Weighed my car today

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Craig Burriss

Craig Burriss

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I’ve always wondered what my car weighs because it’s so far from being stock.
These are the things that contribute most to the weight differences I’ve made.

Iron 440 with iron heads
Headers
Mini starter
Aluminum intake and water pump housing
Aluminum radiator
QuickTime scatter shield bell housing
Full QA1 front end (PST 1.03 torsion bars)
T56 Magnum transmission
8 3/4 rear with homemade 4-link
18x9.5 wheels, 285/35 tires, 50# each
No A/C or heat
Manual steering/brakes
Still has back seat and a stereo
35# spare tire
Full size battery
All steel body
Subframe connectors.

I had a bunch of trashed transmission parts from my RamCharger that I was planning on taking to the recycling center, so I took them in my Duster.
After subtracting my weight, and the weight of my toolbox, the car weighs 3230lbs with half a tank of gas. I’m not sure how accurate their scale is, but I’ve heard that it’s almost dead on.

Down the road I’m planning on getting an all aluminum big block, fiber glass front bumper and hood, and some lighter wheels, so it will eventually be well under 3000!
 
Man my one is 4200 but HP makes it a little bit! Dragging do it, driver why?
 
That's at least a couple hundred less than i would have guessed.
Im not sure of the accuracy of scales at the dump either, with that light a load. I havent seen scales (at a dump)yet with better than + or - ten lbs.
I think i would believe racetrack scales more.
 
Im really tempted to get some wheel scales, i have a bunch of cars i am curious about. It's just really hard to justify the the expense of even the cheapest set, just to satisfy curiosity.
I remember a few years ago a couple of guys would wheel weigh your car in the parking lot at the drags (no scale there) to help pay for their scales. I think they were getting $20 a pop. Im too old to try to pay for my scales that way, lol.
 
33IMP said:
That's at least a couple hundred less than i would have guessed.
Im not sure of the accuracy of scales at the dump either, with that light a load. I havent seen scales (at a dump)yet with better than + or - ten lbs.
I think i would believe racetrack scales more.
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Since they use the scale for commercial purposes it's probably sealed by a county or state or both. If the scale is electronic it's probably within 2 or 3 pounds + or -.
 
When i drag raced my 71 Dart with a iron 440/ 727/8.75 in race trim it weighted 3080 without me in it.
That was glass bumpers, hood , deck lid.
 
My nearly stock 67 Barracuda fastback (273/904 manual s&b) weighed in at something like 3400 when I was buying garden rocks. Probably had a small toolbox in the trunk plus the full size spare. Anything under 3300 on a wide A-body is lighter than stock, really.
 
Yup time you add frame connecters. 12 pt roll cage the best you can hope for is 3000 lbs MOL.
 
stroked340 said:
My '70 duster weights 3120..
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Unconventional said:
Them oval track racers are real big on corner weights too. Many of them have scales.
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Im less than fifteen miles from irwindale, and they have circle track race shops there, and a circle track too, of course. I could probably get a car weighed there for a reasonable amount of money, but then what do i do about the other seven im curious about, lol.
 
33IMP said:
Im less than fifteen miles from irwindale, and they have circle track race shops there, and a circle track too, of course. I could probably get a car weighed there for a reasonable amount of money, but then what do i do about the other seven im curious about, lol.
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Would never work on a full size auto, but I used 1 bathroom scale with 3 shims that matched the height of the scale to set the corner weights on the last oval track go kart I built :lol:. Check one corner then move the scale to the next. Reading the weight was a real PIA while standing in the seat :rofl:. One scale with a 1000 lbs. capacity might do same for an automobile.
thinking-face.png
 
Hell my 67 Super Gas Barracuda in my avatar was all glass except roof and quarters, mild steel complete tube frame with struts and a 9” ladder bar weighed 2615 without me in it. It is harder to get weight off than most realize.That was with a all steel 440 with a Ron’s flying toilet alcohol injection.
 
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Unconventional said:
Would never work on a full size auto, but I used 1 bathroom scale with 3 shims that matched the height of the scale to set the corner weights on the last oval track go kart I built :lol:. Check one corner then move the scale to the next. Reading the weight was a real PIA while standing in the seat :rofl:. One scale with a 1000 lbs. capacity might do same for an automobile. View attachment 1715747027
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I did that with my cortina. I had a 1000lbs capacity beam scale for shipping purposes, at work. I made three platforms the same height as the scale. It worked well on a light car, but i think a 3700lb car with typical front weight bias might be too heavy.
And besides, the company folded, im retired, and the scale is long gone.
 
33IMP said:
I did that with my cortina. I had a 1000lbs capacity beam scale for shipping purposes, at work. I made three platforms the same height as the scale. It worked well on a light car, but i think a 3700lb car with typical front weight bias might be too heavy.
And besides, the company folded, im retired, and the scale is long gone.
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Would be mighty close on a 1K lbs scale.
 
Unconventional said:
Since they use the scale for commercial purposes it's probably sealed by a county or state or both. If the scale is electronic it's probably within 2 or 3 pounds + or -.
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This county has free dump sights with bins labeled for different types of trash. They have metal bins that they sell to this place to help pay for them, so I imagine they make sure they’re accurate.
 
Craig Burriss said:
This county has free dump sights with bins labeled for different types of trash. They have metal bins that they sell to this place to help pay for them, so I imagine they make sure they’re accurate.
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I was just guessing from personal experience. I have brought several loads to my local dump, and each time, in and out, weight of my truck has a zero on the end. I assume their readings are accutate within 10 lbs.
 
As an aside, When I moved my VW Squareback BACK to WA from CA, WA couldnt issue me a title because the CA title didnt note the weight of the car. I took it to a truck stop with a CAT or DOT certified scale- they gave me a printout that satisfied the WA DOL.
 
Craig Burriss said:
I’ve always wondered what my car weighs because it’s so far from being stock.
These are the things that contribute most to the weight differences I’ve made.

Iron 440 with iron heads
Headers
Mini starter
Aluminum intake and water pump housing
Aluminum radiator
QuickTime scatter shield bell housing
Full QA1 front end (PST 1.03 torsion bars)
T56 Magnum transmission
8 3/4 rear with homemade 4-link
18x9.5 wheels, 285/35 tires, 50# each
No A/C or heat
Manual steering/brakes
Still has back seat and a stereo
35# spare tire
Full size battery
All steel body
Subframe connectors.

I had a bunch of trashed transmission parts from my RamCharger that I was planning on taking to the recycling center, so I took them in my Duster.
After subtracting my weight, and the weight of my toolbox, the car weighs 3230lbs with half a tank of gas. I’m not sure how accurate their scale is, but I’ve heard that it’s almost dead on.

Down the road I’m planning on getting an all aluminum big block, fiber glass front bumper and hood, and some lighter wheels, so it will eventually be well under 3000!
Click to expand...

That's not bad at all given all the modifications! You added some weight for sure in some places but definitely lost it in some others. But not bad at all considering you haven't gone too far out of your way to make it lighter.

I would suspect that scale has to be certified and is checked/inspected on a regular interval. It might not be accurate to a couple pounds and it won't give you corner weights, but I would bet the overall weight of the car is pretty darn close to that.
 
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