The Ecobeamer

[rzerob]

the battery can only be a maximum of 5 feet from the ford power distribution box, its already in the best location in possibly can be.

Why is this? How does it effect the vehicle when it is beyond 5ft? Too much resistance in a cable stretched to the trunk? I can't see how running a trunk mounted battery would effect it in any negative way.

[hkv]

A few things to consider, with less weight, the weigh in the wrong areas has a bigger effect. A full interior Car with sound deadening might be closer to 50/50

A cage will help with rear weight.

A “spec” E30 prepped car the shop runs is 45% rear with 1/2 tank and 175lb driver weight.

Could try moving the seat all the way back, move radiators further back. Move expansion tank back. Carbon hood. Aluminum control arms, carbon front bodywork, carbon rotors, ... :)

Maybe put battery back in the trunk. Or radiators.

yeah especially if I kept all that trunk tar it would be closer to 50/50

I was thinking about that and decided im going to build a cage, nothing hardcore but something like a 4-10 point cage mostly in the rear part of the car, should be a fun project.

ok, so these spec e30 racers tend to be around 55%front/45%rear? that makes sense that a stripped car would be even more front biased than stock which I understand is about 53/47.

interesting ideas, allot of them are expensive or not possible. for example the battery can only be a maximum of 5 feet from the ford power distribution box, its already in the best location in possibly can be. expansion tank would work and be easy but theres not much to gain there.



heres the weight with me in the car but still short of 55lbs of fuel and passenger side seat:


so obviously I have way more weight on the front left corner than I want and could seriously use some weight in the back right corner.
the front/rear weight distribution really isn't that bad at all, what needs work more than anything is the left side/right side distribution so that's what im going to focus on. going to build a roll cage and install water meth and passenger seat and see where that gets me.

because I think once I do all that things will be much better and the car will be much better balanced although it will be well over 100lbs heavier which is no fun but I think I can settle for a 2350lb curb weight

[moatilliatta]

A few things to consider, with less weight, the weigh in the wrong areas has a bigger effect. A full interior Car with sound deadening might be closer to 50/50

A cage will help with rear weight.

A “spec” E30 prepped car the shop runs is 45% rear with 1/2 tank and 175lb driver weight.

Could try moving the seat all the way back, move radiators further back. Move expansion tank back. Carbon hood. Aluminum control arms, carbon front bodywork, carbon rotors, ... :)

Maybe put battery back in the trunk. Or radiators.

[hkv]

You're killin' it, man.

my mane, thanks dog

[DividedBeing]

You're killin' it, man.

[hkv]

Factory tank is such a great location, Don't put a cell in the back unless you have to.

Where was your fuel level at?

Id just look at ways to get weight off the front.

yeah im not going to do anything with my fuel cell, it is in the absolute best possible position. it is as low as possible and right in front of the rear subframe so nice and central too.

my fuel level was actually only a quarter tank full so when full it will be about 55lbs heavier which is fantastic as that will help things allot.

when I install my water meth system I will put the reservoir and pump in the corner of the trunk about where the original battery was, that will help add about 20lbs to the back passenger side of the car so that's good.

I was thinking of adding a wing to add some weight to the rear but a legit one is just too much money I think. going to fabricate a gurney flap instead to reduce drag.

if I ever went to a mountune dry sump system I would put the oil reservoir in the trunk by the water meth system but that's really just too much expense and work at least for now.

no passenger seat yet so adding that will help a little bit maybe(20-30lbs slightly offset to rear?)



not that all this matters too much for a guy like me, just trying to get the car as well built and as much potential performance as possible.

I gotta say though I am just dumbfounded how I ended up with 53% front and 47%rear weight distribution. my complete powertrain(engine, bellhousing, clutch flywheel, tranny) weighs probably about 500-550lbs wet (300lb engine,75lbs bellhousing/clutch/flywheel/PP, 120lbs tranny, 25lbs oil) just guessing those numbers and a little conservatively guessing at that. I wish I weighed it. so decent weight but its so far back. honestly really surprised it ended up front biased to that degree.

anybody else surprised about that? I was expecting rear weight bias.

[moatilliatta]

Factory tank is such a great location, Don't put a cell in the back unless you have to.

Where was your fuel level at?

Id just look at ways to get weight off the front.

[hkv]

You probably have 30lbs of rivets on the car.

haha MAYBE 3lbs

[rzerob]

You probably have 30lbs of rivets on the car.

[hkv]

still have the sunroof so deleting that would get me just under 2200lbs something like 2190lbs I think

[hkv]

I corner weighed the car.

curb weight with all fluids and a half tank of gas(no hood though): 2225lbs.... pretty dang good, Ive been telling people at car meets it should be around 2200lbs

weight distribution: 53% front/ 47% rear...…. pretty damn surprised about that to be honest, might've put fuel cell in trunk knowing this now although it would have negatively affected polar moment of inertia

left side/ride side weight distribution: 50/50... obviously when im in the car this will be changed.











overall im pretty satisfied with these results, not much i imagine i can change at this point to improve things but they are pretty good as they are, am still very curious to get weights with me in the car though.

like i said i am very surprised at my front to rear weight distribution

[hkv]

once I removed all my tools laying in the car and things settled in, the car actually has not nearly as much noise anymore. so I can hear the exhaust better

[hkv]

l

To beeeeee fair, you don't have much in the way of sound deadening in there (read:None) and that firewall is quite a bit closer to you than it was in a previous life. Regardless, if it's to be a track toy/hoonmobile then who cares, right? Shit's cool man I dig it.

lmao yeah, I guess if everybody else gets to enjoy the sweet exhaust noise I can manage with loud af clutch, body, road ect. noise with some jet engine level turbo whistle mixed in. I still have going under overpasses to look forward too lol!

[formyhealth]

motorswap malone…..

thanks man I appreciate it. I think she does sound pretty good from the outside. from the inside the drivetrain noise and body noise is really loud and it sounds drone-y

To beeeeee fair, you don't have much in the way of sound deadening in there (read:None) and that firewall is quite a bit closer to you than it was in a previous life. Regardless, if it's to be a track toy/hoonmobile then who cares, right? Shit's cool man I dig it.

[hkv]

First off!






Secondly, that sounds really nice! Way to go man, happy you pulled it off.

motorswap malone…..

thanks man I appreciate it. I think she does sound pretty good from the outside. from the inside the drivetrain noise and body noise is really loud and it sounds drone-y