Lean Mean Racing Machine

As in any race, lightness is always an advantage. Choosing parts and components made of lightweight materials may be more expensive, but it can take some load off your car.

So how can you make your car lighter, yet run really fast? Putting on those aftermarket components could boost power, but they will certainly add to the weight of the car, too. Let’s look at some ways to reduce a car’s overall weight.

Changing the hood to fiberglass can take a lot of pounds off your car’s weight. Carbon fiber race hoods are even lighter. These hoods use pins to keep them in place and you have to take off the hood if you want to see the insides.

A fiberglass front bumper is lighter than stock bumpers. Getting a fiberglass bumper won’t be a problem since they are mostly in stock. And if you’re  planning to get your car a body kit, bumper’s are already included.

If you want to take a bulk of weight off your car, use aluminum parts on your engine and exhaust system. Use aluminum cylinder heads, block, and even headers.

An aluminum radiator is more efficient than those small ones used in drag racings because of its full size and it lessens the weight of the car, too. Using aluminum water pumps can save you some weight also.

If you plan to have your car repainted, have all the old paints scraped off. This can make your car weigh less and can provide for a better painting result. And if you don’t mind stripping off your car’s undercoating, this can save you some weight, but it would be better to leave it as it is for protection.

Keep you car’s baggage compartment clean and organized. Take out some unnecessary things. Go for smaller accessories, which you think you really need to keep in your car.

If you can get hold of bolts, nut, brackets, and other installation necessities that are made of lightweight materials then do so. You will find that they cost a lot more than your ordinary bolts and nuts, but we’re talking about weight reduction here.

There are a lot more you can do to make your car lighter, and some of them will require you to sacrifice comfort for lightness. Like changing your power steering to a manual one, or taking off your sound system. I know that this is already a bit extreme if what you want is only a really cool powerful car with awesome interiors and great looks.