about the crash beams in the doors, how do i go about removing those? and will I damage the paint on the car in the process?
Some will remove the door beams using a plasma cutter. The heat from the cutter can and probably will heat the door skin to the point of blistering the paint. I wonder if the beam can be cut with a rotary cutoff wheel? I agree with some of the guys that suggest to leave the car alone. Making the car 300 lbs lighter to gain 3 tenths makes sense in a car that is more strip oriented. Floor insulation keeps the car quieter and cooler in the summer. Undercoating protects against noise and corrosion. The door beams are nothing like the cars of today, but they will certainly be worse if you weaken them by removing beams. If you have your mind set on shedding weight, you may have to resign yourself to spending money on fiberglass and aluminum stuff.
