300ZX Turbo Track(ish) Car Build

[r0tor]

Anybody use a Braille battery?

I was checking them out last night, looks like I could cut 30lbs just from changing over to a Braille. They aren't too bad either, about 150 bucks.

They go dead after a few days

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I've read mixed reviews. If you have a batter tender for long periods of inactivity, it might be fine.

The car is always on a battery tender, I have one wired in so I just plug it in after I park.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

They go dead after a few days

According to Braille, that's exactly what they don't do.

For 150 bucks though I'm sure I'll just try one, probably the best "mod" for weight savings per dollar.

[hotrodalex]

Taking the hood and doors off is free.

[S204STi]

[r0tor]

According to Braille, that's exactly what they don't do.

For 150 bucks though I'm sure I'll just try one, probably the best "mod" for weight savings per dollar.

Per the real world, that's exactly what they do.

[Eye of the Tiger]

What causes them to die in the real world? I want one now.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Do they die even if on a battery tender? I'd find it hard to believe, as Braille would be giving out replacement batteries left and right.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I'm going to try to finish up my pads and ramps this weekend so I can get an initial weight. I have an old slip from a few years ago from the weight station, IIRC it was just a hair over 3400 lbs(1/2 tank?, no driver). I'll get a new start weight and start pulling a few things out of it.

I'm also going to get a bunch of measurements too. Current(starting) ride height, suspension measurements and other geometry measurements so I can have something to do up some drawings.

[Rupert]

Cool thread.

[S204STi]

Do they die even if on a battery tender? I'd find it hard to believe, as Braille would be giving out replacement batteries left and right.

Take it with a grain of salt, but most of these reports probably come from import owners with a glass-shattering sound system. Hondas use batteries roughly the same size as these Brailles, and don't seem to have a problem. Which, I guess, might indicate that a Honda Civic battery might be a good alternative, but I mean, if the cost isn't a deterrent you might as well try it out for your own sake.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Take it with a grain of salt, but most of these reports probably come from import owners with a glass-shattering sound system. Hondas use batteries roughly the same size as these Brailles, and don't seem to have a problem. Which, I guess, might indicate that a Honda Civic battery might be a good alternative, but I mean, if the cost isn't a deterrent you might as well try it out for your own sake.

I probably will, and I'm pretty good with my batteries. I use tenders for long periods of time during the summer and normally pull them and bring them indoors in the winter.

I'm trying to shave 200 to 300 lbs off of this car, which will be pretty difficult. So it's hard to turn away from a 30lb weight savings like this.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I bet you could shave another 30 lbs if you ripped out the whole interior.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I bet you could shave another 30 lbs if you ripped out the whole interior.

The car is complete at the moment, so there is some decent and easy weight savings to be had. Space saver spare and jacks and inflater bottle along with a few miscellaneous other pieces might be 50 lbs right there. Plus 30(ish) pounds for the battery. From then on it will be pretty tough. I'm sure I'll hit 200, but 300 might be a stretch. Under 3200 with a tank of gas ready to drive would be great. I am trying to keep it pretty "streetable" looking. So I'd like to keep most of the interior intact. We'll see, I'm going to weight everything individually as I take it out.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The car is complete at the moment, so there is some decent and easy weight savings to be had. Space saver spare and jacks and inflater bottle along with a few miscellaneous other pieces might be 50 lbs right there. Plus 30(ish) pounds for the battery. From then on it will be pretty tough. I'm sure I'll hit 200, but 300 might be a stretch. Under 3200 with a tank of gas ready to drive would be great. I am trying to keep it pretty "streetable" looking. So I'd like to keep most of the interior intact. We'll see, I'm going to weight everything individually as I take it out.

Remove that huge fuel tank. Mount a 1-gallon polyethylene fuel cell in the passenger seat.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Plus the tires that are on it now are heavy, going down a size and going with something light weight might save me 10 lbs at each corner. Plus all the light weight suspension stuff I'm putting in might be another 8-10 per corner. That would be huge and very beneficial since a majority of that would be unsprung weight. Aluminum driveshaft is 15lbs(one piece). The stock steel 2 piece shaft with the carrier has to be pretty heavy, might pick up 20lbs there(rotating mass).

If I can get numbers like that, and in critical places like rotating or unsprung then I'll be just fine with the extra weight of the full(ish) interior.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Remove that huge fuel tank. Mount a 1-gallon polyethylene fuel cell in the passenger seat.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Can you get all aluminuminum axles and control arms, and carbon fiber rotors or something? Or does it just make more sense to crank up the boost?

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Can you get all aluminuminum axles and control arms, and carbon fiber rotors or something? Or does it just make more sense to crank up the boost?

The suspension stuff is pretty light, but the stronger pieces are not made of aluminum. Yes, I have carbon fiber rotors, and wheels too. The wheels actually weight -10 lbs, they consume weight.

[Eye of the Tiger]

You could convert it to run on CNG and just stick a fuel line up your butt.
Or srsly, how about running it on ethanol?

[Eye of the Tiger]

The suspension stuff is pretty light, but the stronger pieces are not made of aluminum. Yes, I have carbon fiber rotors, and wheels too. The wheels actually weight -10 lbs, they consume weight.

That is fucking crazy.

[12,000 RPM]

I want to go on record and say this build thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Char's

The Garage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Luxury Talk

Sports cars >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> off-secretary leases

[r0tor]

Do they die even if on a battery tender? I'd find it hard to believe, as Braille would be giving out replacement batteries left and right.

Probably on a better tender all the time they will be fine.  If your car has any kind of small electrical load while being off, it will discharge in a matter of days... But would probably charge back up.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Probably on a better tender all the time they will be fine.  If your car has any kind of small electrical load while being off, it will discharge in a matter of days... But would probably charge back up.

If it isn't driven it's on a tender.

[68_427]

Any possibility of going lexan for the front and rear windows?

[S204STi]

I wouldn't do lexan in front for a road car...

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Any possibility of going lexan for the front and rear windows?

I thought about it for the rear hatch glass. That piece is huge, I was going to see if there was a way to compute the weight difference. If it turned out to be significant I would do it.

[68_427]

Something like this for the front?



Why wouldn't you do it?

[AutobahnSHO]

Something like this for the front?



Why wouldn't you do it?

because safety

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I found a place that sells windows for race cars. They have every window for my car. Problem is that they are located in the uk.