i have a 78 malibu, what are some things i can do to lighten it up without spending a ton of money. already has fiberglass hood and bumpers, tubular upper lower front control arms. anything in doors i can cut out?
bigblockbuick
weight removal in g body
1 reading
- remove undercoating
- remove any sound deadening material
- remove air conditioning
- remove heater box
- remove air ducts under dash
- remove heater or A/C controls
- remove radio & speakers
- remove rear seat
- remove crash bars in doors
- remove wiper motor, linkage, and arms
- remove spare tire & jack
- remove passenger side mirror
- remove front & rear sway bars
- remove emergency brake components
- swap power steering for manual steering
- swap manual steering for rack & pinion conversion
- swap power brakes for manual brakes
- swap tilt steering column for standard
- swap standard steering column for lightweight chromoly tube
- plastic headlights
- light weight race disc brakes front & rear
- light weight aluminum or plastic race seats
- aluminum rear firewall instead of steel
- use minimum gauges to monitor critical functions only
- remove unneeded wiring circuits & wire from dash & car
- aluminum intake manifold
- aluminum heads
- aluminum block???
- aluminum radiator
- aluminum water pump
- aluminum radiator core support
- chromoly tube radiator core support
- chromoly tubular A-arms
- chromoly tubular transmission crossmember
- fiberglass front & rear bumpers, eliminate factory bumper shocks, fab LW mounts
- fiberglass hood liftoff lighter than hinged
- fiberglass doors
- fiberglass trunk lid
- fiberglass dash
- lexan windows
- chromoly roll bar/cage instead of heavier/thicker wall mild steel
- 8.5 10 bolt or 12 bolt rear is lighter than most Ford 9" rears
- if using Ford 9", use aluminum center section and/or chromoly fabricated housing
- aluminum or carbon fiber driveshaft
- gun drilled/profiled flange axles
- lightened spool
- titanium drive studs
- shorter rear with shallow back space wheels are lighter than longer rear and deep backspace wheel combination
- light weight aluminum wheels...compare brands & weight. Many of the new design drag wheels are lighter than the older draglites, drag stars, centerlines, etc.
- light weight drag tires, both front & rear...again compare brands, Hoosier D/R lighter than M/T D/R.
- if using bias ply slicks, remove inner tubes
- keep bolts as short as possible, eliminate washers when you can
- use 1 battery instead of 2
- consider using 16 volt battery and remove alternator...charge between rounds
- new dry cell batteries are smaller & lighter than older wet cell designs
- car audio acoustical carpet lighter than rubber backed factory carpet
- powerglide is lighter than th350 or th400
- if needing 3 speed, maybe consider lightened version like the Kilgore, Coan or Rossler versions
- aluminum or titanium body/sheetmetal fasteners
- use newer breed nylon covered braided hose instead of stainless steel braided hose
- keep exhaust as short as possible, compare muffler weights from different manufacturers
- factory block is lighter than aftermarket
- aluminum rods lighter than steel
- smaller radiator lighter and holds less water, less weight
- remove any sound deadening material
- remove air conditioning
- remove heater box
- remove air ducts under dash
- remove heater or A/C controls
- remove radio & speakers
- remove rear seat
- remove crash bars in doors
- remove wiper motor, linkage, and arms
- remove spare tire & jack
- remove passenger side mirror
- remove front & rear sway bars
- remove emergency brake components
- swap power steering for manual steering
- swap manual steering for rack & pinion conversion
- swap power brakes for manual brakes
- swap tilt steering column for standard
- swap standard steering column for lightweight chromoly tube
- plastic headlights
- light weight race disc brakes front & rear
- light weight aluminum or plastic race seats
- aluminum rear firewall instead of steel
- use minimum gauges to monitor critical functions only
- remove unneeded wiring circuits & wire from dash & car
- aluminum intake manifold
- aluminum heads
- aluminum block???
