Losing weight (on the car too)

[Deaf Bob]

A guy in town bought an old race car 55, it had the engine relocated back about two feet, and the frame was swiss cheesed...but they didn't just drill holes, they cut big rectangles out of it with a torch. I don't think I'm going there

If you knew exactly where you could drill without making it structurally weak... That would be a way to go... But... You drive it, so I would not advise it.. With a gravel driveway, you might lose your weight savings when it gets full of rocks
We take bodies off of cars and "massage" the frames... The newer car frames have a hell of alot of flex without bodies.

[BigBlockMopar]

I would think the car should be able to 60 better, no?
My '60 NewYorker managed 1.6" 60'. Power everything, full interior.
(496ci, longram intakes, 3.23 gears, stock convertor.)

My guess is your engine should make more torque at low rpm's.

[Scott Liggett]

Skinnier driver? Oops. Did I say that out loud?

[squirrel]

Hey, I'm working on it.

[Beagle]

20 pounds = .02 ? I'm not giving up beer over it.

Aluminum driveshaft?

Helium in the tires?

Acid bath? Nah, screw that. You just painted it. I'd say pull all that computer wiring junk out of it or lose the stereo, but if you can't road trip with something besides a blower whining big block.. yeah, nevermind. Pull the stereo.

[BOOOGHAR]

worry about the ounces and the pounds will follow

[squirrel]

That's my theory, 20 pounds here, 2 pounds there, after a while it adds up to a tenth or two

[Huskinhano]

Beagle beat me to it, aluminum driveshaft and paint it black. On the mini starter, I'm running one on my Mustang. It weighs half as much as the stocker. IIRC, the mini weighs 7.5 pounds and the stock weighed 16 pounds. Hey, give Hemi Joel a call, he should have plenty of tips on lightening your car!

Could you get a Turbo 350 to live? Or maybe a 'glide?

[squirrel]

I had enough trouble getting the 400 to survive (although it's been doing fine since I replaced the worn case). The driveshaft isn't too heavy, and the parking brake linkage gets in the way if I go any bigger than 3.5" tube that it has now.

I should spend some more time under the car...there are a couple spring hanger brackets I could cut off, and I might find a few more things. Maybe the ends of the driveshaft loop, I think they're longer than they need to be and they're 1/4 x 2" steel.

[Beagle]

a100 van seats are supposed to be really really light?

yikes! 1/4" x 2" .. can you fab up a tube replacement and pass tech? Trimming the ends has got to be worth something!

I wouldn't swiss cheese it, but that's me.

[squirrel]

I got my new starter in the mail today, seven pounds (!) it's the one they use on the 99 big block trucks.

[Deaf Bob]

I got my new starter in the mail today, seven pounds (!) it's the one they use on the 99 big block trucks.

Good starters! We crank alot of amps thru them! (2-1000 CCAbatteries) Always starts our small blocks hot!

[Huskinhano]

Instead of chasing weight, what about aerodynamics? Look at all that crap just hanging underneath in the air flow of a typical car! I understand blocking off the radiator helps in this area as well. Maybe stick a piece of cardboard in front just before going down the track. Side mirrors add drag too.

[CDMBill]

The iron heads are you biggest remaining part that would add power and decrease weight in any real quantity. Which heads are you searching for?

[squirrel]

Old ones, of course. I ran across a nice pair a couple years ago and wasn't smart enough to scrape up the two grand to buy them.