The 370Z Weight Reduction Thread

[NewYorkJon34]

Ya, it's just easier to accelerate since less mass to move

[Methodical4u]

I didn't read the entire thread and I know some of you guys may be using a titanium exhaust... but the ART pipes save 6.5 lbs (according to another users scale) and the cat bracket doesn't go back in there and it FEELS like it weighs 2-3 lbs at least... though I can't confirm it... just saying for those who can't afford a ti exhaust set-up that over stock it would save close to 10 lbs... and then the F.I. exhaust saves another 10 lbs if I remember correctly from the first page. Don't know if this helps at all, but maybe someone.

[ChipsWithDips]

Have any drag racers tried running skinny tires on the front? I was wondering about the possibility of using 2 of the stock spare wheels, with upgraded rubber on them. I know the tires are not designed for high speed use, but I figure if you replace that, there is nothing wrong with those wheels themselves, right?

[b1adesofcha0s]

Z elim did that. He has a pic of it in his Sig.

[ChipsWithDips]

A friend of mine recently showed me these batteries:
MOTY Design 12 cell lightweight motorcycle battery

Pulse discharge @ 10 seconds = 360 Amps
Continuous discharge (MAX) = 210 Amps
Cycle Life (DoD spec) = 1,000 cycles
Weight = 958.21g / 2.11lbs
Rating = 6.9Ah

Designed for bikes, but pretty most of these super lightweight batteries people are running in their cars are designed for bikes too. The person that told me about these is running a 4 cell and a 12 cell in two different bikes and is pretty happy with them. He claims that the 12 cell started his corvette no problem. If 12 cells isn't enough there's also the 16 cell

MOTY Design 16 cell lightweight motorcycle battery

Pulse discharge @ 10 seconds = 480 Amps
Continuous discharge (MAX) = 280 Amps
Cycle Life (DoD spec) = 1,000 cycles
Weight = 1532g / 3.38lbs
Rating = 9.2Ah

These use the relatively new and rare LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery chemistry which is the same type of cells used to power the killacycle, worlds fastest electric motorcycle.

Granted these have a total energy capacity of about 40%(12cell) and 54%(16cell) that of the popular Odyssey PC680, based on their advertised Amp hour ratings. Not sure how common it is to run down a PC680, but I guess these would be that much easier to do so with these.

Anyone wanna be a guinea pig?

[Methodical4u]

Originally Posted by ChipsWithDips

A friend of mine recently showed me these batteries:
MOTY Design 12 cell lightweight motorcycle battery


Designed for bikes, but pretty most of these super lightweight batteries people are running in their cars are designed for bikes too. The person that told me about these is running a 4 cell and a 12 cell in two different bikes and is pretty happy with them. He claims that the 12 cell started his corvette no problem. If 12 cells isn't enough there's also the 16 cell

MOTY Design 16 cell lightweight motorcycle battery


These use the relatively new and rare LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery chemistry which is the same type of cells used to power the killacycle, worlds fastest electric motorcycle.

Granted these have a total energy capacity of about 40%(12cell) and 54%(16cell) that of the popular Odyssey PC680, based on their advertised Amp hour ratings. Not sure how common it is to run down a PC680, but I guess these would be that much easier to do so with these.

Anyone wanna be a guinea pig?

Extremely light... but no

[V8Killer]

I have just read all every post in this thread and I still don't know what battery to get b/c everyone is going back in forth on the PC680. Trickle charge, affected by weather, use of the battery. It has been a long time since this thread was started, has anybody been using the PC680 or something else for a daily driver?

[travisjb]

It's fine for daily driver, i used it as such in 2009... just invest $45 in a trickle charger and put that on if you ever leave the car sitting for more than a week

[wstar]

I've been on a PC680 on a DD for a long time now. It's been in the car a little over 2 years now and I still haven't had to replace it. In some ways my install is a worst-case scenario: mounted all the way in the rear of the car, so maximum positive cable run length, and on a Stillen 20% underdriven crank pulley. Just a few months ago (right about the 2 year mark) I upgraded my alternator pulley to NST's 10% overdriven one to help the battery recharge better a bit.

In the overall, it works fine. You do have to be more conscientious about battery drain though. If you drain the battery with the engine off (e.g. running the radio a long time, playing with the power windows and seats continuously, leaving the headlights on , etc), you will make the car unstartable until you jump it or recharge it.

Odyssey's OMAX-6A-1B charger is a pretty good investment to go with the PC680. You can install a permanent quick-connect header at the battery (I ran mine through the trunk floor so it's accessible outside the car with the trunk closed) to make it easy to hook up. It's great for maintaining the battery if the car is off a long time, and it knows exactly the charging profiles to use to max out the PC680. Even if I haven't been abusing my battery, I hook it up once every week or two just to let it top off the battery (it does a better job than the alternator does).

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by wstar

I've been on a PC680 on a DD for a long time now. It's been in the car a little over 2 years now and I still haven't had to replace it. In some ways my install is a worst-case scenario: mounted all the way in the rear of the car, so maximum positive cable run length, and on a Stillen 20% underdriven crank pulley. Just a few months ago (right about the 2 year mark) I upgraded my alternator pulley to NST's 10% overdriven one to help the battery recharge better a bit.

In the overall, it works fine. You do have to be more conscientious about battery drain though. If you drain the battery with the engine off (e.g. running the radio a long time, playing with the power windows and seats continuously, leaving the headlights on , etc), you will make the car unstartable until you jump it or recharge it.

Odyssey's OMAX-6A-1B charger is a pretty good investment to go with the PC680. You can install a permanent quick-connect header at the battery (I ran mine through the trunk floor so it's accessible outside the car with the trunk closed) to make it easy to hook up. It's great for maintaining the battery if the car is off a long time, and it knows exactly the charging profiles to use to max out the PC680. Even if I haven't been abusing my battery, I hook it up once every week or two just to let it top off the battery (it does a better job than the alternator does).

Well there you go.

[Methodical4u]

Originally Posted by V8Killer

I have just read all every post in this thread and I still don't know what battery to get b/c everyone is going back in forth on the PC680. Trickle charge, affected by weather, use of the battery. It has been a long time since this thread was started, has anybody been using the PC680 or something else for a daily driver?

it's tempting to do it because you can lose a lot of weight with that simple mod, but to me it's such a PITA when your OE battery will be lasting a whole lot longer than the 2 or so years people are getting out of some of the smaller batteries. If I were racing, this would certainly be one of the first things to get changed... but i'm not.

[Methodical4u]

has anyone weighed the speakers or stock radio?

[travisjb]

they are heavy! weighs exactly 17 pounds

[wstar]

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

has anyone weighed the speakers or stock radio?

I didn't break out exact weights, but I did some basic math with me standing a bathroom scale holding all of it together (the non-navigation Bose head unit + metal brackets, the main Bose amplifier unit, the 6 speakers) and it came out somewhere around 17 lbs. This doesn't include: the XM Radio + Bluetooth + Voice modules in the center of the car (removed long ago, didn't weigh, probably like 2-3 lbs), the XM Radio antenna from the top of the car (probably 0.5 lbs or less), the subwoofer (already gone, previously documented at 8lbs). Also doesn't include all the audio wiring (I left those in my car for now, may remove later). Even if you got all the wiring, we're probably talking like 30-32 lbs max for everything audio related on a Touring w/o Nav car.

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by travisjb

they are heavy! weighs exactly 17 pounds

lol at edit