49.5 lbs of tar...

[hoveringuy]

...out of my trunk. I would never have thougth it really weighed that much until I filled up a shopping bag with the stuff. I'm sure BMW put it there for a reason but I'd rather have the weight out .

It took me about an hour total to get out using a hot air gun and a scraper. Heat it up well and it peels right out.

I used charcoal lighter fluid to get the residue out.

I don't notice a huge difference in driving, but there is an incremental improvement in acceleration, like when you take all the groceries or luggage out.

Hoveringuy

[JRKOUPE]

...out of my trunk. I would never have thougth it really weighed that much until I filled up a shopping bag with the stuff. I'm sure BMW put it there for a reason but I'd rather have the weight out .

It took me about an hour total to get out using a hot air gun and a scraper. Heat it up well and it peels right out.

I used charcoal lighter fluid to get the residue out.

I don't notice a huge difference in driving, but there is an incremental improvement in acceleration, like when you take all the groceries or luggage out.

Hoveringuy

yup....lke 50 lbs.....!!!

[VAPORBLADE]

What did you do? Scrape it out with a putty knife? Damn! How long was that process?

[hoveringuy]

Really not that long at all. The heat gun softened the tar "glue" enough that it peeled right up. It took maybe 40 minutes to get the tar up, another 20 to clean the residue.

I figure at 15lbs/hp I effectivley gained close to 4hp!

Hoveringuy

[Justin B]

How do you figure the 15lbs/1hp loss? That's a considerable amount for just 50 pounds of junk, I guess it could feel like (yes, I read the "effectively") it but I dunno..maybe :P

[hoveringuy]

Roughly figuring, my cars weighs 2700 lbs and has 180hp. That's 15lbs for each hp. Considering that F=MA and all that, removing 50lbs nets the same gains in acceleration as adding around 3 1/2 hp.

Hoveringuy

[Garageaholic]

how has your handling changed? I suspect you don't have a spare either.

[hoveringuy]

I don't know how the handling has changed. I really don't spend much time driving at the cornering limits, except for the occasional on or off ramp.

When I do, I discover all the things my kids have left in the backseat!

I still have the spare, I'm not trying to strip it down to nothing, but I'll probably ditch the tool kit and replace my battery with a lighter one when it dies.

Hoveringuy

[Garageaholic]

a lighter battery? what do you mean

[hoveringuy]

Sealed Lead Acid batteries are lighter.

http://www.stealth316.com/2-dynabatt.htm

[mops]

aswell under in-cabin carpet there's a lot of tar, but it requires carpet removal (not that difficult)

[325iCabrio]

aswell under in-cabin carpet there's a lot of tar, but it requires carpet removal (not that difficult)

I hope that's the case for me. My top's leaked for so long onto the carpet that, if I don't have tar, I'd probably fall out of the bottom of the car on the freeway one day. :crazy:

Hoveringuy, how do you think removing the tar changed the weight distribution? When I see posts like this I always wonder how it changes and whether it bothers anyone if it does.

[hoveringuy]

I'm sure it changed the weight distribution a little bit.

I'm not a test driver and would have a hard time telling at the limit. I'm guessing it would push slightly more.

To compensate, I slid the battery back an extra notch towards the rear. On my car there are two mounting tabs; a regular one for a short battery and a another one about 3" farther to the rear for a longer battery. I put a spacer on the forward side of the battery and slid it 3" to the rear and used the rear mounting hole for the hold-down.

3" x 40lbs = a decent shift towards the rear of weight.

I call it good.

Hoveringuy