ITA Weight?

**Speed Raycer** · 09-29-2006, 05:34 PM

Just wondering how many of you were/are able to achieve the new weight and some details on the setup you're running as far as Year, Chassis (sunroof or delete), cage tubing, wheels, bumpers ,radiator type, etc.

I've got to put my car on a diet.

80 Sunroof chassis, slightly overbuilt 1.5"x.095 cage, AR Libra wheels, 85 bumper in front, 80 on back, small radiator: 2485 with 8 gal of gas w/o my 195 lbs. Where the heck am I going to find 350 lbs????

**lateapex911** · 09-30-2006, 01:11 AM

Weird. My 84 chassis, big alum rad, oil cooler, bigger bearings, stock fuel tank, simple cage, Momo racing seat, passenger seat, scraped interior sound deadening, sunroof installed car is about 2350 or so with a low tank and a 210 lb driver.

I could, I think, lose more:
-gut pass door, net 20 pounds lost
-toss pass seat...25 pound loss
-lighter wheels ...10 pound loss
-scrape undercoating...15 pound loss, or so.
-swap sunroof for thin panel...10 pounds.
-driver has lost about 15 pounds
-hollow front sway bar....-5 lbs

total available: 100 or so.
Probable: 90

net net: 2260.

Now, add gas 6 gals: 36 lbs

add 36

Projected race weight: 2296

These cars are weird. I have heard many divergent numbers on what they weigh, and I can't really make sense of it.

**mustanghammer** · 10-02-2006, 10:52 PM

Just wondering how many of you were/are able to achieve the new weight and some details on the setup you're running as far as Year, Chassis (sunroof or delete), cage tubing, wheels, bumpers ,radiator type, etc.

I've got to put my car on a diet.

80 Sunroof chassis, slightly overbuilt 1.5"x.095 cage, AR Libra wheels, 85 bumper in front, 80 on back, small radiator: 2485 with 8 gal of gas w/o my 195 lbs. Where the heck am I going to find 350 lbs????

[/b]

I will not meet weight with my current car:

83 GSL sunroof car - Post race weight is usually 2500. W/O driver the car weighs 2350.

Cage - composite construction with 1.75 x .125 wall tubing used on the hoop, halo bar and A pilar bars. All other required tubes are 1.5 x 095 (door bars, hoop bracing, dash bar, etc) with a few 1.5 x .065 tubes thrown in as well. I used allot of gussets too.

Seat - Kirkey Intermediate

Cell - 12 Gal ATL Aluminum can

Fire Bottle - 10lb

Radiator - 19x22 double pass aluminum

Oil Coolers - one or two stock ones

Rear end - small bearing

Spindles - 84/85

Both doors are gutted

Wheels - Panasports

Tires - Kumho V710's

Solid front sway bar.

Long Motors urathane air dam

There are a few things I can do:

* A new cage made of 1.5 x .095 tubing would save around 30-40 lbs
* 5lb fire bottle - I have one now (5 lbs)
* hollow sway bar (10 lbs)
* Japco or ISC air dam (5 lbs)
* Diet for driver (25-40lbs

At best I guess I could have a post race weight of 2400lbs.

**CaptainWho** · 10-03-2006, 07:45 AM

Our '80 sunroof is nearly 2500# with ~6 gallons of fuel and a 200# driver, Panasports, Hoosiers, PU airdam. The 1.75" cage is probably heavier than it has to be, but I'd rather feel safer, in this case. :-) There is some stuff we can do, like modify the side intrusion protection and gut the doors, switch to hollow sway bars, and investigate lighter fire suppression. The driver could lose 15-20#, too. But I don't think we're going to even get close to 2280.

**mustanghammer** · 10-03-2006, 08:59 AM

Pulling a 100lbs out of the RX7 in ITA is a good deal. Apparently some of us would need to build a new car and or hire skinnier drivers to take advantage of it. The good news is that weight was added to the Hondas and that helped allot.

So, can we add more weight to the Hondas so that we can keep our porky cars and poor eating habits

**kbailey** · 10-03-2006, 08:14 PM

I'm 2490 lbs (on the Roebling scales) with a full 15 gal fuel cell and 170 lb driver. I have stripped the sound deadening material from the inside, but not the underside. I have a 10 lb fire suppression system and a stout 1.50" x .120" cage. I have power windows in both sides still. I figure I can get within 50 lbs of weight (with an empty fuel cell) pretty easily.

**tnord** · 10-03-2006, 08:23 PM

how much power do you guys make in IT7 trim? how much power do you make with the "gentlemans agreement"

**CaptainWho** · 10-04-2006, 12:10 AM

how much power do you guys make in IT7 trim?[/b]

Based on my "ass dyno" and the actual dyno sheets of some IT7 friends, I'd say that a well turned out IT7 motor can do in the neighborhood of 130 peak HP. An excellent, to the nines, balanced out of the parts bin IT7 motor could go a little higher, but I don't know how much.

