Red Line Components Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Copied from 'Wanted 1.6 Superlight'.. My 1.8k Supersport weighs in at 580kg (incl 6 speed box), the superlights are 470kg (I think). 110kg is a heck of a lot..but where are the big gains, and which ones are CHEAP! Wheels (4 light instead of 5 heavy) will be a fair amount Windscreen and weather gear Seats Heater Carbon Are the vented disks lighter, what about the LSD ? I am assuming the chassis is the same.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 The current Caterham catalogue quotes the Superlight at 485kg and the 'Roadsport' (i.e. non-Superlight K-series) at 550kg. There's never been anything like 110kg difference between a Superlight and a not-Superlight. Weight differences quoted by Caterham when the Superlight was launched were: leather adjustable seats +10.8 kg full windscreen + wipers +6.6 hood + full side screens +8.0 paint +2.5 spare wheel including carrier +11.5 tool kit (for above) +2.8 full carpet set +3.3 heater +3.9 tonneau +1.6 I think the 6-speed box is quite a bit lighter than the 5-speed. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Line Components Posted November 13, 2000 Author Share Posted November 13, 2000 Mmm, so that's about 50 kg. Wonder why mine is (allegedly) 580kg. Hey ho, still flies. Minty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper man Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 I have often wondered about all this. I gather that the "real" superlights do also have a different chassis, with less cross bracing, no fittings for wipers, and a short foot-box on the passenger side. The weights are also quoted without oil, water or fuel, all of which makes a significant difference. I will let you all know what my R500 (with screen, paint, hood, long passenger footwell, HEATER, etc) weighs when finished. We'll see, but I'll bet it's over 500kgs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Walker Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 And with you in it???!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Walker Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 700kg? all up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 I too have wondered were all the weight is. Only I have a fee extra Kg's to start with (both on me and the zetec). So far the car has lost full windscreen + wipers +6.6 hood + full side screens +8.0 spare wheel including carrier +11.5 tool kit (for above) +2.8 heater +3.9 About 32.8 Kg and in return I've put on a couple of Kg's ??? Nearly time to fatten up for the winter,there must be some more weight to lose in the car somewhere ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Biddle Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 I have my 2.0L vaux down to 570kgs at the moment, with spare wheel, and all fluids including half a tank of fuel, which, as keith points out amount to quite a bit of weight. Caterham quote 595KG assumedly without any fluids. Items shed/changed to achieve this were, in descending order of weight saving. 1. Set of image wheels shod with ACB 10's, 5KG per wheel lighter. 2. Junked original exhaust in favour of 4-2-1 system with carbon can. 3.windsreen off 4.heater out. 5. cycle wings replaced with carbon items. Theres not much more room for improvement without changing seats, and minor gains from carbon panels etc which I don't think are value for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderman Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Mike, surely without the wheels the ride height is a bit on the low side. Why not binning the bonnet, nosecone and alloy panels. Ariel have done it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Keith - a special lightweight chassis was only introduced for the R500, prior to that all Superlights used the standard chassis (and possibly still do). Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Perry Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Another possible difference that is quite large is the FIA Roll-bar I have heard it said that it is about 5KG heavier than the standard one. The weight saving on wheels is likely to be slightly higher as well as superlight wheels while not the lightest available may well be lighter than those on the supersport. Also does the Superlight have those fancy lightweight brakes that may not be on the Supersport ? The key to saving weight is 'invention' in all senses of the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powderpuff Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Strange how the weights seem to vary. My 1.6 K supersport 6speed with only a small amount of fuel weighed 535kg on the Mallory Park weighbridge. Could we be looking at a scale calibration problem question.gif smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted November 13, 2000 Share Posted November 13, 2000 Someone mentioned roll bar - does anyone know what the point of the standard roll over bar is? My car is fitted with it, yet it is not allowed on most track days. If its not stronge enough, what good is it? If it is good enough (given the approximate halving of car weight and therefore impact inertia) why do people not allow it? On the topic of weight I would like to report that I chopped about 10 kilos off the car on Saturday, by washing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 When you say "most" track days, which clubs other than L7CoGB won't let you on the track without an FIA bar? I've not come across any. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Line Components Posted November 14, 2000 Author Share Posted November 14, 2000 580kg was measured at RatRace so I expect it is accurate - I wish I could remember if the fuel tank was full..(1 litre = 1kg(ish) I think) so a full tank would make a big difference. potentially -25kg easy. Looks like I can lose 20kg for a track day by removing the spare, weather gear and toolkit. Scraping the paint off might be a bit extreme, but I might have to miss breakfast. What's all this about having to have a competition roll bar for track days ? You can (if you are that way inclined) hillclimb with a non FIA bar ??! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 Minty's correct, you don't need any sort of rollover bat to compete in sprints or hillclimbs if your car is fully road legal. Mandating an FIA bar but allowing a 3-point inertia reel belt defies all logic as far as I can see. I wonder what proportion of track incidents involve a rollover, and what proportion of track incidents would have resulted in serious injury or worse if the driver had not properly strapped in. If you're not properly strapped in in a big rollover situation then I doubt the bar is going to do much for you anyway. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 Rollover bat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderman Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 How about getting a haircut, clipping your finger and toe nails and not wearing any pants. That's gotta get the weight down. Actually an all over shave might help too, cyclists seem to like it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper man Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 I always think that the best way of cutting weight from my car is a diet. Thanks Andy! Still, there's probably 25kgs available if I put my mind to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big daddy Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 You could start by removing the fur lining from your slippers. teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper man Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE FUR LINING!? Have you been peeking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big daddy Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 Nope, didn't have to. You seem to be a man who likes his creature comforts. Have you ever driven somewhere and forgotten to take some shoes and then had to walk around in those things? I once ended up at a football match in blue suede racing boots, which was bad enough but imagine if I'd been a slipper man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper man Posted November 14, 2000 Share Posted November 14, 2000 As it happens, there was the time when I arrived at work in my slippers to discover that my work shoes were not in the passenger footwell.... And a time when I came to work by Motorcycle, only to discover that my trousers weren't in the panniers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted November 16, 2000 Share Posted November 16, 2000 How about changing the battery for a lighter weight one? Must be worth a good few grammes! (Or less furry lining to the slippers!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartG Posted November 17, 2000 Share Posted November 17, 2000 I,ve been thinking of using a Ducati m/cycle battery, they're about twice as big as Jap bike batteries but still half the size and presumably weight of the seven item. Can be picked up from breakers for about 30 quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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