Have you ever wondered why the doors got heavier?

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Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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I knew from my years owning Camaros that around 72-73, the cars started gaining weight. The same happened to other cars including A bodies.
I bought this Ruster a few months back…..

214FE1D9-5DDE-4B86-B150-2A005827905B.jpeg

It was a 1974 slant six model but had disc brakes and some other parts worth pulling. It was way too rusty to save.
The right door skin was heavily rusted so I cut the outer skin to make it easier to get to all the hardware from it.
Check out this beefy side impact beam.

0D641AA1-A46A-424A-B4D3-3166B0C4D5E8.jpeg


A739FA0A-34EC-46D0-9D77-2218999F1DBE.jpeg

I’ve never cut up a 67-73 door so I don’t know exactly when these beams were first implemented.
I just thought I’d pass this along.
Cheers!
 
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Kern Dog said:
I knew from my years owning Camaros that around 72-73, the cars started gaining weight. The same happened to other cars including A bodies.
I bought this Ruster a few months back…..

View attachment 1716119826
It was a 1974 slant six model but had disc brakes and some other parts worth pulling. It was way too rusty to save.
The right door skin was heavily rusted so I cut the outer skin to make it easier to fit all the hardware from it.
Check out this beefy side impact beam.

View attachment 1716119828

View attachment 1716119829
I’ve never cut up a 67-73 door so I don’t know exactly when these beams were first implemented.
I just thought I’d pass this along.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Don't have any in my 70 Dart
 
This door also had that weird window regulator that was a hollow tube instead of those C shaped channels to guide the window glass.
 
73 was the first A-Body that got them. Glass changed pretty much every year from 73-76, don't assume that the door glass interchanges through those years, I found out the hard way!
 
I found out the hard way too. I broke a window in a Dart Sport and even though the cars were still showing up in junkyards back then, it took some serious scouting to find the right one. The other door in the car had a different style, leading me to think the car was patched together over time.
 
That'd be good for dirt track or demolition derby.
 
I think that started in 73. You should pick up a 73-4 challenger or cuda door. They are brutal.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I think that started in 73. You should pick up a 73-4 challenger or cuda door. They are brutal.
Click to expand...
Ha! You ain't lived till you've replaced door hinges on a 1973 Cadillac Coupe Deville. LAWD hammercy. I am glad we had a floor jack with a door holding tool on it. Those things weighed a TON.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I think that started in 73. You should pick up a 73-4 challenger or cuda door. They are brutal.
Click to expand...
It started in 1970 on the e bodies, yes brutal.

I bought a challenger and the guy removed those side impact beams. It was great, Just like a normal door
 
I remember helping someone with their door in the 90's right after high school. He wanted to replace his door on his 2 door 1973 Plymouth Fury.
We took one off of a 1974 Fury in a salvage yard, man that was fun loading it in to the back of my old ramcharger. Those things were not light! But again those Fury's were land barges. If I remember right we still had to change over windows and such because they were shaped differently, it's been awhile so the exact details are a blur.

His fury kind of looked like this:
1973 fury.jpg
 
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I believe 74 was the first year for side impact doors in a B body.
 
Kern Dog said:
I knew from my years owning Camaros that around 72-73, the cars started gaining weight. The same happened to other cars including A bodies.
I bought this Ruster a few months back…..

View attachment 1716119826
It was a 1974 slant six model but had disc brakes and some other parts worth pulling. It was way too rusty to save.
The right door skin was heavily rusted so I cut the outer skin to make it easier to get to all the hardware from it.
Check out this beefy side impact beam.

View attachment 1716119828

View attachment 1716119829
I’ve never cut up a 67-73 door so I don’t know exactly when these beams were first implemented.
I just thought I’d pass this along.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Looks like a freakin' guardrail
1690456915943.png
 
My 72 Scamp does not have that. However, they're still heavy as all get-out.

I would pay good money to find a set of carbon fiber or fiberglass doors that allowed functional locks and windows. There's probably at least 100lbs that could be shed there.
 
Lord Sparky said:
Auto manufacturers were suddenly forced by regulations to save lives.
Click to expand...
And yet they had no qualms taking credit in advertisements for that which they were forced to do. I remember commercials touting the addition of the side impact safety door beams.
 
Cuprum-74 said:
I remember helping someone with their door in the 90's right after high school. He wanted to replace his door on his 2 door 1973 Plymouth Fury.
We took one off of a 1974 Fury in a salvage yard, man that was fun loading it in to the back of my old ramcharger. Those things were not light! But again those Fury's were land barges. If I remember right we still had to change over windows and such because they were shaped differently, it's been awhile so the exact details are a blur.

His fury kind of looked like this:
View attachment 1716119860
Click to expand...
Those were no lightweights either!
 
Greg, if your trashing the doors i would be interested in the window rollers for my 73 Duster... my rollers crumbled when i touched them.. Let me know, thanks Rich.
 
It wasn't just the doors, either. The "picnic table" bumpers weight a TON. Same deal. Lots of added iron behind,and of course the engergy absorbing mounts.
 
73 Duster were all alone for just about all including electrical applications , I found that out looking at mopar manuals and Classic Industries catalogs. I own a 73 340 Duster.
 
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