Weight reduction: Running out of ideas.

[69427]

You haven't identified all the weight reducing things you've done .. I've always been interested in you weight reduction postings. ..................

Here's the stuff I can think of at the moment. Starting from the front:
Aluminum: radiator, support, lower crossmember, and side brackets.
Aluminum (c4) suspension F&R
Tubular front sway bar
Two piece lightweight Wilwood rotors, aluminum Wilwood calipers
Aluminum wheels, of course
Aluminum hood hinges
Aluminum engine stuff and lightweight L-88 flywheel, PMGR starter
Lightweight alternator and aluminum bracket
Lighterweight p/s pump and aluminum bracket
Aluminum shifter handle
Lighter weight '79 seats and aluminum brackets
Lightweight battery (16#)
Late C3 batwing with C4 leaf spring
Aluminum Wilwood calipers
Aluminum rear bumper brackets

That's most of the stuff I can think of at the moment. As I mentioned earlier, my goal is to remove weight but keep a stock appearance.

 

[phantomjock]

That's a pretty impressive list of work!

Here is a quick 1/2 pound (each side) :


An added advantage - you can add teh Howe NASCAR style Ball joints on these upper Control Arms and improve roll center and handling at the same time.

And a best guess at the full front end:


I personally opted for the QA-1s dual adjust and can weigh those when I pull the dummys I have mounted there - but have long since salvaged the coil springs!

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Replace jeave dprings and shocks with aluminum coil overs
Lightweight wheels. C3 wheels are not light
Aluminum wheel hubs
Lightweight batter li ion (porsche)
Ti echaust
Ti bolts wherever you can afford them
Replace birdcage with alu LOL
re

Lightweight hood w/ wiper door delete
Lightweight nascar debotech or crawford aircleaner
Drill holes in fame if you dare
Lowee fuel tank to improve cg height
Lexan windows
Cut off roof, make it a roadster
Alu sweet or woodward stee4ing column
Carbon/plastic rearview mirror

 

[69427]

That's a pretty impressive list of work!

Here is a quick 1/2 pound (each side) :


An added advantage - you can add teh Howe NASCAR style Ball joints on these upper Control Arms and improve roll center and handling at the same time.

And a best guess at the full front end:


I personally opted for the QA-1s dual adjust and can weigh those when I pull the dummys I have mounted there - but have long since salvaged the coil springs!

Are you sure those things are lighter than the aluminum C4 arms?

 

[69427]

Replace jeave dprings and shocks with aluminum coil overs I have coil overs in the front. I don't know if I can package them in the rear due to the narrowed suspension though. The shocks are regular small body Bilsteins which are pretty light. I'll have to throw one on a scale for amusement.
Lightweight wheels. C3 wheels are not light I'm running the Italian made C5 Z06 wheels on track days. They're very light.
Aluminum wheel hubs I don't know if that is doable with C4 spindles.
Lightweight batter li ion (porsche) Probably out of my league price-wise. My present battery is 17#. I am guessing it would be hundreds of dollars per reduced pound to run that battery.
Ti echaust I haven't seen any generic titanium mufflers. From what I've seen in C5 forums the factory ti mufflers are heavier than my Dynomax mufflers. I've never welded titanium, so I'd have to see how much hassle and expense it would be to replace some of the pipes.
Ti bolts wherever you can afford them I lust after them every time I look through a Speedway Motors catalog. I haven't been able to justify the expense yet (until I win the Missouri Lottery).
Replace birdcage with alu LOL Trust me, I've pondered that. LOL
re

Lightweight hood w/ wiper door delete I would like to find a lighter hood as it's up front and up high.
Lightweight nascar debotech or crawford aircleaner I'm running an aluminum airbox presently, but I'll look into those items.
Drill holes in fame if you dare I have in several "overbuilt" areas.
Lowee fuel tank to improve cg height I haven't figured out a way of doing that with rear placement mufflers.
Lexan windows I have some thinner late C3 side windows in a box, but my car is an early '69 so they don't directly interchange, and I'm working on trying to make them fit.
Cut off roof, make it a roadster I'm a coupe fan, and most tracks require a rollbar on convertibles, somewhat negating the top chop.
Alu sweet or woodward stee4ing column Gotta look stock.
Carbon/plastic rearview mirror

Hmmm, hadn't thought about the mirror. It is up high after all. I'll have to take a look at the mounting and the weight to see if I can just use a mirror from another car.
Thanks.

 

[vette427sbc]

The factory dash and Gage's are heavy. I'm looking for a fiberglass replacement
A gen 2 Camaro fg dash is 4 lbs.

Door panels have some weight to them too... Id love to try and make some out of fiberglass and wrap them with some vynle, but I suck at fiberglassing ush:

 

[vette427sbc]

That's a pretty impressive list of work!

Here is a quick 1/2 pound (each side) :


An added advantage - you can add teh Howe NASCAR style Ball joints on these upper Control Arms and improve roll center and handling at the same time.

