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Author
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Topic: Losing weight
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bluestreek
Gearhead Posts: 1724
From: Athens,GA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-08-2005 08:08 PM
   
Are the front spring tower covers really necesary for dragracing? Someone I know is looking for some ways to shed weight other than the obvious stuff.. on a 65 Mustang. Anymore hidden weight hiding in unusual places?------------------
1966 Mustang Coupe: Custom glass hood and BIG scoop sits atop a 289 stroked to 331 c.i., Steel crank, rods and girdle, TFS alum. heads, Stealth 8020 intake, Xtreme 268 Solid Roller, Holley 750 HP, long tubes, 4speed, 9" 3.50 posi.
11.50 @ 116 mph (7.33 @ 93 mph)daily driver!
DanH
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bluestreek
Gearhead Posts: 1724
From: Athens,GA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-08-2005 11:32 PM
I'm talking about the heavy metal cover with the bumper thingy on it that hides behind the front tire.
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Toronado3800
Gearhead Posts: 903
From: St. Louis, MO
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-09-2005 04:01 AM
My buddies remove their sway bars and change their control arms out for tubular ones. I don't know about eliminating anything over the top of the spring though.um, other things which come to mind, change your steel hood to fiberglass, driveshaft mods, aluminum wheels instead of steel, its your life so any front bumper supports you can ditch or modify to be lighter takes weight off the front... Personally I like keeping things streetable and I will avoid racing people with super skinny front tires at stop lights.
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 26513
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 01-09-2005 11:09 AM
The shock towers are integral to the frame structure of the front end. You cannot safely remove them.
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Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA & SS/MA National Record Holder '00,'01,'02,'03,& '04
First SS/MA in the TENS!
IHRA division 5 Superstock Champion
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28 The Barry of BarrysGrrl Quote #1: "I never met a magazine mechanic I liked."
Quote #2: "Make sure brain is in gear before engaging mouth!"
Quote #3: "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!"
www.moneymakerracing.com
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Mustang Man
Gearhead Posts: 332
From: Howe Indiana USA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 01-09-2005 04:27 PM
I removed the heater box and all attatching parts. Saved around 20 lbs.I also did the radio delete and rear seat delete. The rear seat weighs almost 40 lbs alltogether. Ditched all the mechanisms for the rear windows, installed hood pins and removed the latch, bracket & replaced the horns with some newer model plastic ones. Removed the stock console and all the interior sound deadening including the firewall insulation. I'm only running the 2 main front bumper braces the other two I removed. Bumper seems strong enough....my Wife backed into it last summer with her Tauras and nothing bent...  Worked for me! Later, Doug ------------------
66 Mustang coupe
92 F-150
"Six Packer Performance Freak"!!!! [This message has been edited by Mustang Man (edited 01-09-2005).]
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MandarinaMustang
Gearhead Posts: 128
From: San Jose, Costa Rica
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 01-09-2005 04:38 PM
quote:
Originally posted by bluestreek:
Are the front spring tower covers really necesary for dragracing?
You mean the ones that hold the rubber bumpers right? I removed those in my car, also remove the heater and all of it's components (like my friend Doug said) and the entire windshield wiper assembly, I relocated the battery to the rear, removed the hood latch mechanism, front sway bar, shotgun seat and rear seat, quarter window regulators...whew...carpet and underlay...but then again I don't drive my car on the street that often... Alex
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 26513
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 01-09-2005 06:08 PM
I was able to reduce MM's front end weight 45 lbs by replacing most of the original FoMoCo sheet metal with asian crap.
(hood, fenders, valance, head light doors, etc)
Fit's like sh*t, but light.
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Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA & SS/MA National Record Holder '00,'01,'02,'03,& '04
First SS/MA in the TENS!
IHRA division 5 Superstock Champion
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28 The Barry of BarrysGrrl Quote #1: "I never met a magazine mechanic I liked."
Quote #2: "Make sure brain is in gear before engaging mouth!"
