Extent Or Your Cars Weight Reduction

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12many

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How much is enough, too much or your happy medium? If your a racer how far do you go? If you run on the street also what’s your limit of gutting? What do you have to have? What did you start at for weight and where are you now with your car? Before and after strip results? I’m in the early stages of reducing the weight on my van as one of the last things I can do before my plans this coming winter to pull the engine/trans and do power upgrades. Being I use my van on the street occasionally, but setting it up to be much more drag oriented, I’m still hesitant to start gutting street friendly parts like mirrors, visors, wipers, etc. There’s the easy big targets and then the little things that add up. My first stage or goal of weight reduction was a target of 100 lbs which I hit easily by changing to a lithium battery (-35lbs) removing both buckets seats for a Jaz alum race seat (-42lbs) mini starter (-7 lbs) removal of entire heater assembly and dash crash pad (-30 lbs) Plan on replacing some steel interior door panels, possibly the steel doghouse, and belly pan on underside (for airflow to radiator) with aluminum, ditch the sway bar, fab some aluminum bumper brackets and hopefully source fiberglass bumpers that fit nice for the next stage. Hopefully lose another 100 lbs with those things then there’s maybe swapping to Billet Specialties Street Lite black rims which will save me 50 lbs over the Keystones I have now. Before all this my van weighed 3370 lbs, now down to 3270 lbs, headed to 3170+/-, and if I swap rims and some race only front tires I’d be around 3100 lb. That’s about my limit and still be usable on the street with factory glass, mirrors, wipers, etc just be able to swap in the buckets for cruising. Would be interesting to read what others have done or are doing and the results :)
 
12many said:
How much is enough, too much or your happy medium? If your a racer how far do you go? If you run on the street also what’s your limit of gutting? What do you have to have? What did you start at for weight and where are you now with your car? Before and after strip results? I’m in the early stages of reducing the weight on my van as one of the last things I can do before my plans this coming winter to pull the engine/trans and do power upgrades. Being I use my van on the street occasionally, but setting it up to be much more drag oriented, I’m still hesitant to start gutting street friendly parts like mirrors, visors, wipers, etc. There’s the easy big targets and then the little things that add up. My first stage or goal of weight reduction was a target of 100 lbs which I hit easily by changing to a lithium battery (-35lbs) removing both buckets seats for a Jaz alum race seat (-42lbs) mini starter (-7 lbs) removal of entire heater assembly and dash crash pad (-30 lbs) Plan on replacing some steel interior door panels, possibly the steel doghouse, and belly pan on underside (for airflow to radiator) with aluminum, ditch the sway bar, fab some aluminum bumper brackets and hopefully source fiberglass bumpers that fit nice for the next stage. Hopefully lose another 100 lbs with those things then there’s maybe swapping to Billet Specialties Street Lite black rims which will save me 50 lbs over the Keystones I have now. Before all this my van weighed 3370 lbs, now down to 3270 lbs, headed to 3170+/-, and if I swap rims and some race only front tires I’d be around 3100 lb. That’s about my limit and still be usable on the street with factory glass, mirrors, wipers, etc just be able to swap in the buckets for cruising. Would be interesting to read what others have done or are doing and the results :)
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No heater? Dang. Probably not a big deal if you don’t drive it year round.

Looks like you’re getting it done. It’s pretty hard getting things below 3000 pounds and still have something streetable. I forget how many windows your van has, but you can replace the glass with lexan and save some weight. Maybe do all the glass except the windshield. You can do it too if you want, but a little road grime and some rain and it will get scratches in it, and you need to get a buffer and buff it out. It’s a PITA. On my race car I had to buff the windshield at least once a year.


What are the power upgrades? Maybe you can’t start another thread so this one doesn’t get too far into the weeds.

That’s all I got.
 
Only drive it in below 40 degree winter weather rarely, to work at that. Just wear a warm jacket maybe gloves!! Upgrades will be The trick flows, 1/2 point up in compression via heads and thin gaskets (to approx 10.25) Lunati [email protected]”/.620”ish lift solid, M1 single, 9.5” converter, other minor incidentals. At 11.8+@112 on a good day, need more runs to verify that it can run that consistently, otherwise I’d say 12 flats for sure, with the weight I’m losing I should theoretically drop a tenth or two, maybe a little more as weight has a bigger effect on the van vs most normal vehicles. Late 2018 when I ran 7.85’s in the 1/8 consistently my 150 lb son took a run with me down the track and the et was 8.07 with same launch etc so I’m thinking I should see some good gains at this point.
 