The real problem in a rotary in any class is the severe lack of torque in comparison to the HP the engine can make. For piston engine cars, the ratio of torque to HP is often close to one, and sometimes larger. For a rotary, the ratio is typically (? always ?) less than one. Makes getting out of the corners a bitch and turns almost all tracks into momentum tracks, to the extent possible.

how much power do you make with the "gentlemans agreement"[/b]

I've got no idea what you're talking about. If you'd care to enlighten me, I'd appreciate it. I've only been doing this since 2003, and I'm no gearhead. I do this to drive, not to work on the car.

**mustanghammer** · 10-04-2006, 09:06 AM

how much power do you make with the "gentlemans agreement"
[/b]

What's that an SM term for cheating?

**tnord** · 10-04-2006, 09:51 AM

i've heard a couple grumblings from people that in certain areas of the country there is a "gentlemans agreement" of sorts for mods beyond what is specified in the ruleset.

i just thought i'd toss it out there and see what response i got.

**dyoungre** · 10-11-2006, 09:29 PM

Hi Scott,
Getting back to the original post: 2340 with 185# driver, and still looking for weight reductions.

1980 chassis, no sunroof, gutted driver/pass doors w| Nascar bars
Performed cage reduction program this year (removed 9 lbs of 'carried away' weight)
Note: Cage built with 1.5" x 0.120", wasn't sure how rule was interpretted and went conservative.
Stock bumpers (plan to go the way you did, another 5 lb opportunity)
Interior removed to spec, no tar removal from underside
Victoria British (Black Dragon?) urethane front air dam
13 gal fuelsafe cell, I think that saved a couple pounds
13" Revolution wheels, 225/45 hoosiers
Still the solid ground control front bar (winter project, expect 7 lb reduction, or so)
no rear bar
Mazdaspeed aluminum radiator
panhard, tri link (some call it 'weak link&#39

Dual exhaust to axle, stainless primary portion, rest .065 mild (see opportunity ...)

I don't think I'll ever reach 2280, but I'll get darn close.

Truly legal engine. Don't know/don't care about gentlemen's agreements ...
(OK - I admit it; no washer bottle !!!)

**Eagle7** · 10-12-2006, 05:16 AM

(OK - I admit it; no washer bottle !!!)
[/b]

**Tak** · 10-24-2006, 05:31 PM

I weigh 170, and end up 60# overweight at the end of a race with my 85 sunroof chassis.
Weight saving features include:
1.5" roll bar tubing, with minimum tubes to triangulate.
small bearing axle
small bearing struts
Panasports
Hoosiers (No steel belts)
Fuel cell
removed wiring for all legally removable components (smog, instruments, stereo, etc).

I agree that our weight break is a good thing, but unachievable.
I also agree that the Honda's need more weight.

Tak
#29 ITA
SFR SCCA

**benracin** · 10-26-2006, 01:56 PM

Been a long time since I posted. I've taken the year off to consider other options. But I'm just wondering, did these weight adjustments seem to help this year? Is it a little more even now with the Hondas?

**ddewhurst** · 10-26-2006, 06:05 PM

Ben, when I finish my new car I'll bet it weighs 2280 with driver. Ya like to buy a 1990 1.6 L Miata stripped & ready for a roll cage? Including a hard top. All nice red paint ready to go. The 7 could be your car & the Spec Miata or ITA Miata could be your brides car.

Have Fun

David

ps: I rented a Spec Miata for the Labor day double Regional at the Milwaukee mile & the thing responses real quick to very little steering wheel input similar to a good Kart.

**tnord** · 10-26-2006, 10:10 PM

from the time i've spent against pretty well driven well built ITA RX7s, i'd say yeah, the weight helped.

ps - if you guys are looking for an ITA miata, i've got one for sale for less than 10k, and it's a GOOD car.

**johnny yanez** · 10-27-2006, 12:24 AM

i have a spec miata that i have been running in ITA, its fun car,,, i have raced RX7 in ITA wich takes a different style of driving,,, the miata is a momentum car, dont use the brakes much,, while the RX7 is either full brakes or full trohtle,, by the way my miata is for sale also,, for about $10k in so calif. its a 1800 weighe in at 2380 with 5 gal of gas and 180lbs driver.

**lateapex911** · 10-27-2006, 02:48 PM

Ben, yes and no.

It helped, I think, but honestly, it's still not a car that car run with the big boys at most tracks. There are exceptional drivers in exceptional cars that come close, but at the classic tracks like Road America or Road Atlanta or Laguna or Watkins, I think it's just not going to happen when the best go against the best.

Still, it's a fun car, and a great way to get going in racing.

**benracin** · 10-27-2006, 03:55 PM

Geesh David, make up your mind already! And actually, I've been playing around the idea of going to Karts. I've had my RX7 for 3-4 years now and it's just not all that fun when I can only afford to race once or twice so I was thinking of a different way to get my racing jollys. So just maybe I'll have a nice light RX7 for sale too!

**ddewhurst** · 10-27-2006, 04:57 PM

***So just maybe I'll have a nice light RX7 for sale too!***

Ya taking the motor out for the Kart ?

Jake, I have not tracked much this year BUT I'll bet Rick T. with a 2280 car would do some serious racing against the CRX's. at Atlanta.

Have Fun

David

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