Fibreglass / carbonfibre tailgate

[olidaviesuk]

All,

Does anyone know if there are fibreglass tailgates available for the 5? Used to be able to get them for the novas that I used to race, but had a good search on the internet this afternoon with no joy..

Currently 100kg over the weight limit with the cup, the standard tailgate must weigh at least 35-40kg so think that'll be a good place to start. (and the only body panel that I can replace with a composite one - don't ask weird regs) I know somewhere that'll do a custom one, but not cheap, so if anyone knows anywhere that does them off the shelf, would be helpful.

Ta

Oli

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

I cant say i have heard of a company that does them of the shelf.

What fuel tank you running? Windows?

[olidaviesuk]

standard tank(ish) foam filled, aux tank etc is gone. so not sure replacing with an alloy job will save much weight as tailgate? cant do windows or interior plastics cos of regs, though the hole saw will be coming out...

Need to get it down to 820kg (fuel empty) with me in it.. at the mo is around 920kg

[Blick]

bloody hell a 100kg is a fair bit to shave off a stripped 5 matey.... think you may have to hole saw everythin.

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

You need to lose weight then....

Also what about front bumper? standard they heavy, & yet some aftermarkets are alot lighter.

You could try drilling out a few holes like....

https://www.rtoc.org/boards/album.php...pictureid=2737

&

https://www.rtoc.org/boards/album.php...pictureid=2738

Borrowed these from Winston's folder....

Also good to see another cup car in Kent

[sphinX]

LOL at the holes! looks cool

[Blick]

maybe a super lightweight seat and a carbon fibre/fibreglass bonnet may help!? if you can sort out a fibreglass tailgate you cant be far off after all that possible hole saw action

[Junglist]

shame you cant do windows as polycarbonate ones realy bring the weight down

[*Yellow*]

Need to get it down to 820kg (fuel empty) with me in it.. at the mo is around 920kg

Oli, you`ve seen mine and with poly windows, trim stripped with doors cut out and the ali tank. Last time we weighed the car it was 753KG.

You better get busy with that holesaw mate, or.... come and race with us where the regs are a bit more relaxed and we can race together

[Chris Hebden]

Exceptionally cheeky question but how much do you weigh ? What about your wheels, how much do they weigh?

[alister]

make your own tailgate, if it doesnt have to be pretty looking is very easy, use the original one as the mould, window out, plenty of tape and pva glue as release agent then lay up, trim when green. after its off, reinforce in areas where it flexis about, bit of perspex in it, bonnet pins used to hold it on, job done!

[olidaviesuk]

Looks like most of the weight is the glass and tank then! As mine isn't massively different.. Under the bonnet is going on a diet thanks to matt, have a long list of stuff to bin.. Will see what else can go..

Is very, very tempting, once its reliable I think I may come and have a play, that'd be two 5's on the track racing at the same time, gotta be five years since at least

Oli, you`ve seen mine and with poly windows, trim stripped with doors cut out and the ali tank. Last time we weighed the car it was 753KG.

You better get busy with that holesaw mate, or.... come and race with us where the regs are a bit more relaxed and we can race together

[olidaviesuk]

not enough to make cutting the KFC's out worth doing , wheels are williams speedlines, I suppose I could go clio 15" steelies but doubt would make more than 3kg a difference a corner.... suppose thats still 12kg, but the tailgate seems the easiest way to make a big hit.. have to get the gloves and GRP out as A, suggests..

Exceptionally cheeky question but how much do you weigh ? What about your wheels, how much do they weigh?

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

oli,

could you not use the 13" cup rims? Why you gone for 15"s?

[Andrew Cooke]

the tailgate isn't very heavy, cut the extra steel bits off it and I bet you won't get a fibreglass one lighter.

But your car is bloody heavy, standard cup car weighs 780Kg with glass, cage, and a load of plastics. You can pull a load of weight out yet...