On the street driven ride, every body panel up front gets changed out to fiberglass, bumper included. Doors remained steel. Trunk and rear bumper remained steel.
No lexan on the street. (Yet? IDK)

I’ve met fellas that changed the doors to fiberglass. There gamble...
I have heard other complain about the rear being to light for there set up and reinstalled the steel bumper and deck lid.

Knowing your running a van, leaves a problem on lightening it up. What is available and what can you replicate in fiberglass. Also, what is needed for the street for you and legalities.

On the street ride, the wipers, heater and ducting is left in. It just simply sucks when it rains and/or the windshield fogs up, or your just cold. (Who likes being cold?!?!) on a dedicated drag car, you really don’t care!
 
I've never understood how some guys keep a drag car light with a cage. That stuff adds up quick
 
One of the things I did was Strange race brakes.
Drums and factory discs are HEAVY.
Expensive though, I think I paid $1200 for all 4 corners and MC.
I picked up a set of mono-leafs used but, only saved 6# a disappointment.
Mini altenator is cheap. I'll see if I can hook you up.
 
Pull the window regulators and make seat belt straps to hold the glass up. Its like 12 pounds per door.

Only down side is no adjusting the window while driving. Gotta pull over for that.

Remove the under coat, i hear its almost 100 pounds but i never weighed it.

Remove carpet.

Wipers, linkage, motor= garbage. Do you drive in the pouring rain? I dont.

On a van i would toss the rear bumper and make a roll pan. Heck id toss the front bumper also.
 
Cope said:
Pull the window regulators and make seat belt straps to hold the glass up. Its like 12 pounds per door.

Only down side is no adjusting the window while driving. Gotta pull over for that.

Remove the under coat, i hear its almost 100 pounds but i never weighed it.

Remove carpet.

Wipers, linkage, motor= garbage. Do you drive in the pouring rain? I dont.

On a van i would toss the rear bumper and make a roll pan. Heck id toss the front bumper also.
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When I started all this Hot rodding and drag race stuff I said “Oh we’re going to keep the whole thing as is aside from the drive train”.....Slowly but surely it is morphing into keeping bare necessities, maintaining a fully functioning street ride yet having a serious drag van. I’m not really a fan of no bumpers on these vans. If I could find them or have them made I’d like some lightweight split bumpers of some sort. Bumpers on these vans are pretty much worthless in an impact they are purely for aesthetics. But there definitely is a lot that can be reduced on this thing it just depends on how far one wants to go, not ruling out anything for now. A few steps at a time
 
One, and done

2003-dodge-tomahawk-9.jpg
 
Lord Sparky said:
Mine got heavier when I added sound deadening, but now I can talk while driving.
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Tin can here, no nothing deadening. No stereo etc. All engine music and love every second of it......no talking, maybe sing a song but that’s all:lol:
 
Cope said:
Pull the window regulators and make seat belt straps to hold the glass up. Its like 12 pounds per door.

Only down side is no adjusting the window while driving. Gotta pull over for that.

Remove the under coat, i hear its almost 100 pounds but i never weighed it.

Remove carpet.

Wipers, linkage, motor= garbage. Do you drive in the pouring rain? I dont.

On a van i would toss the rear bumper and make a roll pan. Heck id toss the front bumper also.
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Reduced things down to 3120 lbs as of now, replaced various things with aluminum, ditched both bumpers and brackets (using bumper guards to fill the holes in the valances) wiper components completely, replaced door glass (using plexi) and regulators (using seatbelt straps) some interior steel panels and plates with aluminum, have 3/16 Margard Lexan ready to install for the two windshields and still need to fab a couple more aluminum brackets which will drop it to a approx. 3090 lbs. Will settle on that for some time. Then eventually with the TF heads I’ve got and lighter race only rims and front tires I calculate it’ll be slightly under 3000 lbs and that’s it!
 
Weight is everything to me. With that being said I will not cut the car up. If I can remove/replace, or reproduce it in a lighter form,sure. Here’s a couple of “big savings”
Power steering to manual 38lbs

Holley hydra mat, dropped fuel load from 12-14 gallons down to 2. 63 lbs

Surprising to me, but not a big amount. 6.5” steel wheel to 5.5” steel wheel 2 lbs each.

Stock 340 AC crank pulley to aluminum pulley 6lbs!
 
