355 Challenge Minimum Weight

I have some old 355Challenge literature that lists the minimum weight as 1355kg (2987#s). Translated from Italian it says something like "as it crosses the finish line", so I'm assuming this is with minimal fuel and without driver; although you'd hope it would cross the finish line with a driver??

Anyway, my car with other fluids full and one gallon of gas weighs about 2900#s. This is after what I thought was a pretty serious diet. I do have a heavier roll cage, and a fuel cell that probably weighs a few pounds more than the removed tank, but I expected to be more than 87#'s below the minimum. We found some old ballast in my car that I'd assumed was to make the Challenge weight, but it may have been for another body. SCCA T1?

Were these cars racing right at the minimum weight back in the day? What do other currently running 355's weigh? Are 360Challenge's quite a bit lighter?

Thanks,

Mark

 

Anyone have any weights for Challenge cars, current or past??
Thanks,
Mark

 

348 was 3050. Not sure about 355, but I am sure someone has the book.

 

I got my 348 with giant wing and front splitter down to 2816 with 1/2 tank of gas and me in it. I'm not sure the dry weight. Look at the SCCA GCR for T-1. They have the min weight for the 355 and the 360


http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/Touring.pdf

 

Wow, that is very light. Judging from your screen name, I'd guess you're not way under 200#'s, and with ~60#'s of fuel, that put's your car in the 2550# range.
I'd love to get my 355C close to that. I've seen your comments on cage design, so I'm assuming you have a pretty substantial cage. Do you have a full carbon/fiberglass body?
How did you lose so much weight?
Thanks,
Mark

 

Coincidentally, I just got a note from Kevin Mixon about Hallett, that showed my car as ST2. Sadly, I won't be able to join you guys at Hallett.

I told Kevin so, and wrote that I thought my car was probably ST1 with slicks and weight. I did recently dyno it, but haven't done the points sheet. Like you said, the fields have been so small that it hasn't really mattered.

I will try to coordinate with you, if I do any Texas/Hallett races. I do miss it.

See you later,

Mark

 

Well I just took out everything that did not make the car fast including ditching some body parts like mirrors which weigh a ton and cost me straight line speed. I did quote you an error. I was 2816 wet w/o me in the car but that was before even more dieting. I started cutting off all those little screw numbs welded all over the car that was not needed. My rear bumper was hollowed out and partly cut away. I ran w/o inner fender liners and my exhaust became straight pipes off the headers with aluminum supports etc.. Before my car was sold off I was under 2800 conservatively 2750 wet. There was still more to go. So yes dry my car is light...20L coolant, gas, 1 gal gear oil, brake fluid, 11L oil that adds up to alot. And I did run a thick cage because the car started out in street trim over 3000lb so I used 120 wall dom. I could have used 95 wall and saved more weight and been legal in cage thickness. I even ran a huge heavy full containment aluminum seat that had 1/4" plate doubled up in some areas. So a dry car 2550lb range is very doable. I even think you can actually save weight and be safer by going to a fuel cell if properly designed. I think that this is alot why 355 and 360c's would not pull me and my cheater aerodynamics. On my local tracks I was never beat by a 355 and I beat most 360's. There were just a couple guys in a 360 who everytime I saw them would go around me so fast I got dizzy.

 

The generic C5Z06 fits right in st2 by the formula. There could be a couple cheater cars but there always is even in spec miata where the top guys spend $7000 on amazing motor rebuild at the absolute limit of the rules. Even in spec classes not everyone is happy.

 

Things are not always what they seem....

 

Last one I weighed was at 3120. I have see some as low as 2850 with removal of window motors, a/c unit and piping, carbon bumpers, etc...

I know some even go as far as removing undercoating, but I don`t see that as saving much for the trouble.


Regards, Jim

 

yes but it all adds up. There is probably 40 lbs of undercoating. I cut off all the orphan 6mm studs welded to the car and had 10lbs worth. I even gutted my roof until it was a skin then attached it with light fastners no OE hardware. This is my weight wet during a corner balance years ago before even more extreme dieting was done and there was still more to go.
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I put my 1995 355 Ch on the scales the other day. With a full tank of gas and no windows it weighed in a 3062 LBS.