15" super L is ~5Kg

[Andrew Cooke]

oli,

could you not use the 13" cup rims? Why you gone for 15"s?

cup rims are heavy

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

cup rims are heavy

Thus is true, but surely it would also depend on what 15" wheels are being used?

[alister]

i started to make a fibreglass one, the weight was very different, but would be no good for a roadcar, mine went wrong as thought it would be easier to flush the numberplate area with cardboard, and it stuck to the fiberglass even tho was covered in pva, lesson learnt tho!

[olidaviesuk]

Other than the wheels it is standard cup, as assuming the 780kg is dry, hence, given that a litre of fuel is 0.73kg:

Car is 780
Me 85
Tank of gas (56l) 41

Total 905kg

So not far off what I weighed in at, hence, an alloy tank and halfing the fuel that i'm carrying would be the first place to start... As well as getting excess weight using the hole saw

the tailgate isn't very heavy, cut the extra steel bits off it and I bet you won't get a fibreglass one lighter.

But your car is bloody heavy, standard cup car weighs 780Kg with glass, cage, and a load of plastics. You can pull a load of weight out yet...

15" super L is ~5Kg

[Andrew Cooke]

Thus is true, but surely it would also depend on what 15" wheels are being used?

I saved about 8Kg when I took the cup wheels off

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

not enough to make cutting the KFC's out worth doing , wheels are williams speedlines, I suppose I could go clio 15" steelies but doubt would make more than 3kg a difference a corner.... suppose thats still 12kg, but the tailgate seems the easiest way to make a big hit.. have to get the gloves and GRP out as A, suggests..

You can weigh one of my Clio 15"steelies if you like...? Or the matt black 'unknown make' 15" wheels i had on the other black R5........

[stu21t]

You can get a fibreglass tailgate
It's from that german company reichard motorsport I think

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

Yep, 3.5kgs.....Expensive though.

[RussellT]

I have a mold and could get one made in fibreglass or carbon fibre by the skeleton crew thats still working out of the old TVR factory. Would you like me to find out how much it would cost?

[olidaviesuk]

Cheers Matt, Gonna take you up on that..

Think Clio steelies may be the way to go, I know the standard 5 cup steels are heavier than my Willams 15"s - I'll weigh one my spare ones this week, will be interesting to compare, although I suspect the difference between the williams speedlines and steels will be negiligable for the effort and cost involved (even though its unsprung weight )

Still thinking Tailgate and tank is the way to go, going to put my tailgate on the scales this week.. be nice to know how much the glass wieghs, as if I can save 10kg with the tailgate that would be a nice chunk!

You can weigh one of my Clio 15"steelies if you like...? Or the matt black 'unknown make' 15" wheels i had on the other black R5........

[olidaviesuk]

pm'd

I have a mold and could get one made in fibreglass or carbon fibre by the skeleton crew thats still working out of the old TVR factory. Would you like me to find out how much it would cost?

[turbodave]

im also interested in a fiberglass or carbon tailgate so would be interesting to know a price and where to get them.

[J$£5GTT]

Looks like most of the weight is the glass and tank then! As mine isn't massively different.. Under the bonnet is going on a diet thanks to matt, have a long list of stuff to bin.. Will see what else can go..

Is very, very tempting, once its reliable I think I may come and have a play, that'd be two 5's on the track racing at the same time, gotta be five years since at least

carbon fibre rocker cover!!

[RAGOONEY]

I would also be interested in a carbon fibre tailgate......

[Andrew Cooke]

All you guys with road cars should forget about FG/carbon tailgates, I doubt you'll be happy with the fit. It's one thing making a panel to use on a track car which only has to look good as it flits by at 90mph, it's another making one that stands up to close examination, keeps the weather out, and uses all the standard hinges and locks. My tailgate will end up screwed in place, attached to a number of tabs rivetted around the opening.

[Chris Hebden]

My tailgate will end up screwed in place, attached to a number of tabs rivetted around the opening.

Basically how the panels are held on as standard