Crash Beam

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SpeedThrills

SpeedThrills

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What year did they start using them? My 74 Dart Sport has them. I'm thinking they started in 73? I'm going to look at a pair of 72's, if they don't have them. I'm looking to lose the weight. (Car will have a roll bar.) The 72's are in better shape than mine, too.
While I'm at it, what do they weigh? Can they be removed? They appear to be built into the seam where the inner and outers are assembled. If so, I guess it would be easier to weigh the entire door and compare them.
 
SpeedThrills said:
What year did they start using them? My 74 Dart Sport has them. I'm thinking they started in 73? I'm going to look at a pair of 72's, if they don't have them. I'm looking to lose the weight. (Car will have a roll bar.) The 72's are in better shape than mine, too.
While I'm at it, what do they weigh? Can they be removed? They appear to be built into the seam where the inner and outers are assembled. If so, I guess it would be easier to weigh the entire door and compare them.
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good question. I don't know for a fact, but I believe I read that the e-bodies had them from the get-go.
 
74 duster was 1st year they had the 5 mph bumper ,suppose to spring in then back at 5mph with minimum damage, just put a 73 taillight panel on my 74, there was a small place at each spring for the beam support that the 73 didnt have, was going to remove beams on it , found out that 73 bumper braces had to be added , since all my under side braces and brackets were without rust, decided to leave mine as original.
 
I think he may be referring to the door crash beams... and that was 73 or earlier because a I removed them from a 73 340 car I had.

My 69 Swinger does not have them
 
Yeah, lol, I forgot to mention the word "doors", after I said I'm going to look at a pair of 72's.
For those unaware, they run the length of the door, on the skin side, inner.
I know from working on Fox Mustangs, that they're heavier than you'd think. I believe about 18 lbs. each.
 
They're noticeably heavier. I think they started in '73.
 
70aarcuda said:
My 73 Duster does not have them.....
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mderoy340 said:
73 Dart Sport has them. 73-76 doors are different in other ways.
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Interesting...I wonder if that is a Dart vs Duster or more likely an early 73 vs late 73. I know Duster 73 glass is one year only, but don't know what all changes were made in the doors before or after. Like many other changes, prob happened mid year when they ran out of the old parts or got supply of new ones. Not by the calendar.
 
I am into reassembling the doors on my 70. Not much side impact protection at all, just a door shell with window regulator.
 
I bought the '72 doors today. (build date 5/72)
The drivers door, complete w/ mirror, but no hinges weighs 73#.
The '74 drivers door (build date 5/74), also complete with the same type of mirror, but no hinges, weighs 84#.
The '73 and up have a different window regulator, so I don't know if that is part of the weight difference.

Woo hoo! I lost 22# today!!
 
If you could totally remove the beams i.e. cut them out completely, the 73-76 door would be slightly lighter, not by much. The interior handle assembly and inner door framing is slightly lighter. Also if you swap doors you will need to swap to the 70-72 rear 1/4 window steel inner panels to match the doors, which adds a little weight, again not much though. If it was me I would attempt to cut the beams out, but then again I have no spare 72 and earlier doors nowadays.
 
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