70-71 dusters are light too. No heavy fastback rear window and no rear 1/4 window mechanisms. Lightweight simple plastic grille. No nosecone, no front or rear valence.

67-69 valiants too of course.

But lightest abody is 60-62 valiant 2 door post. Just super tight engine campartment, two year front suspension, tight rear tire room....and the looks are an "aquired taste"

THIS... is the true key to weight reduction and a light race car... START WITH THE RIGHT CAR. I see a LOT ov guys spending a lot ov time lightening naturally heavy cars. The above is a good car to start with, but get the 67. Its lighter than a 69. Even if you want a 69... make a 67 into a 69. Might only save 20lbs overall... but you guys are fretting over plastic headlights here. Better yet, get a 67 Valiant 100. If you're going smallblock, and you can handle the ugly, then go earlier... mid-60's... early 60's.

I just broke my own cardinal rule by selling a NO-option 70 6cyl Challenger. It scaled at a legit 3000lbs. I just bought a 74... that should scale around 3550lbs (though its a factory HP rallye car, 360/4-speed, all the fun stuff, etc.). By my math... if i were to take this sucker all the way down to its birthday suit, it'd still be around 50lbs more than the 70... so there is 50lbs i'm not getting back. However... the money i saved by selling the nicer 70 car is going to get me a FG hood and fenders, lightweight wheels, lightweight flywheel, and i've already bought some lightweight engine parts and an aluminum rad. I could afford none ov that when i had my 70... so the net will be a lighter 74 for me. But still... the perfectionist in me will always know about that 50lb chassis difference...

It'll still be a 3000lb HP Challenger though... maybe less. I haven't done the total math yet. Not bad for a 400+HP 4-speed road car... to start...

Though the RIGHT CAR may not always be loved in Muscle car lore, sometimes one may have to dive into the peripheral to score a light ride like a Dodge Colt or an Arrow nestling a small block.

I think the real underlying trickery here is to have something that looks moderately heavy or a ton of fun and make it lighter than its shadow.
A Dodge Colt or an Arrow though light to start with, does give away its cards by its shear size. Dead giveaway.

Here, Here.................... And you car is a prime example of sheer awesomeness............

Thank you.
Hard hard work still in the making.
This light stuff is heavy on the patience. But then again, what HOT car isn't without drama.

SO true man but worth the efforts put forth............

Lightest are the 63-65 Valient and the best for BB is 64-65 Darts with 106" wheelbase and a lot of overhang on that rear axle..

While i will still and always argue that NO old car can pass for sleeper anymore (by the way the word is usually used anyways), some are still more likely to draw suspicion than others. Personally... i have seen sooooo many poorly done Pinto/Vega/Colts to give them no more respect than any Duster/Nova/Falcon (read: Starting with a 2500lb car means i can just add THAT much more weight... and fab EVERYTHING with 1/4" stock)... to the average car guy, tiny + V8 still means give it EVERYTHING at the light and dont take chances.

Besides... there is just nothing classic about a Colt. Maybe if you're an import guy. Then again, i LOVE 71-2 Pintos... so there goes my credibility...

To ME... the ultimate sleeper (that is still a classic car that someone might want to look at) would be a C-body, or a B-body wagon. Something BIG. No one suspects the boats... not even the car guys. Hell, i've heard 500+HP rattling windows from under a C-body before and people still laughed.

My optioned-out (two tag) big block 71 Fury III was down to 3900lbs curb, all steel, even the 28lb cop rims and 30lb tires. Not a single piece ov aftermarket aluminum either. With just the typical lowish-buck aluminum pieces, FG hood, better rims and more creative basic work that car could have been 3600lbs. Now, give me a 69 Fury I and even half the money you guys have spent and i'll show you a 3300-3400lb daily driving C-body...

If we still had street racing here i'd have snapped up that no-option 69 Fury I 3-speed (stick) car i saw years ago. THAT... would have made a GLORIOUS sleeper.

And on a related note... i went into the city today to pick up a ratty rear valance for my 74 Challenger... and ended up driving home with a full 70-1 quarter panel, trunklid, valence, two really nice fiberglass fenders and a brand new super-fancy aluminum driveshaft! Had that ALL jammed into the back ov my lil '00 Celica. Hahahahahah. Also secured a TA hood this weekend. So thats 100lbs weight loss in one weekend...

To go with my very recently purchased:
aluminum intake
aluminum pulleys
19lb rims
aluminum rad
70 rear bumper and brackets (replacing the massive 74 sh!te)

Getting a 20lb steel flywheel too... so thats another 10lbs gone.

Bought a ratty trunklid i can HACK... so should find 10lbs in there.
Gonna hack my 74 frt bumper/brackets and make it a 70 (that'll be a pile o weight)

On the other hand, i just upgraded the build to a HP McLeod pressure plate (over the flimsy Luk one i'd originally bought), and thats gonna slam me 5lbs, and i've decided to go 3" exhaust instead ov 2.5"... not sure how much that'll hit me though. Exhaust and tire size are the two places i utterly refuse to compromise performance over weight.

I've always used Scirocco (Recaro) buckets in my Mopars, and they're 33lbs (factory bucket is 60lbs), but i've gotten used to the ones in my Celica GTS... and they cant be 25lbs... so i might just go score a set. They look nicer too. The Scirocco seats fit and perform amazing... but they look weird.