- aluminum radiator
- aluminum water pump
- aluminum radiator core support
- chromoly tube radiator core support
- chromoly tubular A-arms
- chromoly tubular transmission crossmember
- fiberglass front & rear bumpers, eliminate factory bumper shocks, fab LW mounts
- fiberglass hood liftoff lighter than hinged
- fiberglass doors
- fiberglass trunk lid
- fiberglass dash
- lexan windows
- chromoly roll bar/cage instead of heavier/thicker wall mild steel
- 8.5 10 bolt or 12 bolt rear is lighter than most Ford 9" rears
- if using Ford 9", use aluminum center section and/or chromoly fabricated housing
- aluminum or carbon fiber driveshaft
- gun drilled/profiled flange axles
- lightened spool
- titanium drive studs
- shorter rear with shallow back space wheels are lighter than longer rear and deep backspace wheel combination
- light weight aluminum wheels...compare brands & weight. Many of the new design drag wheels are lighter than the older draglites, drag stars, centerlines, etc.
- light weight drag tires, both front & rear...again compare brands, Hoosier D/R lighter than M/T D/R.
- if using bias ply slicks, remove inner tubes
- keep bolts as short as possible, eliminate washers when you can
- use 1 battery instead of 2
- consider using 16 volt battery and remove alternator...charge between rounds
- new dry cell batteries are smaller & lighter than older wet cell designs
- car audio acoustical carpet lighter than rubber backed factory carpet
- powerglide is lighter than th350 or th400
- if needing 3 speed, maybe consider lightened version like the Kilgore, Coan or Rossler versions
- aluminum or titanium body/sheetmetal fasteners
- use newer breed nylon covered braided hose instead of stainless steel braided hose
- keep exhaust as short as possible, compare muffler weights from different manufacturers
- factory block is lighter than aftermarket
- aluminum rods lighter than steel
- smaller radiator lighter and holds less water, less weight
....
I wrote up that list quite a few years ago for the MalibuRacing web site. There has been numerous changes in materials since then like carbon fiber, titanium, and lithium batteries.
Choose wisely, some are quite costly. How deep you get depends on how much $$$ your willing to spend and how much effort you want to put into your weight loss program.
Choose wisely, some are quite costly. How deep you get depends on how much $$$ your willing to spend and how much effort you want to put into your weight loss program.
Remove radiator cap, push car back and slide a mustang under it....Replace cap.
That's the American way...
That's the American way...
Find any zero force members on the frame and drill a bunch of holes. Just wing it. It's not to hard.
A G-body is just like any other car...........you can get it light, but it takes work and in many cases money. But the same principles apply. First...........look at EVERY part on the car. Then decide does the car NEED this part............If it does need that part, figure out how to make it lighter.
Monte
Monte
Ever dropped a leaf or a piece of paper and watched it float towards the ground?
That's what happens when you drop a piece of that black lightweight fuel line. LOL. I have it on my car and I can't believe how light it is, but it does appear to seep, because my garage stinks something awful like gasoline, up close seems like it's coming through the wall of the line.
My car weighed 3180 with an aluminum headed small block, TH400, 8.5 GM 10-bolt, four steel wheels and radial tires, and steel everywhere else. That's without any real effort to remove weight. I imagine I could take ~300lbs out of the car without even trying very hard. Door bars, swap out some stuff for fiberglass, etc.
That's what happens when you drop a piece of that black lightweight fuel line. LOL. I have it on my car and I can't believe how light it is, but it does appear to seep, because my garage stinks something awful like gasoline, up close seems like it's coming through the wall of the line.
My car weighed 3180 with an aluminum headed small block, TH400, 8.5 GM 10-bolt, four steel wheels and radial tires, and steel everywhere else. That's without any real effort to remove weight. I imagine I could take ~300lbs out of the car without even trying very hard. Door bars, swap out some stuff for fiberglass, etc.
Easiest places that drop the most are..
Core Support
Front Frame Rails
Impact bars in doors
Steering box
Trans Crossmember
Trunk floor
There are lots of other places just like any other car.
Core Support
Front Frame Rails
Impact bars in doors
Steering box
Trans Crossmember
Trunk floor
There are lots of other places just like any other car.
The firewall is the best place to lose weight up front and it gives you room to move the motor back.
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