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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: 1BADDUSTER]
#955845
03/21/11 10:21 PM
03/21/11 10:21 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
mshred
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
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Quote:
hey mshred. hows it going? we removed the beams on my doors with a plasma cutter but yes you will mess up the paint. leave the doors alone or you will mess up the paint. it can be done carefully but no gurantee you will not mess up the door in a spot or two
Hey Joe, hows it going man! Is that duster almost ready man? what part of the doors get the paint ruined when doing this- is it the jambs or the actual outside panel?
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: 68 HEMI GTS]
#955846
03/21/11 10:21 PM
03/21/11 10:21 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
mshred
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
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Quote:
build a bigger motor, leave the car alone 
that would be ideal Nevin, but i barely have at the moment 
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: dustergirl340]
#955848
03/21/11 10:57 PM
03/21/11 10:57 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
mshred
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
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Quote:
I can't see an A833 weighing more than a 727...what am I missing?
when you calculate the extra weigh of the bellhousing, clutch, flywheel and linkage compared to the auto and convertor, the stick can be 50 pounds heavier or more
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: mshred]
#955850
03/22/11 12:01 AM
03/22/11 12:01 AM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,315
Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,315
Bend,OR USA
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Aluminum master brake cylinder is worth, if my memory is correct, 7 lbs  When it comes to weight reduction in a car thank of ONLY KEEPING the ESSENTIALS I have cut off bolts, shortened wires, cut out uneeded wires in the harness, bought a aluminum radiator, made a aluminum alternator braket and so on. I know freinds(big budget, costs not a real problem) who have bought replacement windows from Barzil or wherever they came from to save some weight, same thing on attacking the weight loss, 1 lb. off of the nose of the car (in front of the driver) and moving it behind the rear ends pays off big time(on cars that have to meet a minimum weight with the driver)I have moved my drivers seat over closer to the driveshaft tunnel and as far back as I could get it and still reach the pedals safely  Lots of ways to help the car hook
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: rowin4]
#955851
03/22/11 12:07 AM
03/22/11 12:07 AM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,496
Sask, Can.
72demon416
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,496
Sask, Can.
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Quote:
What are you trying to loose the weight for? Most of the heavier items are needed for your street operation. So, do what you can live with for little or no money and save some bucks for a set of heads even if there Eddies and loose the weight there and get more performance to. Chopping up your daily driver just to gain a tenth or two is just crazy.
Personally I think your at the end of whats reasonable for a street car. The 2 or 3 tenths your going to gain isn't going to amount to a hill of beans overall or remotely worth cutting the car up for. Also-nobody plans on having a accident but I'll retain that small element of safety over a couple tenths any day.
On a different note...what color is your car(inside doors)- I love it!
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: mshred]
#955853
03/22/11 05:36 AM
03/22/11 05:36 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog
Striving for excellence
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Striving for excellence
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
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Quote:
about the crash beams in the doors, how do i go about removing those? and will I damage the paint on the car in the process?
Some will remove the door beams using a plasma cutter. The heat from the cutter can and probably will heat the door skin to the point of blistering the paint. I wonder if the beam can be cut with a rotary cutoff wheel?
I agree with some of the guys that suggest to leave the car alone. Making the car 300 lbs lighter to gain 3 tenths makes sense in a car that is more strip oriented. Floor insulation keeps the car quieter and cooler in the summer. Undercoating protects against noise and corrosion. The door beams are nothing like the cars of today, but they will certainly be worse if you weaken them by removing beams.
If you have your mind set on shedding weight, you may have to resign yourself to spending money on fiberglass and aluminum stuff.
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: Sixpak]
#955855
03/22/11 10:19 AM
03/22/11 10:19 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,210
robin hood country
deaks
master
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master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,210
robin hood country
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How fast does the car run at present, every 100lbs is worth around a tenth.
Mick
69 Dart GTS 440 mopar .590 cam, Edelbrock heads, 3200#
best et 6.45, 106.78, 10.14, 132.88 mph, 1.47 60ft
best 60ft 1.36
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: bigsbigelow]
#955857
03/22/11 12:36 PM
03/22/11 12:36 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,212
Canton, Ohio
Crazy68Dart
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,212
Canton, Ohio
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Quote:
I would NOT start swiss cheassing that car. IMO, it is not worth cutting out ever ounce of left over material to lighten a street car. I would ditch the under coating on the floor boards but leave the wheel wells and then spray bomb the floor boards. I would also ditch the sound barrier material attached to the carpet. That is where I would stop until I could afford more h.p.
I agree with this. But, in the end, your car, do what you want. 
Here is a fun thread, might give you some ideas.
http://www.bigblockdart.com/forum/showthread.php?3410-A-Body-weight
383, Hemi 4-Speed, AlterKtion, D60
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: SLOW67]
#955858
03/22/11 01:06 PM
03/22/11 01:06 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
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Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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Quote:
I drive my car year round... no heater and no wipers RainX for the windshield and a rag to wipe down the windows  Although I try to avoid rain when I can. I also replaced my factory wiring when I got my car, it was hacked anyway so I just used a cheap universal harness off ebay. I've got my car down to 2850 without me in it with a smallblock and 904. Next on the ax is the kmember and I'm going to a powerglide
In my Rampage I had to take the heater out due to
the engine moved rearward... so I am going to move
the heater(rear van heater) to the rear of the cab,
might even be behind the cab and duct the heat to the
windshield(all I want is defrosters) and I'm keeping
the wipers... RainX works great but I want the wipers
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#955859
03/22/11 02:18 PM
03/22/11 02:18 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
mshred
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,426
Toronto
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I appreciate all the opinions and insight guys! I understand its my car at the end of the day, and it being a street car, how important can a tenth be. In reality im just trying to do what I can for as little as I can to help it go faster. It looks like im going to stick with my original list of stuff to save weight with. I may try also scraping off the undercoating, though I really do like the protection it gives to the body especially since I live in a moist climate and the car does see rain if i get stuck in it. Im really contemplating removing the heater box, but i'll have to decide for sure on that later i guess. The car ran mid 13's last year, but the plan for this year is hopefully a mid 12 on the motor, even faster on spray. Got a couple of grudge races setup, so every tenth is gonna count. I have some questions if anyone can help. If I remove the rear window regulators (I don't use those windows anyways, they are almost impossible to go down and back up, so i just leave them up always) how can i keep the window up so that it seals in the weatherstrip? Also, is it possible to use a cutoff wheel on the crashbars and not have the paint bubble up and off? maybe only remove the middle section that so that it doesnt damage the paint? And lastly, does anybody know how much weight can be saved by removing the backseat? For those who were interested, the car is painted an 08 viper color, called snakeskin green pearl 
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Re: Shedding weight on an A-body
[Re: 72demon416]
#955861
03/22/11 03:40 PM
03/22/11 03:40 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225
Charleston
sixpackgut
Drag Week Mod Champion
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Drag Week Mod Champion
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225
Charleston
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MSHRED, that car is beautiful. leave it alone.
Gen 3 power 6.22@110, 9.85@135
Follow @g3hemiswap on instagram
performance only racing, CRT, ultimate converter, superior design concepts, ThumperCarbs
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