Is now the time to remove the interior?

[underdonk]

This morning I, like I've done every morning for the past week or more, walked by my car on my way to my truck. Begrudgingly. So I started taking out the interior of the car in the back and behind the seats to install a Hochman harness bar. A surprising amount of the interior had to come out due to the millimeter precision this product was made to and the way it had to slot into place. I got the bar installed and started putting panels back in. As everyone knows, when you take out and put back in interior body panels, it's relatively easy, nothing ever breaks, and it all goes back together just like it came from the factory. Several plastic tabs have broken trying to get things around the bar, a screw has been dropped into who knows where, and I'm honestly not sure the pieces directly above the bar are going to fit at all with how the bar is angled. If they fit, it will be extremely tight. So I've stalled on it, dejected, busy with other things, and am missing the most beautiful, rainless weather KY has to offer year round.

Obviously my car isn't a daily. I've owned it since late-2020 and have about 6k miles on it. I bought it as a track/fun car, the track part which it will eventually make its transformation into over the next 1 to 1.5 years. Next spring I'll be joining the drive club at a track in the area. So I'm kind of at that point where I'm thinking it may be time to just cut my losses and start removing the interior and get a couple of race seats and harnesses. For those who have slowly transformed a car into a track car of some sort, when did you remove the interior? What are the considerations and things I may not be thinking about? I've owned cars before with interiors that have been removed and know the basics (i.e., it will be loud). Note I'm not going to race this competitively, it will be a track day car so I won't need to worry about fitting into a class that requires a full interior. I'd appreciate any input anyone has to offer.

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[razorlab]

It really depends on you. I've done the whole gutted interior track car thing before and I am personally over it. I now strive for both. Track capability plus a nice looking car, even though, much like you, the car isn't a daily for me.

That is what I have always loved about the Porsche GT3/GT4. Full rollbar and race seats with full interior and everything crafted well around it.

 

[Rocksandblues]

I leave the pieces out when i install stuff just like you described with the harness bar. I have a box with all the parts so if i have too I can put back to stock.

I am kind of at the point of no return and wavering. The little plastic pieces don't really help weight wise. race seats help with weight, lithium battery, exhaust is 55lbs, etc are the items.

next for me would be speakers and the rest. worth it???? dunno?

 

[nibble]

as for me, I haven't done it yet but if I do, it would be the time that I start trailer the car for TT or race. until than, I still need to drive to track and need creature comfort to get there.

 

[frankenm]

For me I felt unsafe and losing focus going through turns having to hold myself down into the seat at speed without a proper harness and cage

Safety is priority #1 and am full race setup the center console and dash are the only interior pieces I have left from the factory inside to make it feel normal

Benefits include no more passengers and free sauna included with every drive

 

[Mason]

I vote to strip

 

[zrk]

As everyone knows, when you take out and put back in interior body panels, it's relatively easy, nothing ever breaks, and it all goes back together just like it came from the factory.

This is also my experience.

 

[underdonk]

Hey all, sorry, shit popped off for me at work this week.

I leave the pieces out when i install stuff just like you described with the harness bar. I have a box with all the parts so if i have too I can put back to stock.

I am kind of at the point of no return and wavering. The little plastic pieces don't really help weight wise. race seats help with weight, lithium battery, exhaust is 55lbs, etc are the items.

next for me would be speakers and the rest. worth it???? dunno?

Yeah, keeping the parts, which I tend not to do, is a good idea. I made the decision to just start doing demo day on the interior and have been putting the pieces in a storage closet. Once I rip it all out I'll try and get a weight on it (speakers and such included). Like you I imagine it won't be much... or enough to translate into real world performance gains in some manner.

For me I felt unsafe and losing focus going through turns having to hold myself down into the seat at speed without a proper harness and cage

Safety is priority #1 and am full race setup the center console and dash are the only interior pieces I have left from the factory inside to make it feel normal

Benefits include no more passengers and free sauna included with every drive

Being kept firmly in place is one of the major benefits for me as well. I'll never forget that first time I did just an autocross in my '96 GTI VR6 after I had put a racing bucket and harness in the car. Safety reasons aside (which are obvious), the ability to be glued to the seat and how that translates into car control, as well as being able to feel so much better every little move the car is making (or not making), translates to enormous benefits.

I vote to strip

And stripped it shall be. My kid will have fun helping with this project!

 

[kaj]

I bought this car so I could take a few steps back and enjoy something quick with a full interior. My other car is stripped out to make getting things in and out easier. It is not fun to drive anywhere but the track. I'll never do that again unless I have to. If I could keep the full interior, I definitely would.

