Mine was 3044 with no spare, ltwt battery, prodrive TBE, and not much else significant for weight savings. Can't remember how much gas was in there though. You ought to be able to get under 3000 easily. Find some lighteight speakers (the kappas I had were pretty light) and just run the fronts, ditch the heavy disc changer. Lightweight front seats, airbag removal, ditch the insulation and carpeting, lightweight exhaust, polycarb windsheild, and plenty of other little things. You'll probably have to give it up as a daily driver to acheive significant weightloss.
i know the rear seat is pretty minimal in weight when i took it out to do suspension work, both top and bottom pieces are maybe 10lbs? i dunno but it barely weighs anything.
see.. i think making the car lighter is good, but making most of the change on the front is more effective than the rear... I think the weight bias would be worse if you lighten the rear on the impreza IMO.
daily drive must have for me is AC and radio, so yea... I`m just really fond of lightweight ever since driving my brothers miata...
agreed, I definitely was not suggesting removing the seat. I guess if money were no object, you can do carbon quarter panels and doors I've also read about swapping out the bumper beams to the smaller and thus lighter jdm ones, also removing that one brace under the engine that is a jacking point. Just those two are iffy because of crash worthiness. I think that lower brace also helps guide the engine down to the ground in the case of a head on impact.
most significant weight loss. -remove spare tire and jack. -swap to jdm front bumper beam -remove front subframe(from previous reading, this item is solely there to help pull the engine down and out of the main frame of the car in a front impact). -light wheels and tires -smaller/lighter battery -things like aftermarket TBE's, exhaust mani's, and coilovers all serve an aftermarket-performance roll, and will be lighter then their OEM counterparts. All of those items should total to a healthy weight loss in areas of the car where it really counts. If you start getting desperate or dont care about your rear passengers hearing sound you can ditch the rear speakers, an aftermarket hu is maybe 3lbs lighter as well if you are getting desperate. After market seats are a good ~20lbs lighter, maybe more, but will not offer the comfort, adjustability, or safety of the OEM's. From there on out if you want more expect to sacrifice time, money, and comfort.
subframe sounds like it should stay on for safety issues haha... losing side airbag is one thing but having the engine thru the firewall is another
I actually think the subframe does stiffen up the front end a bit, though I never did drive my wrx without it to compare. If you remove it, I'd at least put a lower H brace up there. If you like the way the miata drives, get a miata...your wrx will never drive like a miata. They're not nearly as good for daily drivers though, things like speedbumps, potholes, roadkill, etc. become annoying. They're also slower if not boosted.
This. Weight savings on the WRX will certainly help your acceleration, agility and fuel economy but you will never be able to get a 4 door AWD to feel like a a 2 door RWD convertible. If your brother's Miata has sparked your interest for something lighter than a WRX, your money may be better spent saving for an older Miata, S2K or MR2. I have a buddy that has an 4Runner for utilitarian needs and an S2000 for everything else. Every time I get a ride in the Honda I just get more and more jealous of how that thing handles. Not to mention the 6 speed in that thing is like butta. :drool: