My Vette Weighs . . .

[Vettezuki]

So I finally had my Vette weighed today. I had it done at Shorr metals on their big truck scale, so we're talking gross weight +- 20lbs.

It was filled with 22 gals of gas, so a full wet weight.

3,100 lbs

It's a 1982 C3, so it used considerably more aluminum and other weight savings over the previous C3s.

80-82 (at least 82 for sure) over previous C3s:
- Aluminum Diff vs. Iron
- Fiberglass Monoleaf vs. Leaf Springs
- Coffee can vaccuum canister vs. Scuba tank looking thing

My further weight Reductions
- Aluminum block and heads (LSx) vs. Iron (roughly 100lbs right there)
- T56 vs. 700R4 (not sure how much but it's definitely lighter)
- Driver seat (which had heavy motor mechanism) replaced with Sparco seat
- Steering box power steering system replaced with manual rack and pinion
- Spare tire, hardware, and jack removed

Further possible weight reduction
- cast manifolds with LT
- cast calipers with aluminum
- steel half shafts with aluminum
- steel drive shaft with composite
- steel exhaust with titanium
- stock TT2s and street tires with light weight mag wheels and tires
- steel control arms for aluminum


Then getting pricey
- iron rotors with cf or titanium (thanks TT )
- cf replacement panels :nuts:
- I *think* the Guldstrand 5 Link is quite a bit lighter than the stock rear setup with those heavy trailing arms.

I should be able to drop another 100 to 200 lbs depending on selection. That would also cost more than $5k. The reduction in unsprung weight would be substantial though which would make a noticeable impact on handling at the limit. After this however, it would start to be real stripping lie HVAC, radio, etc., which I won't do.

 

[mrvette]

3100?? who is your helium supplier??? mine is still 3300 filled with helium....obviously your supplier is better than mine....

serious...I hear the LS is worth some 100 lbs, over the iron engine with aluminum heads, like I have....but I have done all same shit you got, except engine...I have a 200 tranny, sure like to know where I picked up the fat....

how about your wheels/tires??

:twitch:

 

[Vettezuki]

What year is your Vette. Remember I have the T56 and an aluminum Dana 44. I also have a light Sparco drivers seat instead of hte heavy motorized stock unit.

 

[TimAT]

Gene they have a better grade of Helium in Kali that you get in FLA. (not as wet??) prrtt:

 

[Vettezuki]

Gene they have a better grade of Helium in Kali that you get in FLA. (not as wet??) prrtt:

I don't know about Helium, but we sure got plenty of hot air out here. We do have the funniest governor in the country so we at least have that going for us.

During a recent video interview on budget cuts, he thought this would be funny. So did I.

 

[Vettezuki]

. . .

how about your wheels/tires??

:twitch:

Sorry missed this.

17x8 Torque Thrust II with Nitto NT450s all around. Not light by any means.

If you have a pre 1980 you have lots of things adding weight, like a cast iron diff, a scuba tank for a vacuum canister up front, and steel leaf springs (unless you changed to a composite monoleaf). These alone are surely more than 100lbs.

 

[big2bird]

. . .

how about your wheels/tires??

:twitch:

Sorry missed this.

17x8 Torque Thrust II with Nitto NT450s all around. Not light by any means.

From someone who has personally stained the passenger seat in his car, those tires make that car stick like a slot car.:1st::1st::1st:

 

[Vettezuki]

. . .

how about your wheels/tires??

:twitch:

Sorry missed this.

17x8 Torque Thrust II with Nitto NT450s all around. Not light by any means.

From someone who has personally stained the passenger seat in his car, those tires make that car stick like a slot car.:1st::1st::1st:

My suspension is setup pretty hard (550 short springs up front, 420 leaf out back, with Heavy Duty Bilsteins all around). That controls the pith and roll pretty good so the tires, which really are pretty decent, can do their job as best they can. Those are only 255s too. Put some wider NT01s out there and it'll start getting serious.

 

[69427]

How about some more details on the titanium exhaust?

 

[Vettezuki]

How about some more details on the titanium exhaust?

That woulld have to be fabbed by a fairly high end exhaust shop. There is no off the shelf C3 titanium exhausts that I'm aware of. Combined with Stainless Steel instead of cast iron headers, that *might* be another 30-50lbs total, but I'm really guestimating on that one.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

How about some titanium rotors...no kidding! Red Devil has them.