These cars scale out around 3550 with the Rallye package and 4-speed, and by my math, before i even begin to look for the little stuff or trim/modify anything i'm already down pretty much 300lbs. This thing should be sitting at 3100lbs before i even start really attacking the mass... And once i start working... theres an easy 50lbs in the doors, or more, and another 50lbs in the chassis, then deleting PS and PB, not to mention fiberglass valences and trunklid, the engine i'm building will be an easy 30lbs lighter... Think i can get it sub-3000 before spending the big money or getting too creative. Not bad for a daily driving road-racer...

This sounds like a master plan for a snappy car on the street with no sweat.
I agree, I gave mad respect to old C-bodies once when my friends 67' 100% all original down to the Carter four barrel New Yorker two door coupe (exactly like the one below, color and all) gave a 100% all original snappy 68' four door Plymouth Signet 230 HP small block a run for its money. It must have been 4000 Lbs + against 3200Lbs and it out gunned it at the lights after struggling to get its own weight moving from the hole.
I always imagined it being all steel and tricked out at 3200 Lbs itself with the same combo and it would have been a terror.

I also agree and I am fascinated with what MoparJohn is discovering here with the comparisons of sibling parts where as one is down on weight from another that is the same in shape/form and function.
Well maybe, since a lot of car models are being dried up over the years, the next incoming generation of models (C-Body) (F-Body) (M-Body)will take note and begin their own weight loss push and end up pushing us out of the game.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Goliath that poses as a damsel in distress. They just might be pull a sly one over us.

Speaking of moparjohn, I'm back with an update on my plastic headlight project!
I'm really not ready for an update but Lee needs us!
I am in the middle of removing old wood deck material and replacing it with composite on a 60 X 10 deck plus a new addition!
I have attached a picture of my GTX probably for the last time with it's original headlights. Then I have attached a picture of my new plastic lenses! They are cut, installed and attached to the extra retainer rings I found and polished. I already know they will fit and replace the glass headlights but can I attach them to the grill and eliminate the buckets and brackets for about a 10 LB loss up on the nose??
MJ

I'm not sure if I get the question, but if you eliminate the buckets and hardware you should only get about a 6-8Lbs savings if that.
Just keep in mind that there will be a void there after the removal and possibly create some turbulence. That area can be utilized to either install wind deflectors for more cooling into the radiator cavity or aerodynamics or both. That is what I had done to mine when I first cutoff the buckets back then.
Still can't believe how light that X is.

Everyone seems to believe that the suspension on early Valiants changed with the body style, but the 62 Valiant shares all the components with the 63-66 A bodies.

I love Lee's approach of "light, that doesn't look light". One of the reasons I like my 62 Valiant is that I have a light street car, all steel, all factory glass, and very little plastic in it. This is a prime consideration for a car that lives in Arizona and only spends part time under a car port. The sun is brutal on lexan, fiberglass, rubber, and plastic!

I'm thrilled that my car weighs 2810 without driver, but every time I read this thread I feel like a slacker, and I realize more ways that I could take weight off. So many people have contributed great ideas and methods, it really opens your eyes!

2810 is feathery for sure. What a great starting point to apply tactics to bring it to 'em at the starting line.
That car looks deceivingly heavier to the tune of at least 3100 Lbs curb.
I wish mine started at 3100 Lbs. LOL.

"C" bodies sure are luxury boats.Sometimes it just takes LOTSO HP to make it happen

Lower 8s is the case,,,,,,,

Lee,
Would you suggest a flat piece of something behind the headlight openings or something angled from the outside behind them with an angle back to the inside where it would meet the radiator opening??
Thanks!

Definitely an angled thin sheet of aluminum that starts on the out side lip if possible and directed to the radiator core opening edge.
A little bit of finesse and patience will be needed to cut and trim to fit the many variations in that area. Do it first with a card board template to make the bends and trimming, then copy it onto a sheet of 3003 aluminum.
Cuts air fantastically and keeps outside cool air going where you'll need it most.
Wish I had photos of mine, but I don't.

You'd be WAAAAAY ahead ov the game with a Dodge/Plymouth C-body. Jump to Chrysler C's and the weight goes up... enough to matter. You'll also have an easier time finding a factory stripper. Take this from an absolutely die-hard Imperial fan. I have a cunning plan for a 69 Imperial someday... The only dream car i have yet to own. I figure i can get a race-ready mostly steel 69 Imp down to around 3900-4000lbs. Still too much for a sleeper... but i just happen to love that car.

If you just want to fool racers... then your average (or even educated) Chevy/Ford guy cant tell a 67 Fury/Polara from a 67 Imp anyways... so start with 900 less pounds.

Geeze, I didn't know that they could be that much heavy difference between the Dodges/Plys to the Chryslers.
Some cats here in Brooklyn had some extremely stout 68'-70' Buick Deuce and a quarter's that were giving mid size and small size cars the break. One particular Cadi convertible was totally gutted running its original 500 cubic inch mill on lots of mojo juice. Thing would lift the wheels at launch.

C-bodies, they carry the worlds weight.