My sons Duster weights 3250 and could care less about weight. Heavy fiberglass six pac hood and everything else is steel. It’s gone 10.08 with a 408. My Duster used to be 2575 and weighed 2875 last time I weighed it. It’s probably 2900 with the big azz battery I just bought.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My sons Duster weights 3250 and could care less about weight. Heavy fiberglass six pac hood and everything else is steel. It’s gone 10.08 with a 408. My Duster used to be 2575 and weighed 2875 last time I weighed it. It’s probably 2900 with the big azz battery I just bought.
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What new battery did you get???
 
My '63 full bodied Dart (full interior too) comes in at 2890 with a half cell of fuel. until I get in it!
Like @furrystump , I went through great lengths to keep it light!
 
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Oops Never mind:rolleyes:
 
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yellow rose said:
What new battery did you get???
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My old sears Diehard Platinum battery was from 2009 and still working well but I could tell on my Racepak it was down some (going to upgrade my alternator too). I noticed Advance Auto bought the name so I’m going to give it a try (so far so good). With a 20% off coupon it was 170.00. Two events, 5 races and it working as I should. 3 year free replacement too.
 
I’m more old school.

Leave the weight......make more power ;)

My weight removal was aluminum wheels, no exhaust, no spare, no jack, lighter OE front seats out of another vehicle.

Then add 120# back in for the roll bar and floor plates.
Running XHD springs with cal-tracs, and at least 1/2 tank of fuel.

3670lbs race ready on the line.
 
Don't forget that removing weight from the wheels is unsprung weight. So each pound removed is equivalent to removing three pounds of dead weight off the vehicle. If you save 50lbs on wheel weight, it's like removing 150 lbs off the car! Hot Rodding secret.
 
I would love a light car, but I hate the looks of a gutted car. My all out drag car is ladder bar and weighs right around 3000. It still has door panels, dash pan, gauge and carpet, all glass. I even ditch the hood pins for the factory hood latch and stuck in a factory gauge cluster. Yes weight makes a difference and every little bit supposedly helps and I'm sure it makes a difference. But I have tried drag front tires vs M/T sportsman and seen no difference in E.T. I've also tried tubes and no tubes in rear slicks and haven't made a difference. I didn't weigh the tubes, but I run a 30x13 tire so the tubes aren't super light. Save the weight where you can without totally butchering the car, but if you want to go fast, just build a larger motor.
 
furrystump said:
Weight is everything to me. With that being said I will not cut the car up. If I can remove/replace, or reproduce it in a lighter form,sure.
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Agree. I haven’t cut away/off anything so far, and don’t intend to. Have only had to drill a couple small insignificant holes on the underside out of sight, but everything can be reinstalled as original, not that I will anytime soon. I’m pretty much taking ques from the various factory lightweights, max wedges and the 68’s with a finished look: No holes of any sort left exposed or panels/plates removed without replacing with thin aluminum.
 
Not sure how relevant it is to this thread, but with the 440 I had before, I weighed my car:
'68 Satellite street funner, going for a little of the day-2 look.
Forged crank 440/727/8-3/4"/3.73 gears.
15x6 front & 15x8 rear steel wheels, 275/60s out back.
Edelbrock Aluminum heads and intake
Aluminum water pump & housing
Aluminum radiator and trans cooler
Factory-style fuel tank
Power steering, manual front disc brakes
No AC/heater components or blower motor, except the switch panel's still there to fill the space
Fiberglass hood on the factory hinges with pins up front, no factory latch parts installed
Factory rear bench with front buckets from an '03 Dodge Stratus. Interior looks stock except for the junkyard buckets. (It's okay they're clean!)
Fat-Mat insulation under the carpet, from under the back seat to halfway up the firewall. Factory style carpet.
Chrome bumpers, all factory glass, grille and body panels
Full 3" exhaust with an H and Ultra-Flow mufflers
No wiper motor or mechanisms but the arms are still on, for looks..It doesn't rain much here and I don't drive the car in it when it does. Getting a 'surprise rain shower' here is a non-factor...
No radio or speakers
No horn/components
Nothing in the trunk except some tools and spare ignition components

3460 lb on a certified scale w/out me in it and 1/3 tank of gas.
But I do like PRH's philosophy---just add mo' power!
 
Oh forgot car weighs 3445 with me in it. Still a bunch to pull out. Front brakes weigh a ton! 727 trans, which is also rotational weight. Huge battery and on and on. Dwayne you’re right, I should make more POWER!!!!!! Have to get after the guy who ported my heads! :)
 
Anybody know the weight difference of stock fender verses fiberglass?
 
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