In the air travel industry, airlines
live and die by their operating costs, a
large component of which is their fuel
costs. That is why aircraft manufacturers
have whole departments whose purpose in life
is to track and reduce the weight of the
airplanes, ounce by ounce and gram by gram.
Auto performance enthusiasts can take a tip
from aerospace engineers- by instituting a
weight reduction program, you can get
dramatic performance and power increases and
save gas.
What other mod to your car can effect
braking, cornering, acceleration and gas
mileage, reduces wear on your engine,
suspension and brakes, and doesn't void your
warranty? Not many.
Here are a few ways to reduce your car's
weight you may want to consider.
1) Remove all the broken parts you don't
plan on fixing. For example, if have a
broken power antenna motor or an old
cassette stereo unit you never use- you can
take them out.
2) Clean out your trunk. You might be
surprised how much gas you're wasting if you
haven't looked in your trunk in awhile. Your
spouse or teenager (or you!) may have
decided this was good place for long-term
storage. It's not. Old phone books, folding
lawn chairs, sandbags for winter traction,
cases of dog food, we've seen it all. They
belong in the garage or basement.
3) Lose the flashy bling-bling rims. Get
forged aluminum wheels to replace showy
steel wheels. Those are for show, not for
speed, usually. While you're at it, look for
lightweight tires. Compare weight on your
current tires to some others on the market.
The differences can be significant.
4) Carbon Fiber Panels instead of steel.
They may be a little pricy, but are
certainly a cost-effective replacement over
time. Depending on your local vehicle code,
you may also be able to replace your steel
hood and trunk lid with carbon fiber ones.
Major savings here.
5) Replace power seats with racing seats.
Power seats can weigh in at up to 75 pounds
each. Replacing them with lightweight
fixed-back racing bucket seats that weigh
ten pounds or less each will shave 150
pounds off your car.
About The Author: Carlo Morelli writes
for
www.Caroom.us, where you can find
custom car
floor mats and
all weather
rubber car mats |