Quote #3: "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!"
www.moneymakerracing.com
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Fastymz
Moderator Posts: 19583
From: Reno Nv USA MEM#1240
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-09-2005 06:46 PM
Thats a lot of work for 45 pounds. ------------------
SCOOP
oddly obsessed with big scoops on little Mustangs 65 coupe 351w C4 Big Boss 429 hood scoop,8" 3.40 TracLoc. My Pics
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TomP
Gearhead Posts: 5822
From: Delta BC Canada
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 01-09-2005 07:59 PM
Those bump stops are sorta nice to have if you ever have the front end crash down hard like from a bump or big honkin' wheelie. What bottoms out next? Shocks go through hood, bend low control arms or break ball joints.
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bluestreek
Gearhead Posts: 1724
From: Athens,GA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-09-2005 09:19 PM
Wow! Lot of great ideas. 
Some I thought about and some I didn't. I'm gonna copy this thread down for future reference.Thanks. 
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Toronado3800
Gearhead Posts: 903
From: St. Louis, MO
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-10-2005 12:35 AM
You know, I threw away the rusty fenders, hood, and bumpers off the front of my car w/o weighing them. My replacements come from China, but went on w/o excessive gaps. Hopefully the new fenders weigh less than the old ones did with all that body puddy in them.
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Joe Grippo
Gearhead Posts: 110
From: Philadelphia, Pa
Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 01-10-2005 12:40 AM
Anybody have an approximate weight on the Windshield Wiper Assembly? ------------------
Grippo Racing
If nothing else, we look good.
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bluestreek
Gearhead Posts: 1724
From: Athens,GA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-10-2005 09:56 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MandarinaMustang:
You mean the ones that hold the rubber bumpers right?I removed those in my car, also remove the heater and all of it's components (like my friend Doug said) and the entire windshield wiper assembly, I relocated the battery to the rear, removed the hood latch mechanism, front sway bar, shotgun seat and rear seat, quarter window regulators...whew...carpet and underlay...but then again I don't drive my car on the street that often... Alex
Yes, those thick bolt on spring covers that have a rubber bump stop attached. They just look like a support for the rubber bumper to me, but I could be wrong. I can't see that they would provice much structural support considering they are not fully enclosed like the inside tower. All the ones that I've seen look like the bumpers have never been touched. This is a straight line car btw. Removed these simple things not already mentioned: battery tray, horns, pony corral, voltage reg (1 wire alternator), big starter (mini start). ------------------
1966 Mustang Coupe: Custom glass hood and BIG scoop sits atop a 289 stroked to 331 c.i., Steel crank, rods and girdle, TFS alum. heads, Stealth 8020 intake, Xtreme 268 Solid Roller, Holley 750 HP, long tubes, 4speed, 9" 3.50 posi.
11.50 @ 116 mph (7.33 @ 93 mph)daily driver!
DanH [This message has been edited by bluestreek (edited 01-10-2005).]
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indyphil
Gearhead Posts: 2516
From: Senoia, G.A. USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 01-10-2005 10:58 AM
Your talking about the thing I call a spring cover.   But I would worry, that if you started launching hard you would want a bumper to land on when you come down on the soft front springs. I guess Ideally your shocks will be set up such that when you land the compression rate is stiff to absorb that landing without using the bumpers. like 90/10 drag shocks. ------------------
'68 coupe, '66 289 C code
engine, edel 600cfm carb, performer intake, dual exhaust http://www.geocities.com/ottouk_77/68mustang.htm [This message has been edited by indyphil (edited 01-10-2005).]
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indyphil
Gearhead Posts: 2516
From: Senoia, G.A. USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 01-10-2005 11:01 AM
They probably weighed a couple of pounds each? I cant remeber but they were not very heavy. I supposed all the little things add up when losing weight but I go over too many railroad tracks to want to take those off!------------------
'68 coupe, '66 289 C code
engine, edel 600cfm carb, performer intake, dual exhaust http://www.geocities.com/ottouk_77/68mustang.htm
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Toronado3800
Gearhead Posts: 903
From: St. Louis, MO
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-10-2005 01:58 PM
Just buy a Metro and cram a 351W in it. The body is fairly rust proof and "benefits" from 30 more years of cost/weight cutting technology. Plus, that way your Mustang can still be used on the street just a little bit.
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