VE tarmac rally ute build, help on lightening

[VE SS UTE]

I have competed in targa tas a few times and for 2012 will build a HSV VE ute to race in Showroom category.

I have owned SS and SSV utes for a few year and have been blown away with how well they handle, go and stop, so this year the tow car will become the race car.

I have a 2009 HSV R8 Maloo and want to know how to make the car lighter. I am able to drop the weight 150kg but the car must look stock to run in showroom.

I must keep the air cond in or my wife wont nav for me.
The obvious start is
Remove 6 airbags, seats, underlay, sound proofing, tray lining.
But where to next:
IE is the Maloo hard top and rear fins much heavier than the SS tonneau and would the weight difference be nothing compared to the aerodynamics.

The car will be purpose built so it will never return to being a street car.

Any knowledgable help would be appreciated.

Dom

[amckiwi]

Stereo
Electric windows if you can get self winders
Sound deadening like carpet roof lining
turtle shell
spotlights or is there night sections
Light weight wheels (may be cost prohibitive)

Stu

[IFN60]

under the tub liner there is a fuel tank cover which seperates the two weights 20kg's:)

[zorro]

Would be worth ditching the standard tray lid and getting a lightweight fiberglass or race glass one made up. Aerodynamics of it would be 9/10 of sfa so wouldn't worry about it. Same with bonnet might save a couple getting a glass one done.

Any glass windows that can be swapped for lexan or clear acrylic?

Get sneaky with the angle grinder on non structural areas, unused brackets, underside of bonnet.

Reo bars, dust covers and anything out of sight that isn't needed to race

[VE SS UTE]

thanks for the help guys but remember that Tarmac rally does not permit the swapping of original panels with lighter panels nor the changing of glass to lexan or even in SR class the changing of wheels or removal of carpet and headlining.

[nickh]

DONT CHANGE ELEC TO MANUAL WINDOWS the elecy ones are actully lighter than manual..

i would ditch the sail plane and hardlid as both weight alot of kgs.. i would also change the side skirts and rear bar to ss ute ones.. (like hsv gxp ute) as the weight btw ss and hsv the std ss ones are lighter.. i would remove the plastic tub liner and have a look at some of the metal that isnt required in the tub and just put the car on a hoist and go over it piece by piece

[stockergts]

remove any plastics you can they add up
also what class do you run in as some form of what you can and cant do might help with ideas

[VE SS UTE]

Yes ive worked on the plastics, changed the lid and sail plane to a tonneau, removed tub liner seat belts, air bags, speakers, seats.

The car will be in Showroom entry class.

Remember that a full cage for this will weigh about 50kgs, So Im surprised if I have removed more than Im adding.

I have heaps of as new R8/maloo bits for sale too.

[kriminal]

would awesome to see photos of the progress

[IJ.]

would awesome to see photos of the progress

Ditto, very interested following the progress on this!

[VE SS UTE]

can anyone tell me what this is:
031 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Building a tarmac rally car is not that exciting. You just pull everything out, takes about 10 hours.

Get a roll cage fitted by Bonds. About $3,000

Then put back the interior trim with race seats and and harnesses, about 20 hours.

It was heartbreaking when i built the R35. Seeing it go from a modern masterpiece to a paddock basher hurt (the hip pocket).

Tarmac rally has very hard and fast rules on changing the appearance of the car from Standard unlike circuit racing.

Photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/votano/sets/72157628033355714/

[VE SS UTE]

Car now has
- tarmac rally suspension set up from wholesale suspension
- mild tune from Castle Hill Performance 306.1KW
- 19s all round
- less weight so it weighs about the same as an SS ute
- DS UNO race pads

I only have Roll cage, log books, putting the car together to go.

Total cost is a little over $30,000 as i sold the unwanted bits for $8,000.

Still looking for a rear ute bumper.

Dom

photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/votano/sets/72157628033355714/