shaving weight write-up (rear seat removal steps)
 

ok, with my High School Drag Night approaching, I thought I'd try to find a way to eek some more "go" from my 'stang to help me out. i considered taking the rear seat out along with the spare and jack, but i couldn't find any instuctions on how to remove the seat, after searching the web and dismantling my back, i have it all figured out. sorry this writeup will not be the best out there (first Mustang writeup) and sorry I dont have any pics with this...but i will be taking some when i take it out again for the races. also for all you skeptics out there, I personally weighed every piece I took out....(see weights below)

NOTE: this was performed on a 1997 GT w/cloth seats, different years and upholstery types will weight different....

1) Slip a long screwdriver underneath the seat bottom and floor starting at either the extreme left or right of the seat.

2) Slide the screwdriver towards the middle of the seat until you hit something. Pry up a bit on the seat to find a white latch with a gray button. This is the retaining latch. Using another screwdriver, push into the front of the latch to release the latch.

3) Repeat step #2 on the opposite side of the seat. With both latches popped, the bottom seat cushion can be removed.

4) Now, fold down the seat backs and locate three screws which hold on the trim piece right above the seatbacks. The trim piece looks like a dash pad. Remove these screws and the trim piece.

5) With the trim out of the way, locate and remove the two screws that hold the seatback frame to the body. The screws are right under where the trim piece would cover, to either side.

6) Next, fold the seats back upright and locate the three screws that secure the bottom of the seatback frame. There is one on either side and one in the middle, right below the cushions.

7) With the screws removed, the entire seatback can be removed.

8) Installation is simply the reverse of the process. Once you do it once, the second time will be a breeze. 15 minute removal makes it easy to remove at the track or before.

9) I hope we all know how to take out the spare and jack and etc.

THE OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

bottom cushion = 12 lbs

seatback frame = 27.5 lbs

trim piece = 4.5 lbs

spare trie = 27.5 lbs

jack and etc. = 7.5 lbs


TOTAL LOSS: 79 POUNDS!!!!!!!


HOW DOES IT DO? well, to be honest using my seat-of-the-pants dyno, i noticed no difference. but...i thought my car handled corners much better, hard corners no longer made my tail break loose.

IS IT WORTH IT? yes! think about your 215-hp motor pushing a 3600 lb car vs. a 215 hp motor pushing a 3531 lb car. get the picture. this would be good for someone looking to eek the last tenth of their ET to drop them into the 11's or whatever. also great for handling

NOTE: the gap is ugly yes, but some plywood/cardboard with color-matched carpet glued to it, cut to size, would lok the same as a $100 r.s. delete
package.


i hope you all enjoyed my 1st wrieup, i will be adding pics soon, and doing a write up for my Flowmaster exhaust (w/pics!) when it arrives