I am considering getting an early a-body to make into a street strip terror. My reasoning is it seems these would be the lightest factory mopars and cheap.
But I did hear that the early barracuda and dart is heavier than the valiant? I am aware a big block would be difficult to install.
So I am mostly curious what the factory weight I would be starting with a early-a small block v8. And what do some of your early a's weigh and what did it take?
Valiant?
barracuda?
Dart?

I believe the valiants have a four inch shorter wheel base than the Darts. The trunk lids on the Darts weigh a bunch, and so do the hoods. A 2dr post valiant should be the lightest early A ever built. If I were to ever build another street BB car, I think I would go right to a strut front end to gain the room and get weight off the car. When you boil it all down, a strut front conversion is not cheap, but neither are the alternatives. The strut deal will have the most clearance for motor and headers, and be the lightest. If you go with a Dart, by tubbing it and moving the rear axle six inches forward, you can gain a lot of weight transfer and it will really help on the street. The pic of my racer has the axle moved six inches.

I bought a 62 Plymouth max wedge roller one time and they handed me the title and it said 410 or 415 hp and 3040 or 3080 pounds. I thought wow this thing must be bad.

The early A bodies are 106 WB for the Valiant.
The Darts I believe, were 108.

The 62 2dr post Valiant/Lancers were the lightest, which is why they were so coveted by slant 6 racers, I've heard some of them brag about getting them down to 2400.

Mine weighed 2907 without driver at the beginning of Drag Week 2011. That's all steel, all factory glass, 2 seats, exhaust, iron headed small block/904 with a full cage, and ladder bar 9".

Since then, I've added aluminum heads, and a tubular k-member, but also dyna-mat and carpet, so probably not much different.

The Valiants were always the lightest rides for the
A-bodies... I dont recall the wheel base on the
different years.. I had a 69 Valiant A-100 post car.. the
registration weight was 2940 but that weight is
based some averages.. I never weighed it before I
started cutting

I found a web page that lists the 65 Dart wheelbase at 111 inches, which makes sense. I moved my axle 6 inch forward, and am at 106 or close. Base weight was listed (curb weight) 2844 lbs.
I found a page on the Valiants.
1965 dr post ways 2680 curb weight, 106 WB. The specs for both cars would be slant six, with the lightest trans, no options.

Yeah, just found the same thing.
I knew the 67 and up Darts were 111, but didn't realize the early cars were too. Well, that's not good...get a Valiant!!
While the 62 is the lightest, it's a little shorter from firewall to core support, so if you must have a big block, get a 63-66. I've had one friend with a 64, and another with a 65, that made awesome BB cars.

Expect to modify the trans tunnel, as it is very small. I enlarged mine because I run a CSR carbon shield on my 904, and needed the room to get it in and out.

The 63 never had a v8 and have slightly less room in the firewall area and the windshield wiper motor sticks out noticeably more.

This is the modified firewall and tunnel on my Dad's 65 convertible Valiant Signet...gasser style.

RB Big block in place.

Still a ways to go, but should be an interesting ride...

One thing I have learned is the registration weight means zero in reality.
I had a 68 dart that weighed 3500ish,my Cuda now I thought for 2 yrs was 2800ish because of Atcos scales was a tank also because after lots of lightening is scaled professionaly @ 3190 w my 212lb body.

My '66 Valiant signet with a 318, aluminum A833 overdrive, 7.25 and pretty much gutted interior weighed 3120 without me in it. I'm hoping that the scale was wrong considering that my '69 notchback Barracuda weighed 3300 with an iron head 440, scattershield, iron 4 spd and a Dana 60 (not weighed on the same scale as the valiant)

My 65 Signet went through a few phases of build... but at the end it weighed 2475 with an iron headed 360 block 1/2 filled, lexan windows, chromoly back half fiberglass hood, alterktion front end and very gutted, aluminum dash and agressively lightened on the remainder of the unibody.

Gasser Straight Axle, Chevy Spindle and Brake Kits, 58-1/2 Hub-to-Hub Part # 9103950





It's a speedway motors piece, we already had the Vega steering box.

How much do you have the motor set back? I'm in the middle of doing a 66 Dart convertible with a 3 1/2 inch setback and the rear end moved up 1 1/2 inch forward with a low deck.