Weight loss - hood or heads?

Posted By: Lefty

Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 08:48 PM

66 Coronet with a 440 and 516 ported factory heads - Any ideas on a front end weight loss program that drops the most weight? Comparing stock steel to lift off fiberglass hood or stock steel to aluminum heads. Which change would lighten the front end the most?

I'm going to do both, but can afford only one at a time.

Posted By: fullmetaljacket

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 09:16 PM

Cheapest: Hood.

Expensively, but done the right way: Heads.

Both about the same weight in removal with the heads maybe nudging heavier on the scale by a little. Usually both steel heads will be at about 110 pounds. where as a steel hood will be at about 70 or so.

Posted By: 2FASTCORONET

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 09:21 PM

Fiberglass hood, bumper, aluminum heads, water pump housing and pump, aluminum radiator, plastic/metal master cylinder, lose the wiper motor

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 10:09 PM

Fiberglass hood = weight loss.
aluminum heads = weight loss + horsepower
I know what I would do.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 10:20 PM

Quote:

Fiberglass hood = weight loss.
aluminum heads = weight loss + horsepower
I know what I would do.

My opinion also... thats a 2 for 1

Posted By: topside

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 11:27 PM

Take into account painting for the hood, and any upgrades/corrections needed on the heads. Hood's gonna be cheaper, heads are most likely a two-fer depending on your combo & porting.

Posted By: Chris2581

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/25/13 11:51 PM

Stealth heads,water pump/housing,radiator- all aluminum = 60 lbs off the front of my car.

Posted By: fullmetaljacket

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/26/13 12:03 AM

True this.
If you have the budget and pretty sound motor, I would go with the heads as well. Factor in the rockers, etc. and it could be a little pricey as compared to a Hood though. Some good rattle can satin black will paint it for the moment.

Posted By: Triple Threat

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/26/13 12:03 AM

Been there, done that. I chose heads and am happy I did!

Posted By: SG duster

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/26/13 01:23 AM

steel duster hood 50lbs fiberglass duster hood 12lbs

alloy heads are another 50lb, an alloy radiator saved me a bunch over a factory one and also I saved a further 50lb by upgrading to areospace front brake set.

Posted By: Winchester 73

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/26/13 01:30 AM

dont forget you can always race without the hood on!its free!

Posted By: sshemi

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 01/26/13 09:01 AM

If the hood had a scoop you would also get cooler air to the motor.

Posted By: Lefty

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 06:17 AM

Ok, been working way too hard to pay for a serious weight loss. You guys were about 50/50 on hood or heads so I bought a set of heads and am ordering a AAR lift off hood tomorrow. Next on the list is venting some of the under hood air build up with bolt on louvers and an air dam to keep too much air from getting under the car. Anyone know if louvers on the hood will "suck" hot air from the engine compartment due to air flow over the louvers?

Posted By: dOoC

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 08:14 AM

Quote:

and am ordering a AAR lift off hood tomorrow.

....just a FYI ....if you are ordering an AAR brand hood for a weight-reduction ...in many cases ..... forgetaboutit !!

At least in most cases ....uNless you can get their promised net weight of the part IN WRITING when you order the part. Many MANY times it has been reported that their fiberglass hoods are VERY CLOSE to what a steel part weighs. And on bolt-on hoods sometimes way-OVER what a steel hood weighs.

So BE aware ....

Posted By: Bill MeLater

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 01:18 PM

Fiber glass heads.

Posted By: Grizzly

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 05:29 PM

Carbon Fiber glass heads.

Posted By: Mr.Yuck

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 05:47 PM

Hood, I have my stock hood hanging on the wall. The new race weight glass hood is probably 50lbs lighter.

Posted By: Mr.Yuck

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/22/13 05:50 PM

also depending on what head you pick you might be dropping a full point of compression 516's have about 76cc champer or less.

Posted By: justinp61

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/23/13 01:19 AM

Quote:

Quote:

and am ordering a AAR lift off hood tomorrow.

....just a FYI ....if you are ordering an AAR brand hood for a weight-reduction ...in many cases ..... forgetaboutit !!

At least in most cases ....uNless you can get their promised net weight of the part IN WRITING when you order the part. Many MANY times it has been reported that their fiberglass hoods are VERY CLOSE to what a steel part weighs. And on bolt-on hoods sometimes way-OVER what a steel hood weighs.

So BE aware ....

Do you have an example?

The bolt on AAR 6 pack hood on my Dart is about 31.3lbs lighter than the stock flat hood.

Posted By: 1967dartgt

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/23/13 04:50 AM

Quote:

Quote:

and am ordering a AAR lift off hood tomorrow.

....just a FYI ....if you are ordering an AAR brand hood for a weight-reduction ...in many cases ..... forgetaboutit !!

At least in most cases ....uNless you can get their promised net weight of the part IN
WRITING when you order the part. Many MANY times it has been reported that their
fiberglass hoods are VERY CLOSE to what a steel part weighs. And on bolt-on hoods sometimes way-OVER what a steel hood weighs.

So BE aware ....

Is this new since they have been taken over? My Dakota hood was a bolt on and was a lot lighter then stock.

Posted By: dOoC

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/23/13 02:36 PM

To the two guys above .... I personally have not done a comparison BUT AGAIN ... this situation has been reported HERE and other places by people who have bought their product....

What are your SPECIFIC examples ?.... AAR part weight ?.... and steel part weight?

Posted By: justinp61

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/24/13 12:27 AM

Quote:

To the two guys above .... I personally have not done a comparison BUT AGAIN ... this situation has been reported HERE and other places by people who have bought their product....

What are your SPECIFIC examples ?.... AAR part weight ?.... and steel part weight?

Here is my SPECIFIC example, not hear say or internet BS. My flat steel 1969 Dart hood weighs 60.4 lbs, the AAR BOLT on 6 pack hood weighs 29.1 lbs, less than half the steel hood. Their pin on hood is even lighter.

The quality is great, their customer service, not so good.

Posted By: Lefty

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/24/13 09:42 PM

Quote:

also depending on what head you pick you might be dropping a full point of compression 516's have about 76cc champer or less.

Yeah, that's an issue as I was told the block is a 73 440 with stock piston and rods and that jives with the block numbers, but I haven't pulled the 516's yet. The heads I bought are listed on 440 Source web site as 80cc. I'm looking for the thinnest head gaskets I can run on a mostly street motor. I'm thinking the Cometic MLS .027 but they are expensive. I don't plan on reusing them much, but one never knows...

Hood weight - Thanks for the comments as I'm sticking with AAR

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Weight loss - hood or heads? - 06/24/13 10:13 PM

516s if unmilled will run much closer to 84cc than they will to 76.
R.