 

[Vettezuki]

How about some titanium rotors...no kidding! Red Devil has them.

:devil: Sounds expensive. How do they compare dynamically to carbon fiber rotors?

Just remembered one more weight reduction I have. I don't have any power steering. All stripped for a manual R&P. I'll update the OP with a list.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

The carbon rotors are even more expensive. Maybe you can get some off a ZR1 and get the calipers while you're at it, I heard there's one every now & then at Douglas' house LOL, just bring 4 cinder blocks

The Flaming River R&P sure is a whole lot lighter than the stock system.

 

[Vettezuki]

The carbon rotors are even more expensive. Maybe you can get some off a ZR1 and get the calipers while you're at it, I heard there's one every now & then at Douglas' house LOL, just bring 4 cinder blocks

The Flaming River R&P sure is a whole lot lighter than the stock system.

Pretty soon there might be two ZR1s over there. Maybe I can just replace two on each with my stock C3 units and they won't notice . . . til they press the brakes and it starts moving a little funny.

In all seriousness though I looked into adapting C5ZO6 brakes for the C3 and there is kind of a lot to it. But mostly it's related to balancing the whole hydraulic system; the bore and stroke is different on the calipers so unless you take the C5 MC and proportioning valve the clamping force is not strong enough. IIRC.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Aren't the C5 Z06 brakes made in China? I think I read somewhere they are not all that good, must be since the auto-xers are upgrading to different brakes.

 

[Vettezuki]

Aren't the C5 Z06 brakes made in China? I think I read somewhere they are not all that good, must be since the auto-xers are upgrading to different brakes.

I never heard they were made in China, though what isn't The braking stats for a C5Z aren't exactly weak so I don't know. They often trade them out though, that's why there's so many brand new or barely used units available for pretty cheap.

Hey, isn't there a relatively new Wilwood "turnkey" setup for C3s, with aluminum 6 piston calipers up front, no brackets required? I thought I heard bird mentioning something about that.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

They're made by PBR, an OZ company who also did most of the C4 calipers and all the other C5 stuff. They even admit it here, made in Dalian China

http://www.pbr.com.au/media/documents/OTMApril05.pdf

 

[Vettezuki]

They're made by PBR, an OZ company who also did most of the C4 calipers and all the other C5 stuff. They even admit it here, made in Dalian China

http://www.pbr.com.au/media/documents/OTMApril05.pdf

OT.

There's plenty of total junk made in China.

BUT, I think the west does itself an incredibly dangerous disservice to assume the Chinese are somehow inherently incapable of quality and we can just make fun slash ignore them forever as some kind of permanently backwater nation.

 

[big2bird]

Hey, isn't there a relatively new Wilwood "turnkey" setup for C3s, with aluminum 6 piston calipers up front, no brackets required? I thought I heard bird mentioning something about that.

Yep

http://info.wilwood.com/BrakeKits.aspx?year=1981&make=Chevrolet&model=Corvette

 

[mrvette]

They're made by PBR, an OZ company who also did most of the C4 calipers and all the other C5 stuff. They even admit it here, made in Dalian China

http://www.pbr.com.au/media/documents/OTMApril05.pdf

OT.

There's plenty of total junk made in China.

BUT, I think the west does itself an incredibly dangerous disservice to assume the Chinese are somehow inherently incapable of quality and we can just make fun slash ignore them forever as some kind of permanently backwater nation.

:beer::shocking: I agree, then news from typically some disaster scene come out of China....the people there seem as healthy and decently dressed as can be expected, see cars and yes bicycles all OVER the place, evidence of electric and phones...towers, all of it....the do some weird shit engineering/construction wise though...but that will pass with time...

my wheels are '89 vette 17x9.5 all 4 corners....Nitto 450 275/50 rear and BFG 255/50/17 in front....2.5" VBP adapters, I suspect I actually gained wheel/tire weight...I should measure that some day, I have the OEM spare steel wheel....I also have a VBP 360 plastic spring, no spare in the car, and have rack steering/HB brakes with aluminum m/cyl....IF I would find a CHEEEP set of aluminum calipers that fit decently, I would not mind changing them out.....maybe this winter....

Seems like all that aluminum induction and heads on the engine were put back on by doing the 200 4r auto, which is lighter than that 700 I did have in there.....

I have a basically stock interior...convertible..'72....hollowed out hood....
serp drive/compressor from '88 vette....alum rad/dual spal fans...that added weight I bet...