Deleting Rear Seat...

[90mustangGT]

How much does everything weigh? I was told that the rear seat didn't make much difference, and I didn't think so either. I said I would never do it, just to keep it an full interiored car. Well, I started taking out components. Seat bottom which weighs hardly anything but then the seat back, all the brackets, and seat belts the weight starts adding up. There was this huge pad below the seats, it reminds me of the lead vest they make you wear durring X-rays. Next I'm going to get a heat gun and remove all that heavy sound deadening material. I've got to go to work tomorow, but I can't stop.

I never liked people in my back seat, it's not that type of car. I'm also debating rear speakers.

 

[90mustangGT]

Well, it took a little time but I'm done with the initial seat delete, but haven't taken off the sound deadening material. I put everything in a pile and picked it up, I can't say how much exactly but it's alot for just being a seat and some belts. Now I need a heat gun, well since I can't get one right now I guess I'll catch a couple hours of rest before I go to work. It won't be the first time I've come in half awake because I got to working on my car late at night and couldn't stop.

If you never have passengers in the rear or don't want any, do the delete, it's worth it.

 

[281pony]

yeah i agree. probably about 40 pounds with the belts and all the brackets.

i also removed that pull-out cover. it looks out of place just sitting there without seats.

 

[Boss 351]

All that sound crap that's glued to the floor boards weighed 70 pounds!!!! I had a green garbage bag full of that stuff once done. The heavy lead insulation lol weighed 50 pounds. I think the rear seat might save 30 pounds max if even that (didn't check that). I also removed the insulation behind the plastic sides in the hatch and rear area.

As for the seats? I was going to keep them off (had interior completely apart!) but at the last minute I installed them anyway. IMO it looks funny without a roll cage. Besides they can come in handy if 3 or 4 chicks want to get in with you at the same time! Never happened yet but I'll be prepaired. *keeps dreaming*

 

[Qwk88LX]

I'm getting rid of mine soon. My rear seat sucks anyway, actually all my seats need to be replaced. This way I only have to replace 2 seats & it'll be easier to put my roll-cage in. Plus I almost never have anyone in the back.

 

[90mustangGT]

I went to Sears today and got a heat gun, actually called a paint stripper but does the same thing and only $39. Went home after work and went at it and found this time consuming. Some peices came off in sheets but most is comming off a little at a time. I am now removing the front seats and center consil and pulling back the carpet and seeing if any is in there. Got most of the back so far.

Now I am considering some new front seats to boot.

 

[89MustangGX]

I went to Sears today and got a heat gun, actually called a paint stripper but does the same thing and only $39. Went home after work and went at it and found this time consuming. Some peices came off in sheets but most is comming off a little at a time. I am now removing the front seats and center consil and pulling back the carpet and seeing if any is in there. Got most of the back so far.

Now I am considering some new front seats to boot.

You won't find any under the seats, but the entire front footwells and center hump area is all covered.

Some cars seem to come off easily (peel off in sheets), other cars seem to require massive amounts of labor intensive chiseling and peeling (my car).

One easy thing you can do while you're there as well -- seperate the sound deadening material from the back fo the carpet. The carpet will fit a little looser, but it's more weight that you probably won't notice is gone.

Good luck.

 

[90mustangGT]

You won't find any under the seats, but the entire front footwells and center hump area is all covered.

Some cars seem to come off easily (peel off in sheets), other cars seem to require massive amounts of labor intensive chiseling and peeling (my car).

One easy thing you can do while you're there as well -- seperate the sound deadening material from the back fo the carpet. The carpet will fit a little looser, but it's more weight that you probably won't notice is gone.

Good luck.

Thanks for the tip on the carpet. I noticed that, there is some really thick stuff under the consil. The screws that hold the consil to the dash are so tight will have to hold off because I will strip them with a regular screw driver. I'm going to bring home some of my snap-on screw drivers and try them and if that doesn't work bring the impact driver, worse case drill.

All the stuff under the rear seats came off pretty easy, but the back of the hatch area was a PITA. I have the whole area where the spare used to go covered.

Thursday is my day off from work, I'll hopefully be done by then so I'll pull it in the shop and put in the new struts/shocks/springs and get it temp. aligned until the springs settle. I'll probally put in the driveshaft loop as well. Then I'll settle the rest and maby some C/C plates and finilize the alignment and head for the track.

 

[90mustangGT]

Well, the entire trunk and back seat area are stripped. I started thinking maby I had done a whole lot for a little and people were exaggerating how much wight they saved. I bagged most of it up, there is some still hear and there I haven't cleaned up and when I went to pick up the bag I was suprised. That stuff starts adding up.

