexi + cage = £2000? = bigger MD turbo = 500 bhp

Weight loss costs a fortune in the end, but there is a good place to stop?

wrx450

I am sitting on 1130 kilos with the rollcage, if I have weighed everything correctly as it came off the car. started at 1315 kilos with half tank fuel.

Have not cut anything out, but could probably get to 1080 if change the glass for lexan and go for the lightweight doors.

Very expensive though to do for 40 odd kilos - can spend on many other items which would provide better performance.

Blademaster

When Roy had to fit a cage to the Evo, he went through similar pains. His biggest saving was a carbon fibre propshaft.

Also, I have cut out wheel wells and rear bulkheads in other cars. Sad thing was fitting alloy panels and braces needed to keep the shell stiff lost alot of the weight savings.

If you have fuel in the boot, you have to have a fire wall between the fuel and you. Also a tank in the wheel well brings the centre of gravity down, so does plastic windows.

'Low centre of gravity' makes for better cornering.

'Low polar moment' makes for faster cornering.

keep the front and rear ends light and the weight between the wheelbase. Sit further back in the car to counter balance the engine weight. Sit as far inboard as possible, get the battery or anything heavy that is sealed from spillages in the passenger footwell to counter balance you.

I thing you can loads more yet, when you think about it.

Graham: Impreza graveyard was Rob's term, I call it working progress!

Secondly, my best advice for making my car faster came from a pal who ran Honda touring car team. Go on a diet......its cheaper. SO I WILL!

wrx450

"Also a tank in the wheel well brings the centre of gravity down, so does plastic windows"

Isn't the standard tank lower than having a tank in the wheel well? I have stayed with the standard tank as I thought this would provide a lower centre of gravity being underneath the car than in the boot.