 

[underdonk]

I bought this car so I could take a few steps back and enjoy something quick with a full interior. My other car is stripped out to make getting things in and out easier. It is not fun to drive anywhere but the track. I'll never do that again unless I have to. If I could keep the full interior, I definitely would.

It's opposite for me. I bought the car to make it a relatively cheap track car. I planned on doing the full strip eventually and have been enjoying the amenities while I have 'em. I plan on getting a fun around town car in the future (read: when the stock market turns around). It's actually becoming more annoying than anything having the full interior because all of the rattles and such the car is developing. I don't think this would have happened if it were still stock. I can tell the AWE track exhaust, transmission mounts, and aluminum diff mounts are slowly rattling and banging the interior apart. The exhaust is intense.

 

[kaj]

It's opposite for me. I bought the car to make it a relatively cheap track car. I planned on doing the full strip eventually and have been enjoying the amenities while I have 'em. I plan on getting a fun around town car in the future (read: when the stock market turns around). It's actually becoming more annoying than anything having the full interior because all of the rattles and such the car is developing. I don't think this would have happened if it were still stock. I can tell the AWE track exhaust, transmission mounts, and aluminum diff mounts are slowly rattling and banging the interior apart. The exhaust is intense.

Ah. I have a nice car to drive around town and a daily, so I hear ya on wanting something more racey car feeling. It is fun for a while- no lie. But the whole connect the trailer, load the race car, load all the stuff, reverse when you get home, stuff does tend to wear on you after a while. Maybe I will go that direction again someday, but comfortably driving a car to the track is awesome right now.
I took the race car for drive around the block today to circulate fluids. It is a lot of fun being in something that is so focused, no doubt.
I just don't think I want to rip a $50,000 car apart just yet

 

[underdonk]

Ah. I have a nice car to drive around town and a daily, so I hear ya on wanting something more racey car feeling. It is fun for a while- no lie. But the whole connect the trailer, load the race car, load all the stuff, reverse when you get home, stuff does tend to wear on you after a while. Maybe I will go that direction again someday, but comfortably driving a car to the track is awesome right now.
I took the race car for drive around the block today to circulate fluids. It is a lot of fun being in something that is so focused, no doubt.
I just don't think I want to rip a $50,000 car apart just yet

Yeah, for sure. While I was carrying a bunch of body panels in the house my wife was like, "why are you destroying the car?" But yeah, I've lived the track car life as well and it was always the plan with this one. Bought the tow vehicle. Need to pour a pad out back to put the eventual trailer on. Joining a drive club at the local track next spring (was planning on this year but we decided to have progeny #2). Everything got delayed by a year and I've for sure been enjoying having a "fun car" rather than a "track car," but the timing I suppose is good because ripping out the interior will be a good winter project while the car mostly sits. I will admit it does feel odd tearing apart a brand new car. I've only ever turned 15+ year old cars into track cars before.

What are you rolling in on the track?

 

[kaj]

Yeah, for sure. While I was carrying a bunch of body panels in the house my wife was like, "why are you destroying the car?" But yeah, I've lived the track car life as well and it was always the plan with this one. Bought the tow vehicle. Need to pour a pad out back to put the eventual trailer on. Joining a drive club at the local track next spring (was planning on this year but we decided to have progeny #2). Everything got delayed by a year and I've for sure been enjoying having a "fun car" rather than a "track car," but the timing I suppose is good because ripping out the interior will be a good winter project while the car mostly sits. I will admit it does feel odd tearing apart a brand new car. I've only ever turned 15+ year old cars into track cars before.

What are you rolling in on the track?

Ha ha she was like "WTF?!" LOL
There is a LOT of solace in trailering. My track car is old so I always worry. I often drive out to the track and it never let me down when I did. Everything under the skin is new, so I dunno why worry LOL.
Or maybe I trust the Supra and roadside assistance too much. Haha.
This is my setup. Sadly the Evo is now for sale.

 

[underdonk]

Ha ha she was like "WTF?!" LOL
There is a LOT of solace in trailering. My track car is old so I always worry. I often drive out to the track and it never let me down when I did. Everything under the skin is new, so I dunno why worry LOL.
Or maybe I trust the Supra and roadside assistance too much. Haha.
This is my setup. Sadly the Evo is now for sale.

Yeah, she always knew this was the plan for the car, but I'm not sure she knew what that plan entailed. ? Killer track car - always wanted one when I was younger. Looks very, very clean. Why are you selling?

 

[kaj]

Yeah, she always knew this was the plan for the car, but I'm not sure she knew what that plan entailed. ? Killer track car - always wanted one when I was younger. Looks very, very clean. Why are you selling?

I don't really have room for it. No time either, it sits with an inch of dust on it because I only drove out around the block once per month. ?
It deserves better.

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