Classic Engine Tech 1967 - 1981 Engine Related

heavy 74 camaro, need help

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 12, 2005 | 08:20 PM
  #1  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
heavy 74 camaro, need help

ok i know there have been a few threads on this, searched and didn't find what i was looking for.

i know i have a pig of a car. its a 74 camaro thats been tubbed with chromolly cage aluminum heads....basic pro street set up. haven't weighed it yet but i bet its still over 3300 lbs.

has anyone cut up the floor and used like aluminum covered with carpet? i was thinking of trying that.
i want to keep the stock dash though
only have one seat. kirkey aluminum.
the doors are heavy...how would i get the surrpert thingy out of it?
what about lexan windows? does that reduce a lot of weight?
no front sway bar. and am going to be putting on light weight front brakes.
aluminum radiator?? thought about it.
half fiberglass hood. still have stock hinges and springs/ should i go pins/

all in all i just want it as light as possible without fiberglassing everything and i wanna keep my dash. any input would be sweet
Old Jul 12, 2005 | 08:32 PM
  #2  
Dave89IROC's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,676
From: Melvindale, MI, US
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

as long as you have good frame(tubing?) members onder the car, aluminum works fine for the floor
Old Jul 12, 2005 | 11:17 PM
  #3  
talos's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,273
From: North Vancouver
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

man i had the best link for you, but lost it somewhere... showed all the weights of every part on the car >< damn it

oh wellz...

well pulling the floor is a big job wouldn't really wanna undertake myself.. but consider fiberglass even though u did say u didn't want that stuff.
I had a 4" cowl bolt on hood, and the pin on version weighed about 15lbs lighter.. Fiberglass doors, fiberglass trunklid, tubliter(sp?)parts fiberglass fenders.. made right fiberglass or carben fiber can be made extremely strong

but that this is a racecar only? lexan isn't a bad idea eather

Last edited by talos; Jul 12, 2005 at 11:20 PM.
Old Jul 12, 2005 | 11:17 PM
  #4  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

i'm sure it has enough tubing under the car
Old Jul 13, 2005 | 09:19 AM
  #5  
XcYZ's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 148
From: Rochester, MN
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Make sure you check the NHRA rule book about the floor. If you remove it, it changes the requirements of the cage.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the bumpers on that thing weigh a ton. A lift off fiberglass hood (and removing the hinges and latch assy) would be one of the quickest and easiest ways to lose some weight.

Last edited by XcYZ; Jul 13, 2005 at 09:25 AM.
Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:04 PM
  #6  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

i don't want any fiberglass. already has an expensive paint job. but i would like fiberglass bumbers cause those aren't painted.
where would i find bumpers?
Old Jul 13, 2005 | 05:30 PM
  #7  
mw's Avatar
mw
Registered User
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 97
From: TN
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Back when I had my '76 I took all of the springs out of the front bumper and welded the tubes solid. Might could do it on the rear too. Luckly I never got in a head on crash. Not recommending this for a street car at all but for a striped out race car you could lose quit a bit of weight. Try at your own risk.
Old Jul 13, 2005 | 10:20 PM
  #8  
talos's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,273
From: North Vancouver
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Originally Posted by mw
Back when I had my '76 I took all of the springs out of the front bumper and welded the tubes solid. Might could do it on the rear too. Luckly I never got in a head on crash. Not recommending this for a street car at all but for a striped out race car you could lose quit a bit of weight. Try at your own risk.
dunno if you would pass tech at a track with that...

ya replacing new paint is a pita, espesially if u just bought it
ive seen entire frontends that flip forward like a corvette... but once again thats fiberglass.. sometimes aluminum.

how about ur gastank? r u running a fuelcell? run a plastic or smaller tank depending on if its a street or a strip car... don't wanna run outta gas
Old Jul 13, 2005 | 10:57 PM
  #9  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

i have an aluminum fuel cell.

if anything happens to the paint (heaven forbid) i will do a whole fiberglass front end. but hopefully that won't be for a few years
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 12:44 AM
  #10  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

pulled a few things off and weighed em tonight....

front bumper 45lbs
inner fenders 30lbs
sway bar (already off but just weighed) 13lbs
radio and other misc crap 15lbs

total today is 103lbs!! not too bad.

lots more to come
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 07:45 AM
  #11  
XcYZ's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 148
From: Rochester, MN
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

You could remove up to 200lbs by going to an aftermarket subframe like a Chris Alston, Martz, etc.
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 12:57 PM
  #12  
camaro_dave's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 119
From: Orem-Utah-USA
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

well i thought about doing a whole front end. there is a guy around where i live that does custom strut front ends with rack and pinion disk brakes etc..that would tie into my carge for ~ $2500. a guy i know did that and shaved like 230lbs off his camaro. i'll most likely do that if i do a fiberglass front end.
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 01:35 PM
  #13  
1996LT1NY's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 324
From: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Check this for idea's on where to loose weight from your second gen:


http://rcboat.com/Brian's%20stuff/camaro_database.htm
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 04:15 PM
  #14  
talos's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,273
From: North Vancouver
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Have you pulled all that sound deading stuff from under the carpet?

hell the carpet alone weights a ton
Old Jul 14, 2005 | 04:17 PM
  #15  
talos's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,273
From: North Vancouver
Re: heavy 74 camaro, need help

Originally Posted by 1996LT1NY
Check this for idea's on where to loose weight from your second gen:


http://rcboat.com/Brian's%20stuff/camaro_database.htm

NICE thats the site



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:23 AM.