Well I finally got to removing some weight out of my Laser AWD and decided to takes some pics and do a quick write up for those who havent done this yet but want to. I do not have a before pic but I figure you all know what the interior of your 1G looks like. 
Before I started I wanted to know specifically what I needed to do and if I had the tools but I couldent find anything when I searched so here it is. Forgive me if I miss something, I never really showcased any work of mine before.
Tools required, Phillips Screwdriver, Flat Screwdriver, Socket Wrench, Socket Wrench Extension(s), 10mm Socket, 12-14mm Sockets, 17mm Socket
You also may find a second flat blade screwdriver helpful on pieces such as the clip for the rear seatbelt harness plug and some of the plastic fasteners on the rear panels and throughout the car.
To start off you are going to want to pull your hatch cover if you have one, the hatch carpet and its base underneath with the metal brackets and the thin pressed wood. Next remove your rear seat cushions, followed by the seat backs. Now you can start to remove your seatbelt hardware.
Once you have completed the above steps you can either start taking out panels or leave it as is as some have done in the past. The panels are held down with an assortment of different faseners such as phillips screws, little push darts and you may find a 10mm or two. I am not going into great detail here as like I mentions it is just look for the fasteners and take them off with the same basic tools. For the push darts you just press the little circle in the middle down with something small then pry it out with a flat blade screwdriver. The removal of the panels is truely way easier then it looks trust me.
Now that you have removed your panels you will find underneath them your rear speakers and some other bracketry that can be removed that held the rear seats. You may also find some other little brackets that you dont need, for example I had one right behild the drivers seat that was doing absolutly nothing when the panel was removed. Take your time, look around and remember you are slimming down your DSM! Every 100lbs removed = .1 second in the quarter!!!
Next, I took it a step further and took out my carpet to remove the underlay. To do this you must remove your front seats, center console and sill plates. Its pretty straight forward just make sure to take your time on the console as there are some screw hidden under the ash tray and other places you may miss. If it isnt coming out with ease do not force it! There are also some fasteners under the dash that hold the front of the carpet down. They unscrew, they do not pull off. There are also a couple carpet holder brackets that are carpeted in the center of the car on either side of the front of the console. These come out with a phillips screwdriver.
Here is a pic of the underside of my carpet. This is what you want yours to look like, all of the jute padding/pressed wood is removed.
![Image]()
The wood is stapled to the carpet and the jute I am guessing is held by general trim adhesive, dont be afraid all you do is rip this stuff off.
Here is a pic of the pile of removed parts. Notice the front on top of the wood is all of the padding/wood off the underside of the carpet.
![Image]()
Here is what I will be putting back in the car:
![Image]()
This leads you to where I am now. Here is a pic of the inside of the car.
![Image]()
I am going to try to scrape up all of the remaining underlay which is the black/blue shingle like material on the floor boards and rear hatch area. Please bear with me as my camera has dead batterys so I will have more pics later on. I hope you all enjoyed my quick little write up and appreciate all of the weight you just shaved off your car!
Before I started I wanted to know specifically what I needed to do and if I had the tools but I couldent find anything when I searched so here it is. Forgive me if I miss something, I never really showcased any work of mine before. Tools required, Phillips Screwdriver, Flat Screwdriver, Socket Wrench, Socket Wrench Extension(s), 10mm Socket, 12-14mm Sockets, 17mm Socket
You also may find a second flat blade screwdriver helpful on pieces such as the clip for the rear seatbelt harness plug and some of the plastic fasteners on the rear panels and throughout the car.
To start off you are going to want to pull your hatch cover if you have one, the hatch carpet and its base underneath with the metal brackets and the thin pressed wood. Next remove your rear seat cushions, followed by the seat backs. Now you can start to remove your seatbelt hardware.
Once you have completed the above steps you can either start taking out panels or leave it as is as some have done in the past. The panels are held down with an assortment of different faseners such as phillips screws, little push darts and you may find a 10mm or two. I am not going into great detail here as like I mentions it is just look for the fasteners and take them off with the same basic tools. For the push darts you just press the little circle in the middle down with something small then pry it out with a flat blade screwdriver. The removal of the panels is truely way easier then it looks trust me.
Now that you have removed your panels you will find underneath them your rear speakers and some other bracketry that can be removed that held the rear seats. You may also find some other little brackets that you dont need, for example I had one right behild the drivers seat that was doing absolutly nothing when the panel was removed. Take your time, look around and remember you are slimming down your DSM! Every 100lbs removed = .1 second in the quarter!!!
Next, I took it a step further and took out my carpet to remove the underlay. To do this you must remove your front seats, center console and sill plates. Its pretty straight forward just make sure to take your time on the console as there are some screw hidden under the ash tray and other places you may miss. If it isnt coming out with ease do not force it! There are also some fasteners under the dash that hold the front of the carpet down. They unscrew, they do not pull off. There are also a couple carpet holder brackets that are carpeted in the center of the car on either side of the front of the console. These come out with a phillips screwdriver.
Here is a pic of the underside of my carpet. This is what you want yours to look like, all of the jute padding/pressed wood is removed.
The wood is stapled to the carpet and the jute I am guessing is held by general trim adhesive, dont be afraid all you do is rip this stuff off.
Here is a pic of the pile of removed parts. Notice the front on top of the wood is all of the padding/wood off the underside of the carpet.
Here is what I will be putting back in the car:
This leads you to where I am now. Here is a pic of the inside of the car.
I am going to try to scrape up all of the remaining underlay which is the black/blue shingle like material on the floor boards and rear hatch area. Please bear with me as my camera has dead batterys so I will have more pics later on. I hope you all enjoyed my quick little write up and appreciate all of the weight you just shaved off your car!
