The wheels/tires are best bang for the buck because they're *rotating*, *unsprung* weight (and as above, better handling). They count for a lot more than dropping static weight elsewhere on the car. And like Dreamer said, you can get them cheap. I spent about $1,200 on a set of cheap light Forgestar rims in 18x10 + 18x11 (these days, I wish I had gone 18x10 square though), and ~$1,000 flat on a nice set of Conti DW to match.
Stripping the trunk is free, but like I said, it's actually bad for the car unless you shift some weight to the rear to compensate with the battery job. The trunk+battery work is still cheaper than wheels+tires, and might be comparable if you leave out grip/handling updates, but it's also not an all-win proposition. Some people just aren't going to be happy with no subwoofer and a bunch of extra noise and/or ugliness and/or unsupported trunk floor from the stripped rear. That and it's a pretty labor-intensive job.
Last edited by wstar; 01-12-2012 at 01:39 PM.
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