I think I will try to sand down the residue left behind, fill in the holes and repaint with factory color paint, I hope it ends up looking like it came that way. I don't know what to do about the back seat area because I'm also thinking of taking it to this interior shop that does good work for me and having custom carpet put in from front to rear. The only thing is that there are a bunch of studs comming up where the brackets used to go, I will probally just cut them off or do a rear seat delete kit, leaning towards the wizz-wheel.

It's not a show car, but it's now a ragged out race car, I want it to look nice.

 

[NeVeRLiFt]

Well, the entire trunk and back seat area are stripped. I started thinking maby I had done a whole lot for a little and people were exaggerating how much wight they saved. I bagged most of it up, there is some still hear and there I haven't cleaned up and when I went to pick up the bag I was suprised. That stuff starts adding up.

I think I will try to sand down the residue left behind, fill in the holes and repaint with factory color paint, I hope it ends up looking like it came that way. I don't know what to do about the back seat area because I'm also thinking of taking it to this interior shop that does good work for me and having custom carpet put in from front to rear. The only thing is that there are a bunch of studs comming up where the brackets used to go, I will probally just cut them off or do a rear seat delete kit, leaning towards the wizz-wheel.

It's not a show car, but it's now a ragged out race car, I want it to look nice.

Sounds good to me
Every 100lbs you take off your car it will be a 10th/sec faster in the 1/4 mile.
So knocking off 500lbs will make you a 1/2 sec faster

I just bought a 85 LX Coupe thats a 4banger refitted to V8 and C4 Auto with a 8.8 rear swap and 4:10 gears. I'm gonna remove the back seat and sound deadner and get them 11lb rims and a fiber glass or plastic hood and maybe cut out the inner fender wells. I would also like to get ab aluminum driveshaft.

The car is already fan delete and using an electric fan and trans cooler.
I think going with an electric waterpump and maybe a fuel cell will be it.
With the Trickflow heads and Weind itake its already got alot weight removed.

Hmmmm, the starter, battery and alternator could also be replaced with lighter versions, all together this will be well over 500lbs in weight removed.

I will post back later...

 

[90mustangGT]

Drove it today. OMG is it loud back there but I think I have a few rattles in the back. Something's acting up back there, I need to fix that first.

 

[StangLou]

Are there any companies that make a rear seat delete kit for the light gray interior??? I want to do this to my '90 Hatch, but all the kits I see are for black interior
How hard is it to make your own? I dont think I would have any trouble matching the carpet.

 

[CManT1914]

Drove it today. OMG is it loud back there but I think I have a few rattles in the back. Something's acting up back there, I need to fix that first.

Does it sound good?

 

[Cue-Ball]

Good luck finding a "pre made" rear seat delete for a hatchback fox. Whether your interior is grey, black, blue, red...it doesn't matter. Rear seat deletes for the SN95 and the fox notch aren't hard to find (or make), but deletes for the hatch are another story.

 

[UMDSmith]

Make your own for the hatch out of mdf or something, you can just flatten it out and leave open space under it. I molded my sub box into the space and will turn my hatch area back into a smooth carpetted storage area with a storage compartment underneath with a door (spare tire well area)

 

[90mustangGT]

Does it sound good?

Well, I found it was the battery box. A roll of weather stripping under it made all the difference. Now I just hear the exaust loud and clear. I am going to do custom carpet soon, but the T5 blew out and that kind of hurt the funds.

 

[92GreenGT]

Thread back from the dead

Was it worth the time and effort to peel the sound deadner off the floor? And is a heat gun a must to do it?

 

[GSXRMIXXER]

its funny when you see other people going through the same thing you are. i removed the seats/deadner/belts/spare tire/ ...etc i just purchased some polypro buckets and 5Pt harnesses. im going to make my delete out of fiberglass not MDF!! all that work just to add it back in there dosnt make sense. in total 3-4 layers of 20oz glass shouldnt weigh more than 25lbs for the whole hatch area and rear seat area. i will update you guys on the outcome later.

 

[Kumm3]

Make your own for the hatch out of mdf or something, you can just flatten it out and leave open space under it. I molded my sub box into the space and will turn my hatch area back into a smooth carpetted storage area with a storage compartment underneath with a door (spare tire well area)

MDF? that kinda defeats the wight savings of a rear seat delete then

 

[Aaron'S'tang]

Rear seats weigh 35 lbs, at least on my 89 notch, not sure what you have. I had them out for a while then put them back in because they are mint. Never thought about taking SD Material out though, does it really weight that much?