Poor boy lightweight stanza project!

[slack]

For reasons I won't get into, my car shopping adventure ended with me driving home in a 92 Stanza auto. So let's make lemonade! As you might have guessed by my choice of vehicles, there are some things I'm not too sure about:

Weight reduction
I'm going to remove the back seat, speakers, floor mats, jack and spare, and a/c. I'm going to move the battery to the trunk to try to re-balance the load. From what I've read (remember though, I did buy a stanza), the power to weight ratio (138hp to 2788lbs = about 20:1) means that I get the equivalent of 1hp for each 20lbs. I'm aiming for 300lbs.

After the easy stuff I'm going to have to get crafty to keep my girlfriend. Are power windows motors heavy? I'm debating replacing the back doors with manual doors from pick-n-pull if the weight savings are significant.

Other than the soundproofing, any suggestions for where else to drop weight?

[Proboscis]

If you don't already have them, find some 4x4.5 bolt aluminum wheels from pick-n-pull.

Is your car going to be a daily driver?

[Mr_ET]

Originally posted by slack
For reasons I won't get into, my car shopping adventure ended with me driving home in a 92 Stanza auto. So let's make lemonade! As you might have guessed by my choice of vehicles, there are some things I'm not too sure about:

Weight reduction
I'm going to remove the back seat, speakers, floor mats, jack and spare, and a/c. I'm going to move the battery to the trunk to try to re-balance the load. From what I've read (remember though, I did buy a stanza), the power to weight ratio (138hp to 2788lbs = about 20:1) means that I get the equivalent of 1hp for each 20lbs. I'm aiming for 300lbs.

After the easy stuff I'm going to have to get crafty to keep my girlfriend. Are power windows motors heavy? I'm debating replacing the back doors with manual doors from pick-n-pull if the weight savings are significant.

Other than the soundproofing, any suggestions for where else to drop weight?

:facepalm:

[slack]

Yep. How much lighter are aluminum wheels than steel?

Edit: Calm down, I just want to rock a smart car or two.

[Justin_Inc]

Originally posted by Mr_ET


:facepalm:

X2 lol, as for other weight reduction, start scraping all the seam sealer out, and undercoating, remove all plastic wheel well guards, remove door panels, stereo, light weight driver/passenger seat, remove anything un-needed in the engine bay, cut the impact beams out of the doors, the sky is the limit....

now would i do any of this for a daily driver or street car.... NO

lol

[redblack]

remove glass then apply clear plastic and duct tape. remove front and rear bumper rebars

[Jlude]

I bought a 91 nissan stanza for 500 bucks my second day living in AB. Loved that thing... it was perfect for the time.

Just drive the damn thing... don't get rid of the back seats, don't get rid of the power windows... things like that are all that's good about the car.

[ZorroAMG]

Sweet, stripping everything convenient out of a beater for 15 "HP"

Why?

[ga16i]

Because we can!! :) I stripped the back out of my '90 B12 sentra. Put in racing seats, 3pt harness, Momo steering wheel and 2 12" subs. It's even got a tach on the A pillar haha. Love blasting around in that thing in the winter.

Think the Stanza came with the KA24E, there should be a K&N filter for that. Carpets can go out too, or at least cut the back portion and throw that away. Reducing wheel size to 13" can give you more power too. Since speakers are going, remove all relating wiring as well along with antenna. Make sure you get the entire A/C system out. compressor, condenser, brackets and lines. Interior lighting can be tossed too. Do you really NEED power steering? :D

[Mibz]

So you'll have a cold, loud, uncomfortable, slow car that's a chore to drive instead of a slow car.

I don't follow your logic.

[Mr_ET]

Originally posted by ga16i
Because we can!! :) I stripped the back out of my '90 B12 sentra. Put in racing seats, 3pt harness, Momo steering wheel and 2 12" subs. It's even got a tach on the A pillar haha. Love blasting around in that thing in the winter.

Think the Stanza came with the KA24E, there should be a K&N filter for that. Carpets can go out too, or at least cut the back portion and throw that away. Reducing wheel size to 13" can give you more power too. Since speakers are going, remove all relating wiring as well along with antenna. Make sure you get the entire A/C system out. compressor, condenser, brackets and lines. Interior lighting can be tossed too. Do you really NEED power steering? :D

subs weigh more than the back seat you removed you're aware of that right?

