TeamSwift

OK, hey guys. We posted, we asked questions, we got a sprint turbo for dirt cheap (and it looks it), we got it running, now we got a build thread.

Here she is in all her bone stock glory....





Previous owner hadn't had it running in over 2 years. Turns out it needed a new coil and/or distributor. But she runs today! We took it for a spin today and we were quite impressed with the grunt of this little thing with both of us in the car. And we're at 5200 ft in elevation as well. We'll be updating this thread as it comes along. We'll be asking more questions so stay tuned!

Van

Got a couple things weighed out so far.

Spare jack and associated bits: 4 lbs 8.4 oz


Front seat and rails: 28 lbs 0.8 oz (to be fair, the seat is torn and missing a good bit of stuffing)


I don't have a pic, but I think the spare 12" wheel/tire weighed just under 24 lbs or so. Maybe Kinch can remind me.

The plan for this car is to build it to Street Prepared specs for SCCA Solo racing (autocross).

Long story short: suspension, full interior (race seats, short shifter, aftermarket steering wheel, harness, cage [optional]), stock engine/turbo but with header/intake/exhaust/tune, Rcompound tires, LSD (hopefully), etc. We're allowed to update/backdate with any parts that were available on any USDM sprint from 1985-1988. We ideally want to find an 85 or 86 base model as you would think those are the lightest. However, being as they had leaf springs in the rear, we're afraid that won't work with what we plan for the rears in the future. Unless the rear suspensions (coil vs leaf) had the exact same mounting points. Can anyone tell us if the answer is yes or no?

So at this point, the safe bet seems to be finding an '87 base model (should weigh less than the turbo) and then drop in the turbo3. I'm thinking a lot of that weight savings will be from the lack of trim pieces, center console, passenger mirror, cruise control, A/C, etc. It won't look as cool but it will be faster!

Expecting close to half a foot of snow tonight so might not get to much in the next few days. Hopefully Kinch can get it emissioned so we can take it to the truck stop and run it up on the scales for an initial weigh in.

A lot of the cars we'll be running against in FSP are around 150-200 lbs below stock curb weight. Not expecting to lose that much on an already barebones car but hoping we can find 100 lbs or so to shed. Things like a lightweight race battery should net us 15 lbs or so at least right off the bat. Also thinking about swapping in the smaller gas tank from the 85-86. Lightweight exhaust, race seats too. However, minimum weights for the seats and hardware is 25lbs. Seems like the stock seats are pretty close to that already. But a race seat in the drivers side should at least allow us to lose those 3 lbs while letting us sit lower and dropping the CG a bit. We'll actually be gaining weight in the wheel/tire department as 13" Hoosiers are a bit heavier than the skinny stock 12's!

We'll try to keep this thread going fairly often. Both Kinch and I have other competitive cars to autocross for the upcoming season so this build isn't going to be a rush job.

Feel free to ask questions and offer up thoughts!

Van

as for weight loss....you can try what guys doing similar with Porsche 911's do....that is drill large holes in all sorts of panels, of course making sure to keep structural integrity. Ive seen guys easily shave 10-20+ pounds off of a Pcar that way.

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Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

87-88 are the same and swapping to the 85-86 suspension would be downgrading IMO.

I don't think there would be but much weight difference if you swapped the turbo stuff.

Why not just remove those things from the turbo car? They were options for all the Sprints, not just the turbos. The only weight difference would be the ground effects, 5lbs maybe. And the larger front sway bar which I assume you would want.

Iirc they are shaped and mounted a little different. They are also carbureted so I doubt they'll have sufficient baffling for the fuel injected engine, especially for racing.

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1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo under construction

So a friend has an identical turbo sprint at his shop right now (coincidentally). So he rolled it up on the corner scales and got this....
This was weighed with full interior,stock wheels/tires, fluids, spare, jack, etc.



We'd like to take ours over and weigh it as well just to see how close ours is. I wouldn't expect it to differ much if at all.

Van

Previous owner had decided it was fine to drive around with two broken wheel studs. Well ok, we got those fixed up. Probably gonna replace these little stock ones with something a bit longer and more heavy duty. We wanna make sure the Hoosier A6's won't rip the studs off the hub! Took the car to its first autocross today. Bone stock and even on the old and crappy 155/12 all seasons. Here's video of my best run....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do1ANWSL ... e=youtu.be

It was fun for sure but definitely a handful. Not sure I should have turned down a codrive offer in a Nissan GTR to run this though! My friends said I was crazy for choosing the sprint over the GTR. It's ok though. I have a standing offer for the GTR so I'll take him up on that some other time.

We've got another autocross coming up in a month. Hoping to make a few tiny changes by then.

Van

Cool Video Thougt ! Would like to see a Point of View of you doing the Autocross with the car haha !

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G-Spot

Mk3 Geo Metro W/ Mk2 G10T

holy understeer batman. that engine does not sound like a 3 banger, for sure.

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Silver 2000 Firefly 4DR; 16V SOHC, 3 to 5 speed swap, install PS and AC, remote and auto start, PL, PW, kill and start switch, Valentine 1, behind-bumper CAI, 55MM TB with coolant-bypass, polyurethane-fill engine/shifter mounts, modified to short shifter, upgraded electrical system, CS130 alternator, 90/160W headlights + relay mod, ceramic H4 plug/harness
To do: finish stereo, 4000K H4 HIDs, short block replacement
'sponsored' by Captain Crunch, Lordco, Felpro, Permatex, Royal Purple

750kg .. about right on the nose for the stock car weight!!! Once you start to strip out all the stuff you don't need you can reduce it down by over 100kg's

Interesting to see the differences in each of the different corner weights

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There are three kinds of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't

Nice thing there to measure the weight on each corner ! I Would like to measure mine ! I'm Having an Mk3 Metro with a G10T and I stripped all the rear since it would be use for daily-drive / Track not for family ride.. I don't have kid's yet.. Maybe i'll remove at some point the passenger seat like it is now !

