Quote from: shnazzle on July  8, 2023, 12:38Funny how a bit of cross-pollination can lead to cost effective results

Susprising that it took 2 decades to reach our ´shores´   

Anyway, happy it reached mé    Am véry much chuffed with of course the lightness added but also with it being from the Prius    It proves a point for me: The Toyota engineers bent even further backwards in weight reduction for the Prius than for their roadster...

Adding lightness; the gift that keeps on giving: Faffing with the carbon crap thought of something different agaín.



Going to take some time though    getting the right sized tubing out here.

So, rédoubling the efforts to get to my own lightness regained. The good care by charming companies does have a down side 
Cycling like a hare, eating like a rabbit, also the other thing rabbits do and the rediculous heat here helps as well. We are having 28 degrees C. at night and 42 - 44!! daytime. In the shade mind so the mid day sun is shunned by mad dogs even.
I trý to do have all cycling done before eleven-ish. Because of the high temps the heart pumps a lót faster and the muscles work better though they also ache more after. It tires me wáy more but it makes progress quicker too. Highly motivating! Lightness here I come....

Bits ordered: Should, fingers x-ed, be 1 kg deleted.
By the time it gets here and then me modding, I will have deleted several times that cycling. Most likely saving more than the cost of the bits on food 

One annoyance waiting to go wrong replaced with lightness









Looks simpler than it was btw.   Even had to take out the universal tool compatible with any car; the angle/radial grinder ....

Just moved some stuff around, among which the bag with the OEM brake calipers; BEEJEEZUS    those 2,4 kilos of no-lightness sure make a difference!

I tótally dig your logic btw @Ardent.

Succinctly put; adding power has deminishing returns whereas adding lightness has increasing returns.

It is my main ´leitmotiv´ for my little spider.

Just fit a fresh disc to my angle grinder :-)

Had a nice excahnge of ideas with a powerful sports car enthusiast this morning.

Here is another jewel related to lightness even in straight line speed because traction is an interesting subject on itself with tyre load sensitivity a surprising bonus. Agaín lightness giving increasing returns.

Tire load sensitivity describes the behaviour of tires under load. Conventional pneumatic tires do not behave as classical friction theory would suggest. The load sensitivity of most real tires in their typical operating range is such that the coefficient of friction decreases as the vertical load, Fz, increases.

With the same rubber you get relatively móre traction with less weight (the friction coëfficient improves) thus the same power accellerates the decreased mass double quicker... 

With the angle grinder added some 575 gramms of lightness to the bonnet 
Point in case of increasing returns being:
This would have been 0.054 % lightness off the original GVW.
Nów it is 0.066 % off.


Both #1 son and his mom were horrified while I was at it but when finished had to admit to the sense of it, to me having done a neat job ánd that I had done it as safe as wielding an angle grinder comes.


Also done some extra walking & cycling to add lightness to my own chassis; this evening/night been invited for diner and dancing with twó charming companies and dining is always an energy intake challenge.

Pffffff---- Got a bit worn out last night. So no cycling today but took the dust bikini off the little spider and off top down into the mountains.
Ahhh, the fun of unstable directness and the responsiveness of lightness. You knów you can change line mid corner at a flick and stopping is reliably awesome.
And the sound....
Triple joy the supporting sound track of that Amuse exhaust! Burbling inoffensively when needed and the agressive rasp growing into the racing war cry when you like. Awesome sound, unequaled lightness and lastly it simply does nót soak up any heat.

Looking at her parked in front of the terrace of the Venta, contemplating the ideas ´at hand´:
The racing number adding 10 hp at least  and adding more lightness; ´welding´ in the carbon rod, fingers crossed the Margard windshield.
And whatevvah more I think of 

Almost done with the typically andalu´ breakfast so nów time to ponder about which route to take, which way to steer up the sheer endlessly varied network of wonderful roads. Have little spider, will travel 

Back, báck, BACK!! You performance sucking weight 





Von Petrus - excess weight hunter  

Quote from: Petrus on July 29, 2023, 09:07Pffffff---- Got a bit worn out last night. So no cycling today

Got a bit worn out this morning as well but twó days no cycling is just not on for the integral adding lightness project so in fairness to the little spider díd take the bike out. Did an alternative ditch finder action...     Simply overcooked it on the gravel and the old heavy laptop in my sturdy hard paneled backpack did not add agility. Yep, see, weight again  Amazingly enough not even a scratch!! Just the handlebars and saddle a bit shifted which was easily enough rectified: The perks of old tech 

Hmmmm...
Margard looks quite attractive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LFHRV2fCn8

Extreme temperature alert today. 40 degrees again.
Went out cycling nonetheless. Made a detour past the village. Unfortunately had to return later, so cycle agaín.

