I'm getting close to being done with my Duster which has been apart for about a year. Though it pales in comparison to some of the things described here, I did put my car through a pretty big weight loss program.

Unfortunately I didn't keep a tally on everything but I know that I had to have taken a significant amount of weight off the car while keeping the mostly stock appearance. Only outward cue to what lies underneath are the old Centerlines with drag radials but looks factory otherwise. In fact, it is kind of a survivor car. Its all steel with a full interior, no roll bar, iron headed small block, 904.

Here's most of what was done. Except for the bumper brackets and seats, I'm just guessing at how much weight was actually saved.

    aluminum front bumper brackets - 9 lbs

    aluminum radiator - 30lbs?

    aluminum master cylinder - 10 lbs?

    aluminum brake calipers (ditched OE 10" drums but stayed with the small bolt pattern, rotors are small and light) - 50 lbs?

    aluminum tie rod sleeves - 2 lbs

    aluminum trans cooler lines - 5 lbs?

    aluminum diff - 40 lbs?

    lightweight Denso 60A alternator 10 lbs?

    removed bench seat, replaced with lightweight, fixed buckets from an '85 Jeep mounted on S/S seat brackets (21 lbs ea. w. brackets) - 60 lbs

    removed creature comforts - heat/radio - 40 lbs?

    replaced carpet, no padding - 20 lbs?

    rebuilt column, ditched column shift parts/linkage - 5 lbs?

    Dr. Diff offset spring hangers (weigh half as much as the porky MP ones thus removing unsprung weight) - 10 lbs?

    Calvert rear suspension with split monos (more unsprung weight - S/S springs are heavy!) - 40 lbs?

    removed unnecessary wiring from engine bay/dash - 10 lbs?

    where possible, switched out hose clamps/brass fittings for AN style with black braided hose - 5 lbs?

    cleaned grease and dirt, had to have been 10 lbs


Should be worth a a couple tenths.


'71 Duster
'72 Challenger
'17 Ram 1500