To Strip or not to Strip?

2029 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by MotorMouth, Jan 8, 2005

dL_RL

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2005

Has anyone ever given a thought about stripping thier RL? I'm thinking about it (backseat, trunk lining, spare tire, jack, sound deadening, AC). I use to strip my former cars ( 2 DSM turbo AWD's and a 240sx ). The only passenger I ever have in my car is my girlfriend so my backseats are just junk piles. Give me your thoughts guys on what I could strip.

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1 - 14 of 14 Posts

Smurf

· #2 · Jan 6, 2005

do you really race your car enough to do that......I wouldnt do it unless I only drove the car on the track

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Tbone2

· #3 · Jan 6, 2005

The best thing about the RL imho is that you don't need to strip it down for it to perform. It's a real, usable car that is more than fast enough to have fun with at the track without doing a thing to it or ripping anything out. For its size it isn't an especially heavy car either.

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Vita

· #4 · Jan 6, 2005

do you even have any timeslips yet?

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dL_RL

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 6, 2005

No I dont have any timeslips. It's something i'm thinking about doing in the future after I go to the track a couple of times. I'm just gauging weather it would be a idea worth pursueing.

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dL_RL

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 6, 2005

I dont go to the track much, but I do hit the drag strip quite a bit. My car is a daily driven street warrior! Performance over luxory!

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haunter

· #7 · Jan 6, 2005

Tbone said:
The best thing about the RL imho is that you don't need to strip it down for it to perform. It's a real, usable car that is more than fast enough to have fun with at the track without doing a thing to it or ripping anything out. For its size it isn't an especially heavy car either.

yes it is

2800 lbs is very heavy for a 'compact' fwd car

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BlackRedline04

· #8 · Jan 6, 2005

I want mine to still feel comfortable for daily driving. Ive been in stripped cars, and theres just this empty hollow feeling too it. Its fine if you're ONLY using it for racing, but it feels too empty for daily driving imo.

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unknownsuperhero

· #9 · Jan 6, 2005

My car rattles like a covered wagon already, I wonder what that would do to it.

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Tbone2

· #10 · Jan 6, 2005

haunter said:
yes it is

2800 lbs is very heavy for a 'compact' fwd car

Street weights for other "sport" compacts
http://scion.edmunds.com/products/nvc/scion/VehicleComparison;jsessionid=BdwB4QsZJHmJvQYJWkb8XS3bLtyxFMFNRpJ2Y1KKQpGshv0T4nQP!-740321620?basestyleid=100394782&styleid=100500714&styleid=100449645&styleid=100404501&styleid=100468538&maxvehicles=5&refid=&op=3&tab=measurements

The SRT-4 is listed at 2900 lbs btw.
The Scion tC is at over 2900 without a supercharger
Heck the Honda s2000 is at 2835.
I'd admit that the '04 RL isnt the lightest thing out there, but its lighter than a LOT of its direct competitors.

(the link isnt especially clickable, sorry)

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haunter

· #11 · Jan 6, 2005

The s2000 is incomparible due to it being RWD and therefore has a weight disadvantage of requiring a rela drivetrain

miatas are still around 2500 even with RWD
celicas are the same, prolly the best overall done sport compact of being decently powered AND light stock.

the si is still heavy at almost 2800

2500 for a base/hx civic coupe

i agree its on par with its competitors

but it weights as much as a vette

and its def heavy for a sporty car of its size, but right now the whole industry doesnt seem to care about weight, just HP numbers and bright colors and large wheels

See less See more

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palahniuk

· #12 · Jan 7, 2005

This summer I will pull the air conditioner out, go with a set of lighter rims, remove the spoiler, get rid of the stock exhaust/muffler and air box, rip out the factory stereo/amp/speakers in favor of something much smaller but with all of that I'm probably looking at only saving 50-60 lbs or so. At this point I am not even thinking about gutting the trunk or removing the back seat, I think the wife would definitley have me committed for that one.
There is also the option of a carbon fiber hood, trunk, and body kit but I don't think that's in my price range at this time, and again, the wife thing

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dL_RL

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 8, 2005

Correct you cant compare a s2000 to a RL. Totally different cars.

A carbon fiber hood wont help us much, our hoods are fairly light already. That would be a waste of a couple hundrend dollars. Carbon fiber trunk maybe, but it's very sensetive and can warp easily. So beware...

I wish my RL didnt have AC, ABS, or PS.

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MotorMouth

· #14 · Jan 8, 2005

palahniuk said:
This summer I will pull the air conditioner out, go with a set of lighter rims, remove the spoiler, get rid of the stock exhaust/muffler and air box, rip out the factory stereo/amp/speakers in favor of something much smaller but with all of that I'm probably looking at only saving 50-60 lbs or so. At this point I am not even thinking about gutting the trunk or removing the back seat, I think the wife would definitley have me committed for that one.
There is also the option of a carbon fiber hood, trunk, and body kit but I don't think that's in my price range at this time, and again, the wife thing .

I don't really think all the pulling of factory parts is going to benifit you a whole lot. Especially at the performance level our cars are at. 100 pounds is worth aproximately a tenth in the quarter. Not a whole lot of gain for the added discomfort IMHO.

Junt my 2 cents though....

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