Operation Featherweight

So I removed some of the paneling in the old teg one day, for purposes of cleaning. However, the removal of paneling and components became something of an obsession and I decided to see how much of a burden I could lift off the engine's shoulders, or in this case, hindquarters. I wanted this to be quick and easy, and I pretty much intended to put everything back, so I did not remove the A/C or anything else under the hood for that matter. This was strictly about stripping the interior. Also, if any speed increase was realized, it would be important for me to be able to share that experience with a co-pilot, so the front passenger seat had to stay in. I did remove it once, and I should have weighed it then. It was somewhat heavy, though not as bad as I had expected. I'd guess it was about 25 pounds, so you can add that to the list if you like.

Okay, here's what I ripped out:

It all started with the console. It was just so damn dirty, I wanted to take it out and give it a true cleansing. The kind I couldn't give it without removing it. I also removed the ash tray, cigarette lighter, etc. All of this is included in the weight.
Weight Savings: 6 lbs

Along with the console came the leather wrap for the shifter. It didn't weigh anything, but it was really nasty so I removed it. I took a picture after I was half done cleaning it. Look at the difference! Oh, and the shifter knob didn't add much weight. Besides, you wouldn't really want to drive without it anyway, so it doesn't count.
Weight Savings: Negligible

Do these look familiar? On the left we have the trunk rug, underneath which lies the trunk board (or liner, or whatever) which is shown in the center, and on the right we have the upper deck sill thing (again, name unknown).
Weight Savings: 14 lbs

Okay, underneath all that stuff lies the spare tire. Just make sure you have a good AAA membership before driving without it. Definite weight reduction though.
Weight Savings: 23 lbs

And here are all the goodies I put inside the spare tire--jumper cables, tire iron, and electric tire pump. Good things to have, but for the true lightweight freak, they are just fat begging to be trimmed away.
Weight Savings: 10 lbs

To drop more weight, you gotta rip out the rear seats. Here's where I was a bit let down, or maybe pleased depending on how you look at it. I was expecting them to weigh more for some reason, so I didn't get quite the weight reduction I wanted. Still, it's good to know that having them in there doesn't cost you much. The seat comes apart into two top pieces, each 10 pounds, and one bottom piece, also 10 pounds. So the total is...
Weight Savings: 30 lbs

And while there may be little sense in having a fast or nimble vehicle without the tunes to go along with it, I had to remove my stero anyway, so I made sure to weigh it. This item should only be considered for removal by absolute lightweight beasts, hounds, monsters, extremists. However, I don't have a sub, and I've lifted some of those dual-sub enclosures. Add in the drivers (speakers, not people) and maybe an amp or two and you've got some serious weight. In short: subs not recommended for the hardcore lightweight enthusiast. But let's assume you just remove the CD player:
Weight Savings: 4 lbs

Total Weight Savings: 87 lbs (112 lbs w/o front passenger seat)

Side note: of course there's about a 75 pound difference between an empty tank and a full one (the Integra has a 12 gallon tank, give or take). For maximum weight savings, one should keep the tank at around a quarter (going too low not only increases your chances of running out of gas, but it can be bad for the car).

So I was reasonably pleased with the weight savings though it doesn't really seem worth driving around with it stripped down all the time. Also, one could argue that I'm pulling too much weight off the back of the car and affecting its steering characteristics. But if I really cared I could always drop the A/C, move the battery back, and get a carbon fiber hood or something, so let's not worry about that for now. There was still plenty of trim left to remove, but I got sick of stripping the car down, so I had to stop where I did. I might be able to get another 35 pounds out of all of that, but after that something more serious would have to give. So I probably dropped the majority of the weight that I could drop without putting in lots of effort or spending money (yikes!). Coolness.

Oh yeah. There are some shots of the stripped vehicle.

Did you know the fuel pump access panel was underneath the rear seats?

Here's something similar to it, perhaps related, I'm not sure.

I noticed some moisture under the spare tire and the rear seats. It rained the night before, so maybe the moisture in the air or evaporated rain from the street condensed on the sheet metal...or maybe it just got kicked up into the car while I was driving...hmm.

And here's what the handbrake internals look like. (I made a quick adjustment to the tension while I was at it.)

Finally, we come to what's left after ripping out the console. It's hard to see, but that white stuff under the carpeting is styrofoam! No room for weight reduction there...

That's it for now. Perhaps there is even more serious lightening in store for my Integra...