Next took the cabrio for an errant way beyond cycling distance, Went the scenic route and added a bit for extra fun with the unbearable lighteness of life ... and the car 
The extra bit passes around the rear of a truck stop to next go twisty. There is núnca nadíe on that stretch and I lóve to nail the corners with very good tarmac. Properly motoring, enjoying the Amuse sound track smelled diesel... OOOPS     and seriously reduced speed. YEP the next few corners were painted with a widish trail of fresh diesel fuel! No way to avoid staining the left wheels but no problems of course.  Nice extra from open top driving that

A fair bit firther on there are three roundabouts befor I hook up to the next mountain bit. They are empty    That is a bonus and the still a bit compromised inside tyres make for proper use of the lsd!!
The rest of the driveabout simply sheer bliss.
Ahhhhh.... la vida es bella 

Apparently we are having guacamole for ´diner´ tonight, freshly made from local aguacates, tomotoes and lime. I want extra hot chili tortilla chips with that so it is up to mé to go get those. YIPEEE, a valid reason to take the bicycle again.*

* have a ´hidden agenda´ with the extra pedalling. Hope to execute / unhide later this week 

I'm loving the updates and the quest for lightness! Slightly off-topic, but do you do the same with your bike(s) too?

That's historically more my area, I'm not obsessive but I'm happy to have a road bike that weighs under 6Kg. 

Quote from: inigopete on August  1, 2023, 14:01I'm loving the updates and the quest for lightness! Slightly off-topic, but do you do the same with your bike(s) too?

Yes. Even more so because they are human powered. Try cycling up from Granada to the very summit of Pico Veleta and all becomes clear. Ok, a bit less clear above 2000 metres but that just adds to the need for lightness 

Past tense though because my shoulder rurrently limits the geometry so I pedal an oldish city bike with extra high handlebars.
Far from the lightest or most smoothly running bike that per exception actually serves the purpose bétter. A heavier cycling bike costs more energy to pedal up the mountains here and the less smooth running keeps the speed down on the descends. Móre weight help me pee out more burned fat 

Ok, back on topic now.
Last week for the itsybitsy spider agaín used an alumium M6 Allen bolt from my old stock of motorbike racing days. The assortment of alu screws and bolts I ordered for the cár fell 10 mm. short.

YESSSSS!!! The carbonfiber tube is in. Beejeezeus that is líght    (pedalled to the village and back) The carton tube it came in is séveral times heavier. Should save soem 700 gram. It is both lighter material and thinner wall. The drawback is obvious too because it will shatter like glass not just dent a bit.

Will replace good old steel tube (part# 65430B):



Fingers (and toes) crossed it pans out. Not a lot of flexibility in the plan ;-)

When done will be invisible. Just like the alumium calipers. I think that an übercool extra.

Ladyfriend suggested with tongue in cheek I could use the angle grinder again. Said no worries but I probably will 
But, when #1 son is back this weekend. I will even wear glasses    The disassembly and méasuring I can do myself in preparation. A silly amount of effort for much less than a kilo but if it pans out will think it über
If and when, then I will have lost more weight on it myself 

Just added up the lightness I´ve added since the last time I weighed the car and thought I was about done: 18 kgs. 

If thát is not motivating to try for more ánd bicycle up an extra hill, what is? 

Have started preparations for the tube upgrade. As usual turns out to be a bit more to it than at first appearent. As it is all in plain sight I would like to keep sóme of the plastic but it looks like the rear/lower bit is one piece from door to door. Am a bit loathe to cut it but will if I can think of nothing else.
Anyway 750 gram down already. Not jinxing it by jotting down expectations 
Ah and a good thing it is warm here as the old plastic fittings are a nightmare otherwise.

p.s. may need to adjust the silly big wing to give a bit more down force to keep the thing on the black stuff!

p.p.s. just kiddin´

Took all the bits out thanking the sun for warming up the plastic.

Right.... yes, díd use the angle grinder. With #1 son, long sleeved shirt and glasses on. Beejeezus, was nauseatingly sensible. Well for as much using a huge angle grinder on a 35 mm diameter pipe goes.  But then it did need cutting four times and that is a pita with a hacksaw. I did try with that but pffff 

Son was indispensable not just for the above but he installed a profi fine grinding tower with dentist flexi line and grinder to dress up my cuts to perfection and smooth out any imperfections inside the pieces of tube.  Also all the edges of the steel tube are rounded off to avoid stress raisers.

