Just wondering if anyone has done an all carbon indy. to get the weight down as low as possable..

i know i'm a thick northern t##t. but wouldn't make more sense spending the corbon fibre money on a really pocky motor besides when blind old B######d reverses into you f/glass is a damned sight cheaper to replace

Quite true.....

i've got a thing about carbon...

Carbonfibre lookalike panels are no lighter than fibreglass, the ones I've seen anyway. They just replace the first layer of glass with the carbon sheet and charge double for them.

yours, Pete.

I would image that the bodywork is actually quite a small proportion of the overall weight of the car. Surely it's got to be more impaortant to have a lightweight motor, box, diff, seats, wheels (added bonus of being unsprung weight) and maybe the most overlooked thing the driver!!!!

Andrew (trying desparately to deal with the latter!!)

And me being 19st........i need a light car.

Nah, just make sure your passengers your mum's sister... U know... Auntie Matter

I think it is only worth doing carbon body parts if done correctly and this isn't easy. you should really think about using a vacuum system to get rid off all the excess resin at the very least. It is often the excess resin which produces heavy parts not just the glass. With a normal wet layup method, you will always have excess weight. i agree that carbon looks great, but it would be interesting to calculate how much weight it would save and then work out if it is really worth the money.

the other thing which i thought about is producing thinner body parts which are reinforced in specific areas. The body parts in a locost are not really part of the structure and could be made much thinner, with strengthening strutts to hold the shape.

I am still trying to collect bits for my build at the moment, but will eventually make all the body parts from carbon. i have access to a great workshop, cheaper materials and some expert people to help out....otherwise i wouldn't both.

Paul

I imaging carbon would make a difference in weight, but only the difference between a driver, and a driver with 63p in change in his pocket