Guess my weight

[Travis72]

Any tips on how you guys cut out the door bars?  Seems like they would be a pain to get out?   

As far as safety, with the door bars removed it just like a 70 or 71 at that point right???

Thanks,
Travis
72 Cuda

[Roppa440]

All E-body cars had the door re-enforcement right from the start.

[HP2]

Published weights have always been somewhat suspect. Heck, look at the list Stroker posted and tell me how a 70 R/T Challenger with a big block weighs the same as a Challenger T/A with a small block? Plus those are generic figures which don't take into account optioned out or stripped down models.

My 74 small block Challenger is the heaviest muscle car I've owned. It is somewhere around 3600+. I forget exactly. By comparison my 67 Satellite with a small block is only 3200. It will take a lot of effort to pare 400 pounds of my Challenger.

Yes, you can save some weight with different components. Your Wilwoods probably save 25 pounds, lighter wheel maybe 40-50 pounds, aluminum heads another 40 pounds. Change enough stuff it all adds up, but very few changes are going to drop 100s of pounds in any single shot and it takes a lot of work to produce a truly lightweight car.

[drewcrane]

it has taken me 20grand and alot of years to drop about 350 to 400 lbs, there is alot of stuff you can do, it just costs money :money:lol,and time and

[HP2]

Ouch, that's like $50 a pound.

One of the magazines recently did an article on the cost per pound of dropping weight. They figured things like scraping under coating to buying fiberglass panels and replacing other parts with alloys. There are a large range of prices per pound for dropping weight.

[Roppa440]

It is cheaper to find 100 ways to loose 1lb than trying to loose 100lbs in one go.

A guy I know quite well has spent a LOT of time cutting holes in the body shell of his Street legal Dart. And I mean street legal for the Uk which is a tough annual test. There is no part of his car that has not had holes drilled in to lighten. Everything not needed has gone. Even the steering column bracket is full of holes. What could be made of plastic or fiberglass has been done.
I don't know yet what the final weight will be because although the car drives now he is still building the "real" engine for it. But it is VERY light indeed.

Description : 10.1 440, .509 hydralic cam, pocket ported heads, ferrea valves, 750 double pumper, tti headers, mini starter, mini alternator, reverse pattern full manual 727, Neal Chance custom convertor, 4.10 sure grip, narrowed and braced 8.75", ally tubs, fibreglass hood, fenders, bumpers, valences, dashboard, doors, trunk lid. lexan side windows, 12 point cage, chassis ties, fuel cell, barry grant fuel system, Alterkation front suspension kit, relocated monoleaf springs, caltracs, rancho shocks, wilwood discs all round, Wilwood ally pedal box and composite master cylinders, plenty more, not too much in the way of original Chrysler parts left on this car. No power anything, no heater, no stereo. Have used original 1970's accesories whenever possible to try and retain a period "look"

[drewcrane]

its like boulder you have to chip away at it to make a rock or even a pepple,it takes a little at a time and after many years and alot of money and labor  :iagree:a pyramid is built

[422STROKER]

1972 Dodge Challenger

Fiberglass Fenders
Fiberglass T/A Hood
Small Block Iron Heads
Al intake
Tube Headers
Al Radiator
2.5: dual exhaust h-pipe
727 Trans
8 3/4
15" aluminum rims
Full Stock interior
50lb speaker box enclosure
3/4 Tank of gas
200lb Driver

3710lbs Weighed at New England Dragway Scales

Tom

[drewcrane]

i wonder if anyone has a weight BELOW 3500 lbs, in a street chally?

[422STROKER]

With Steel fenders and a steel hood that would be tough.IMO

I am right there if I pull the heavy speaker box out.

Tom

[drewcrane]

yes you are real close, of course it will always need a driver,since curb weight is not "race weight", but your right curb weight your real close but under 3500 lbs is gonna be hard for the street, i wonder how much fiberglass parts actually weigh by comparison to steel?

[HP2]

Depends on the part and manufacturer. Race weight parts are significantly lighter, but may not stand up to the constant vibration and body flexing on the street. EX, a steel hood may be around 70#, a street glass hood around 40# and a  race weight hood 25#, but it will require you to loose hinges and pin it down in multiple locations.

Sure you can get curb weight down around 3200, but it does take considerable effort, and $$. Like posted earlier, a 100 places to loose a pound start to add up. You also can replace small steel parts with aluminum alloy, drill out other braces, remove undercoat. Heck, even all those piddly little steel bolts can be replaced by titanium.  Of course if you don't mind paying $20 each for lug nuts, then titanium may be the way to go as you can drop A LOT of weight very quickly.

My all steel, all original rust bucket 74 with a small block, a/c, 1/2 tank of gas, a few gallons of bondo, and me comes in around 3650. While the heaviest of my mopars, I also can immediatly identify the means to loose around 400 pounds, but it will cost me at least a couple of grand to get there. 

[nivvy]

Seems more inline..... 

YEAR      BODY      ENGINE      WEIGHT LBS.
60-66     ABODY   6 cylinder    2600-2800
63-66     A BODY      A           2800-3000
67-71     A BODY      A           3000-3200
67-69     A BODY   B or RB       3200-3400
72-76     A BODY      A            3200-3400
62-65      B BODY  B or RB        3400-3600
62-67      B BODY     A            3300-3600
65-67     B BODY   B or RB        3500-3800
66-71      B BODY   HEMI          3700-4000
68-74      B BODY      A           3400-3700
68-70      B BODY  B or RB        3500-3800
71-74      B BODY  B or RB        3800-4000
70-74       E BODY    A            3200-3400
70-72      E BODY  B or RB        3400-3600
70-71      E BODY   HEMI         3600-3800
76-77       F BODY     A           3300-3500

[73EStroker]

In British Columbia and Alberta all truck weigh scales have the ability for weighing your car with remote readout. We pull in after the scales are closed (same time all the semis are running overloaded  ) and they have a digital readout up on the displays that the truckers read. There is your weight. I would imagine the US has these all over the place as well.

[422STROKER]

Around here those types of scales are blocked off, when open manned by the Po-Po

Tom

A metal yard would be a good bet to get weights when no dragway is around.