Some people are impressed by big numbers. Auto manufacturers know this,.. so they will almost always advertise a car based on it's horsepower. It's a nice clean number that many people think they understand. "The more horsepower a car has, the faster it goes". As enthusiasts, we know a little better than that. In reality, there are many aspects to a cars acceleration besides it's horsepower. One of these major aspects is it's weight. The idea is simple,.. lower the weight of your vehicle, and you will increase its acceleration, braking, and handling in one fell swoop. Read on to learn some basic tips for putting just about any car on a diet.

The first place to look for weight savings is the most obvious,.. the junk in the trunk. If you are carrying around spare parts, sporting equipment, or anything else of that nature,.. leave it at home until you'll need it. If you belong to an auto club,.. you may want to remove the spare tire, jack, and other tools as well. Of course,.. it's not something you'll want to do for everyday driving, but the 5 minutes it takes to remove your spare/tools before driving to the drag strip is time well spent. Many people also have high end sound systems with heavy subwoofers. If you plan to compete with your car, make sure the subwoofers are not installed permanently as they can be a MAJOR source of weight in your vehicle. You may want to use bungee cords to strap the subs down, so again, they may be removed quickly before leaving for the track.

If your car is older, it may have some components that no longer function, and that you will probably not bother to fix. Go ahead and remove these components and you can save a few pounds. Something as simple as a power window motor can save you a pound or more.

If your car included any features that you do not use or did not want in the first place, go ahead and remove them.

Steel is heavy, and not every panel on your car needs to be made of it. Consider swapping out your fenders, hood, trunk, and bumpers with lightweight fiberglass or carbon fiber pieces. If your car is equipped with a non-functional spoiler or wing, remove it. You can also remove it if the wing is functional but you don't have a need for it. For example, if you are primarily drag racing, you will probably not need a large wing. If you road race, or have a bad habit of driving over 100mph on public roads, keep it as it will help to stabilize your car at these high speeds. Wheels can also be a major source of weight savings. Look for aluminum wheels, or even better, lightweight racing wheels. Using a smaller diameter wheel will also save you weight simply because they consist of less material. If you live in a warm environment, you may want to look into a smaller battery.

If your car is simply for competition, you can take weight savings to an extreme level. Ditch all your carpeting, sound deadening, door panels, trim panels, seats(leave one for the driver!), dashboard, stereo, air conditioning, power steering, cruise control, and radio antenna.

The final place to look for weight loss is yourself! Remember,.. you are IN the car when it is competing, so you contribute to it's overall weight. If you are a bit on the heavy side, what better reason to get into shape then for better times at the track? Even if you only need to lose a few pounds, it'll make you AND your car feel better.

Following these basic steps, it is almost inevitable that you will be able to save anywhere from a few to a few hundred pounds in your vehicle and create a significant increase in your performance. The best part of all this is, of course, that it's FREE!

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