And a best guess at the full front end:
I personally opted for the QA-1s dual adjust and can weigh those when I pull the dummys I have mounted there - but have long since salvaged the coil springs!

Are you sure those things are lighter than the aluminum C4 arms?

It wouldnt be much if they were... They make those with alu adjustment shafts to drop a few more oz's

What about a smaller single core radiator with the plastic side tanks like a C5? Less water weight, and at least a few pounds far up front. Your cooling system would have to be pretty damn efficient to keep a BB cool though...

 

[denpo]

The bracket that support the steering wheel and the pedal box are good candidate for an aluminium conversion.

 

[mrvette]

Hey, just think, you can use the front and rear sway bars as if they were weight bars at the gym, lay on your back and press a dozen times at each end.....:gurney::hijack:

 

[68/70Vette]

Lexan windows

I think your comment was that you have the early 69 windows that are not compatible with the 69L and later windows. Correct. However, you can buy for $25 per window an lower track assembly that will allow 69L windows to be installed in 68/69E windows. I've read that it's an easy conversion. That's what I'm planning on doing with my 68. The parts have been ordered.

I wish, and I'm sure you do too, and many others, that we were somehow one of those 100's of millions of dollars worth employees of Microsoft or Apple. Just think of the things that could be done to build a modern super C3!

I have a C6. But I like the intimate interior of the 68. For me, getting into the 68 is like putting on clothing..it's cramped getting and fitting into the car. I think it's something akin to a 4 wheel motorcycle. It's a head's up driving experience. It's a convertible, and I estimate that it's about 2800 pounds with all the aluminum stuff I've added, and stuff I've deleted. I think the factory AIM sheet had it pegged at 3050 pounds from the factory.

 

[68/70Vette]

A Lithium Hydride battery will save a lot of weight, but there's two problems. One is the battery voltage of a Lithium Hydride battery is a little different that a lead acid battery. You'll have to customize the voltage regulator in your alternator to match the Li Hy battery. There's only a few tenths of voltage difference, so other than alternator regulator voltage, you'll be good to go. You will have to address the regulator voltage issue, or otherwise you'll have battery charging problems. The Lithium Hydride sold for the Porsche is a $2500 dollar option. Porsche options are wildly over priced, but you can still expect to see an expensive battery. I think approximately 12 volt Lithium batteries are sold for private airplanes LIST]
[/LIST]

 

[redvetracr]

I have in my possession a brand new (still in the wrapper) Pro Glass Lexan front windshield, if you or anyone else is interested send a PM

 

[phantomjock]

PM enroute - Thanks!
Jim

 

[69427]

I wonder if an early C4 pre-airbag steering column would be option for some reduced weight. The stock C4 steering wheel is a pretty ugly POS, and I'm curious if the wheel attachment method (8 or 10 screws) is the same. I would assume the electrical wiring could be adapted without much headache.

Anyone deal with C4 columns enough to offer up an opinion?

 

[denpo]

Fiberglass corner moldings

 

[68/70Vette]

...a little bit of a go back.

That gross cast iron piece that mounts the steering column column to the base of the windshield is probably not that difficult to replace, ..if you remove the steering column. For my 68 and 70, removing the steering column was not that difficult. Once the column is removed, everything under the dash pad is so much easier to work with.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

I wonder if an early C4 pre-airbag steering column would be option for some reduced weight. The stock C4 steering wheel is a pretty ugly POS, and I'm curious if the wheel attachment method (8 or 10 screws) is the same. I would assume the electrical wiring could be adapted without much headache.

Anyone deal with C4 columns enough to offer up an opinion?

Wheel is held on eith a nut on a splined shaft. Completely different. Will also not fit your dash panel.

 

[69427]

Fiberglass corner moldings

I'm not following you. What are corner moldings?

 

[69427]

I wonder if an early C4 pre-airbag steering column would be option for some reduced weight. The stock C4 steering wheel is a pretty ugly POS, and I'm curious if the wheel attachment method (8 or 10 screws) is the same. I would assume the electrical wiring could be adapted without much headache.

Anyone deal with C4 columns enough to offer up an opinion?

Wheel is held on eith a nut on a splined shaft. Completely different. Will also not fit your dash panel.

Well, I guess I'll scratch that idea. Thanks.

 

[69427]

In the event that I end up putting the lighter Muncie back in the car I was looking at the stock shifter today and it looks like I could take a couple pounds off it by fabricating some aluminum shifter rods and transmission arms. During a slow period last year I carved out an aluminum arm for the Nash fifth/reverse gears and it's been holding up fine. I've also got some pieces of aluminum round bar and tubing laying around that would work for the shifter rods.

I swapped out the transmission in 1983, so I'm a bit foggy on the original shifter setup. IIRC didn't the shifter mount to a bracket that bolted to the crossmember? I think I'll mock things up on the bench and see how much PITA it is to mount the shifter to the transmission tailhousing with a simple bracket somewhat like Hurst shifters use.

I made an aluminum shifter handle for the Hurst, but I don't think that's an easy option with the stock shifter.