These are all extremely valid points in my opinion, but there has to be some superfluous stuff in a F-body Camarobird. Ditch the center console, back seat, power windows, and put some seats in that don't weigh a ton, and that would be a good start.
Can you ditch the old, heavy HVAC for a modern vintage air system. Ditch the head unit for a blue-tooth to your phone, or whatever the kids are doing these days. Keep sound deadening, or better yet, ditch the factory stuff, and go dynamat. Carbon fiber or aluminum door cards with dynamat and vinyl covering.
Just get it clean. I know the Miata is not the best subject, but Keith did an awesome vintage look for a friend that used nice switches and no head unit.
Google is currently broken, so I can't post pictures, but you get the point.
The car with vintage Lucas switches and no head unit is my daily driver. It's not really stripped at all, just simplified in design. I didn't give anything up. Losing the head unit probably didn't save me a pound, I did it because they are all universally ugly. Head units don't really weigh much. Big giant amps and subs, well, that's different.
I would rather go with an aesthetic redesign than a stripped race interior for a car that sees street use, because going race on the interior is a great way to make a car no fun to be in unless you're specifically there for Walter Mitty time.
The one I built for a friend had a pretty standard interior with the exception of 914 seats, a Prototipo wheel and some custom gauge faces.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Ahh yes, your daily. Still, kind of what I'm saying on a strip/redo for the F body.
A lightweight fiberglass repro of the dash, tablet based gauges, ditch console, lightweight door cards, lighter, say Honda seats. I see a lot of fat to be trimmed. Great time to class it up and simplify.
Definitely tear it apart and see where the weight is. On the Miatas (I only know one car!), the dash cover comes in three different designs but one is considerably lighter than the others. There would be no point in trying to come up with a lighter variant of it.
I have worked on a 4th gen F body, it does seem like there's a lot of low hanging fruit for better style and some real weight loss.
Appleseed said:
In reply to L5wolvesf :
Not sure. I just googled "Lightning hole hot rod model A interior." Of course now I can't even find the picture to try and figure out where it came from.
Found it
https://www.petersen.org/blog/2018/5/16/donation-spotlight-1929-ford-custom-tudor-hot-rod
I was kinda right on the WWI part my search ended up being "hot rod bomber seats and interiors"
In reply to jamscal :
Where does one find a decent f body convertible these days? I’ve been casually looking
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
I wouldn't know. I don't see many out there these days
Those F body interiors are pretty bad, even if it doesn't save much weight you should be able to make it a nicer place to be. If nothing else I'd be happy to lose a few dozen of the fake Allen screw heads.
L5wolvesf said:
Appleseed said:
Lightning holes. Bare interiors look better with holes.
Nice, kinda has a WWII feel to it. What car is it?
Petersen Automotive Museum blog.
I pulled the carpet/liner from the trunk/t-top well but left the carpet on top of the hatch area, as it's a continuation of the floor carpet.
All this stuff just pulls out or has very few clips so I can put it back easily.
Also pulled the old cd changer which is a good amount of weight and the plastic/small speakers on the sides and rear of hatch area.
It wasn't too much louder but it was noticeable at speed. (It is a creaky Camaro with springs and cat-back so it's not a Lexus anyway.)
I was starting some aero work yesterday and pulled the fog lights to prep for some aluminum covers.
I also swiss-cheesed some headlight brackets too, which I understand is ounces or less but it's fun and looks cool.
Probably I'll pull the rear seats and belts today.
I may get some junkyard interior panels and see what kind of mods I can do before I make irreversible changes.
FWIW it's a 2002 Camaro SS
Not my idea, a company sells something similar as a rear seat delete "kit" but they're just covers for the lower seat mounts and they hold the floppy carpet down. I put some speed holes in mine and powder coated them. Then riveted them to the seat mount.
Carpet is def. not tasteful :)
Aero stuff I've been working on, plus tow location. I'm going to use red vinyl on that.