[bituerbo]

Alright, I love projects like this, I totally understand the why... either you get it or you don't.

The steel beams in the doors shouldn't be there at all since the car was a '92, they weren't a requirement until '93 or '94 IIRC.

1) You would HUGELY benefit from swapping in a MT from a Sentra SE/SE-R or Altima SE, they are a 5spd (lighter) and have a limited slip diff. I know that involves putting money INTO it, but if you find the car at the pick'n'pull they probably don't know the altima is an SE and will give it to you for a few hundred (probably).

2) Since you are removing the rear seats, remove rear window regulators, tracks, all interior panels/levers, just leaving a pull-tab attached to the latch cable if you need to get out using the rear-door. Shift boot, headliner, glovebox, unused parts of the front dash. Do the pull-tab thing with the front doors, too.

3) Passenger wiper/wiper motor... the less your passenger sees, the less scared they will be (works towards keeping your gf, too).

4) Make your own fiberglass hood/fenders/trunk... roof?. Be creative.

5) Fluids... Never have more than half a tank of gas or half a tank of washer fluid. Plug your pass. washer nozzle so it lasts just as long.

[n1zm0]

ha a costanza, i have a U12 sitting in my garage i'm about to give to the kidney foundation (unless anyone wants it for say $750, need brake flush and temp sens replacement, it runs!), but i drove one for 3 years, toughest mfken car ever.

The thing i remember the hood being the heaviest, then i'd say the back seats.

but serious OP just drive it, its a great car but if you're serious, do your weight reduction, you can throw the nissan access rear sway on it, i also put on some 240 teardrops w/some used dunlop sports or something and it made hella difference. I was about to do a bluebird SR swap on it, then i realized i couldnt be seen on the street with a turbo costanza, just wasnt me lol.

*side note* if anyone wants my 5spd 92 Costanza for $750 OBO, please PM me :thumbsup:

[ga16i]

Originally posted by Mr_ET


subs weigh more than the back seat you removed you're aware of that right?

Yup, sure am. But with these daily beaters it really doesn't matter. It's about doing something different, something retarded, something that makes people go WTF??

These slow cars aren't THAT slow on the streets of Calgary. I probably drive faster in my GA16i powered B12 sentra than my CA18DET swapped 11psi S13 especially in this snow

According to Dynolicious, my B12 sentra is good for 21.xx on the 1/4mi and trap at 66.xMPH.

[Mr_ET]

Originally posted by ga16i


Yup, sure am. But with these daily beaters it really doesn't matter. It's about doing something different, something retarded, something that makes people go WTF??

These slow cars aren't THAT slow on the streets of Calgary. I probably drive faster in my GA16i powered B12 sentra than my CA18DET swapped 11psi S13 especially in this snow

According to Dynolicious, my B12 sentra is good for 21.xx on the 1/4mi and trap at 66.xMPH.

hehe that's smart car territory :) without the sub box you'd probably drop that to a cool 20;)

[DonJuan]

Originally posted by slack

After the easy stuff I'm going to have to get crafty to keep my girlfriend.

Other than the soundproofing, any suggestions for where else to drop weight?

Damn right You're gonna have to get crafty to keep your Girlfriend! Get her to call me... wait is she ugly?... get her to PM Arif (EK 2.0)
:D

On a serious note, I've had 2 of these Stanza's, and I know how infectious they are. They are great little cars and the KA24 has lots of low end torque making it really fun to drive. Then again both of mine were 5spd.

Seeing as you have pwr windows etc, you probably have a nicely optioned XE or the fully loaded SE. It would be such a waste to strip all those toys out. Why not just save up for a U12 Bluebird CA18DET/SR20DET Swap? Or you chould cheap out and just turbo your KA, or swap in a FWD KA24DE and then turbo it.

No need to drop all the weight and loose your girlfriend. And it would be way overkill for smart car competiton.

[89s1]

Why an auto trans?

my god, there are 100's of pos cars out there that are 5 speed and will at least give the illusion of brisk acceleration. :guns: