Nissan Spec-V: Part 1: Shedding Extra Weight
7/5/2006
Our first order of business is to strip out the extra weight and begin prepping the chassis for future modifications.
Have you ever wondered what it might take to build a racecar? Welcome to my nightmare! In the following months, you can follow my quest to build the ultimate Time Attack machine for the Front-Wheel-Drive Unlimited class. My vehicle of choice was a pristine, stock 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V. Why the SE-R? It represents a unique challenge: It will be difficult to source parts as the performance aftermarket has developed fewer extreme bolt-on parts for this platform.
This is our bone-stock SE-R. It is unaware of its fate.
Tom Paule, Aaron Guardado, Shawn Guardado and Steven Quinn lend a hand to strip the stock interior.
Like sunroofs? We don’t. They add about 40 pounds to the worse place possible to raise the center of gravity. Aaron Guardado loses it.
Every unneeded ounce must go. Aaron removes the panels and the plastic water shield from the doors.
The ride height increases as we remove the interior weight.
Some of the guys from the Honda Tech list drop by to help us tear out the engine and transmission. 
This is part of the huge pile of junk we removed from the interior. That sound system went right in the trash!