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G-Spot

Mk3 Geo Metro W/ Mk2 G10T

OK, so this is not really any update or progress but we borrowed some scales and weighed ours just to see where we are starting off from.


Not too bad cross-weight wise. Kinda curious as to why ours is so different than the other sprint turbo weight I posted previously. I can only guess the different set of scales and perhaps the levelness of the ground.

Took out the spare tire and jack and this is how it weighed.


No luck at the junkyard for spare parts/car.

Van

Sagging drivers spring can shift weight to diagonal corners as well, I weighed mine on several different flat surfaces, and on the flat but not level floor it only shifted a few lb's around the scale, not as much as I was expecting.

Here is my corner weights to give you an idea, remember my seat, steering and pedals are on the other side and the fuel and large muffler are over the left rear, 3/4 tank of fuel (2.5 gallons) and michelin slicks, don't forget there is probably 80-85lbs of rollcage.
My scales aren't as accurate as those nice Longacre ones you are using so the actual numbers could be +/-10lbs on each wheel but the weight distribution is what is most useful, about 66/33 improves to about 61/39 when I am in the car but then the cross weight is all messed up.

LF = 456lbs, RF = 462lbs
LR = 227lbs, RR = 231lbs

As you can see the weight reduction comes mostly out of the rear, what is harder to measure is the centre of gravity, these cars are far too tall so you need to keep the weight as low as possible.

really great data....



_____________________
20 year level term life insurance
GA Life Insurance

Took a few bits and pieces off and weighed them...

Center console piece: 1 lb 15 oz


Rear fender trim: 1 lb 13 oz for the pair


Got most of the A/C out at least the engine bay bits: about 30 lbs? No pics though.

We had some random springs laying around so took the stock front spring off: 3 lb 7.8 oz


Threw on some 6" 500 lb springs with a 2" spacer: 2 lb 13 oz


We had initially put just the 6" spring on and the car looked aggressively low but after rolling the fenders and cutting the plastic liner, it still rubbed on full lock with the 195/50/15 Toyo R1R's. This was figured out this morning at the autocross so we just put the spacer back on and we'll deal with it later. Besides this is just a temp setup just for fun.



The wheels are Team Dynamics 15x7 at around 14.5 lbs a piece. The tire/wheel setup is a little bit heavier than the stock 12" setup.

Van

Autocross today. Car was surprisingly nimble on our tight course. Definitely, definitely need a limited slip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViuUaP8Y ... e=youtu.be

Van

Put some smaller rubber on that thing, and it'll handle WAY better.

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

This is our "rain" setup. Toyo R1R's are a beast in the rain vs Hoosier Wets and the Kumho W710's and at a fraction of the cost.

There is no better "street" tire that is smaller than the 195/15 Toyo R1R.

13" Hoosiers will come eventually but not anytime soon as we have other more dedicated race cars to tinker with instead.

Van

It sounds like your lugging that thing around in third gear. Why not use the gt steering wheel ?

_________________
Silver 2000 Firefly 4DR; 16V SOHC, 3 to 5 speed swap, install PS and AC, remote and auto start, PL, PW, kill and start switch, Valentine 1, behind-bumper CAI, 55MM TB with coolant-bypass, polyurethane-fill engine/shifter mounts, modified to short shifter, upgraded electrical system, CS130 alternator, 90/160W headlights + relay mod, ceramic H4 plug/harness
To do: finish stereo, 4000K H4 HIDs, short block replacement
'sponsored' by Captain Crunch, Lordco, Felpro, Permatex, Royal Purple

Toyo has R888's in 185/60/13's. Don't know if they're better or not but they are smaller. Pretty close to the stock tire diameter too.

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1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo under construction

The 888's are miles better but the treadwear rating is very low so not classed as a 'street' tire in many classes, also they need a bit of heat which you don't get in such a short autocross.

Those 195's are huge though and mk1's don't handle very well at best, being up that high you must surely get vertigo or motion sickness with all the rolling and pitching

I did have the 4x4 look going on!

Yeah the Toyo R1R is about as close to an R compound tire as you can get with the treadwear rating still 140 or above. This tire has been proven to be a top tier tire for rain and we had these lying around as extras from another race car so that's why we're running them.

Our dry setup will be crazy short and meaty I promise!

Just to reiterate, this car is a slow work in progress and we're not in any hurry to build it up just yet. Things that will be done eventually as time and money allows are: steering wheel, short shifter, engine rebuild, megasquirt/tune, headers, exhaust, cut fenders, trim pieces removed, radio/speakers removed, racing seats, etc. etc., yada yada yada.

Van

Some more weight out of the car:

Front mats - 6 lbs 10.6 oz
Rear mats - 2 lbs 2 oz
Rear view mirror - 9.7 oz
Visors - 1 lb 0.4 oz
Front speakers - 1 lb 13.4 oz
Radio - 4 lb 1 oz
Both side skirts - 4 lb 15.6 oz

Van

Stock cat = 5 lb 12.4 oz

Van

We picked up a Grant racing wheel for free. It's a 13" which is a little bigger than what we wanted but hey, it was free. Actually though, the size might be just right considering we eventually will be trying to turn big sticky tires with no power steering. We'll see though. We did save some weight which is good. Stock steering wheel is 4 lb 2 oz.

Here's the weight of the Grant. (there are others a good bit lighter though)....



Van