Have now J-B welded the tube parts together.
The steel and cf tubes are a smooth sliding fit and have a 5 cm. overlap with the cf extending 2 cm into the bracket making for an as strong a bond as possible.
It needs to set and when hard we will glue the central bracket for the soft top ´lock´. Yes we did remember to slide it over the carbon fiber tube before glueing on the end pieces 🤗
When thát is hardened we will reassemble tomorrow morning.

Hope I can get it all refitted as I have thought it out. If so it will be a neat weight delete of 2.6 kg.

Was ´easier´ to fit the soft top ´lock´ while mounted inside the car so now setting while assembled.
In all 2.615 gram of lightness i.e. 0.3% .
The tie wrap keeps the drain bag in place.
Now, obviously there is no discussing taste but I have tríed to find some compromise between full plastic and bare metal. First idea was to keep the thing under plastic but imo it looks cool and deserves to be seen because it is réal cf.
Now becaúse it is I still need to rub some UV protection over it.

Sunday night it sarted blowing. Yesterday morning increased to stormy wind laden with Sahara dust. So took a rest day from the pedaling. Wanted to test the cf tube mod anyway.
A só enjoyable drive over the mountain twisties, letting the lsd sort out the tail wagging. Normally a bit conservative on the revving but the extra bit at the top is quite seductive 
An autentacious lardie parked next to it twíce as if to underline the added value of nimble 
Anyway, no rattles and today back to pedalling again, panting sahara dust 

Phew cooling down a bit now after midnight. Was 42 degrees (C.) today and expected to be more he next days.
Hence after lunch went out for a lomg ride, all mountain roads. Seems nuttah at the heat of the day but the local roads are EMPTY then. No cyclist and everyone stays indoors for the siesta. Any traffic uses the provincial roads or highways.
Arranged a date* about halfway and take in plenty of bubbly water in charming company. Hydrating is important no.

So, empty roads. Had fíve cars oncoming in over in all 2,5 hours of rural mountain roads. The plod of course too somewhere inside with airco-Réally enjoyable through switchbacks and bits with clear view through corners.
The traction well, different, Yes the semi slicks nice on working temp but the tarmac at the sunside rather too well done with any greasy/oily content floating to the surface. Again réally enjoyable with the lsd.
The lightness, well obviously addictive. The thing brakes só well and is a joy to steer precisely; it inspires confidence in spades. Fingers crossed I can get the Margard windscreen.

About that confidence, had a bit much of a slide in one corner. Stays in the shade all day, is véry wide, open view, just that damaged tarmac near the road center. ENjoyed it sliding and hit the damage stop REALLY hard. Stúpid as I know it´s there. As such relalized it befor it hit so was not surprised by the reaction. Back home though noticed that one of the license plate lights had been jarred down    Unlike the license plate (still legible enough) the thing looks none the worse. Stuck it back up/in with a bit of glue 
 
Next few days, possibly incl. the weekend, probably wiser to go for a spirited ride after midnight. My favorite ice parlout in Málag is open till 02.00 so a cool combination.
Which leads me to * as she would like to repeat, for me to pick her up Saturday midday. Would need to go in a tin top with airco  which makes displacing a bore. Said no, sorry  later.

Tomorro morning will rise a bit ealier to beat the heat cycling. Project adding lightness to myself is still on. Received whatsapp about a coffee date tomorrow from the WRX driving c-company. Said yes but early and you come to my watering hole. ´Ok´. Will enjoy cycling even more!! 

La vida es bella!

Had a hilarious yet enlightening evening with charming company at a local venta.
While enjoying copas & tapascommuncated with a enthusiast accross the pond and got into the calculations of the natural science of car modding.
The charming company became interested because of the numbers I typed down for the other party at distance. She could not believe the húge diffences relatively small changes make.
Nothing complicated though and all fáctual.
Her being beyond bright and having basic understanding of Newtonian laws is thus a fertile base: Using MR² and the data of some of my mods I could séé the coins drop.
When we got into the car (Esmeralda) she got out again to look at a late model Audi A4 parked next to us. Her new awareness about weight/forces/tyre load sensitivity had shocked her. That Audi is relatively a moderately sized entry model nowadays. She simply had never been awáre. Like most