Easy front end weight reduction

[fullmetaljacket]

Im curious if anyone has done a comprehensive weight reduction and kept track of the results. Primary interest is mopar big block but smallblock numbers are welcome too.
By this i mean, heavy stuff replaced with light stuff. I dont include intakes, cause almost everybody with a hiperf car has an aluminum intake. And i think the weight difference of an aluminum carb compared to a zinc holley, probably amounts to a pound or two, at most. What im curious about is how much can be saved with headers over iron exhaust, small mufflers from a full system, aluminum radiator compared to brass, aluminum water pump and housing compared to iron, aluminum heads compared to iron, and mini starter compared to the big old mopar one.
I can do some of those comparisons on my mopar, but most have been done already. Im going to do them on my other car, and keep good records, but big block chevy info isnt particularly valuable here. I think i can save over a hundred pounds on the front.
Anybody done this, and kept records?

Well, I thought I had my record book with me and realized I left it in Detroit.
Here's what I can add or subtract based on my memory banks. Some items may not have any or much weight loss compared to their steel counterparts such as water pump and balancer belt pulleys.
* Iron heads replaced with Indy SR Aluminum units. 49 Lbs loss.
* Iron water pump housing and water pump replaced with Aluminum units. 11 Lbs loss.
* Edelbrock Victor 440 Aluminum intake manifold saves about 20 Lbs.
* Fuel pump removal all together gets rid of about 3 Lbs.
* Aluminum brackets for Alternator gets rid of about 1 Lb.
* Distributor hold down bracket is aluminum. Loss of only about 1/4- maybe 1/2 lb at most.
* Headers will lose about 10-20 Lbs or so over iron manifolds and gain some horses.
* Bolts, nuts, washers and screws holding up low stress and light components were almost all replaced with Titanium and or 2024 T aluminum.
* Headers, water pump housing, water pump, timing cover, valve covers, intake manifold, Alternator, oil pan, oil pump, carburetor, Distributor, starter and motor plate are all held on with Grade T6 titanium bolts.
$$$ doesn't make sense, but then again neither does this car. LOL.
* Forgot the weight differences, but the fuel lines from the tank to the engine are aluminum. The lines by the carb are teflon super lightweight by Russell.
Valve covers are super lightweight stamped anodized aluminum units with the MOROSO logos shaved off and finished and painted Chrysler 426 orange to look like regular factory steel covers. About 2 lbs or so removed with that alone.
So at the end, perhaps 90 or so pounds removed.
One item I have not done as of yet is an all aluminum oil pan by Steffs to replicate a stock deep sump Moroso pan. Just have not gotten to it like many other things.

 

[dvw]

My strut rods, steering shaft, fender braces, and vertical center support K frame steering box gussets are all moly tubing. Bumper brackets, hood, and scoop are carbon fiber. K frame has been trimmed. Aluminum motor plate, radiator, and hood pins. Willwood brakes with aluminum hubs.
Doug

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have done what I with my car but still not taken the street car out of it. While I am not a fan of one piece lift off front ends and plastic windows, tin interiors. I hole sawed the dash and all interior panels but cannot be seen now after reassembled. I have custom made and lightened aluminum brackets everywhere, alum rad, alum w.p. & housing, alum heads, alum intake, tubular K Frame with manual rack with tubularupper and lowers with coil overs.
However, still has steel body parts, factory glass with roll up windows, full interior and it still weighs 3760 with a full cell, both bottles and me in it. So, no light weight.

 

[Badvert65]

I worked over my stock K frame (65 Belvedere I). Went from 43 pounds down to 34 pounds. I dimpled as many holes as I could to increase stiffness. It's a lot of work for 9 pounds.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I get it. After hole sawing and drilling out my dash for like 2 hours. It was only 2.8 lbs. Lol. Can't even tell now back together.

View attachment 1098669

 

[Dodge 330]

I worked over my stock K frame (65 Belvedere I). Went from 43 pounds down to 34 pounds. I dimpled as many holes as I could to increase stiffness. It's a lot of work for 9 pounds.
View attachment 1098657 View attachment 1098658

Wow, that's badass!

 

[Cranky]

I worked over my stock K frame (65 Belvedere I). Went from 43 pounds down to 34 pounds. I dimpled as many holes as I could to increase stiffness. It's a lot of work for 9 pounds.
View attachment 1098657 View attachment 1098658

Get rid of the pinch weld flange and solid weld it.....lose a couple more pounds and gain a bit more strength. The one on my car is 32 but have another K frame that's 26 but it doesn't have the stock engine mount stands anymore. Was planning on using block plates at one time. I didn't do the holes like you did but used a plasma cutter for all the trimming on them. Over all, my car went from 3370 to 2950 and I've since removed more weight.

 

[dvw]

My K frame. No flanges and plenty of pan clearance. The pan comes off super easy. Weighs just over 30lbs. No steering pot joint. and as i said earlier strut rods and steering shaft are Chrome Moly tube.
Doug

 

[66Satellite47]

On my '65 Coronet, I took off one of the front bumper braces, fender braces, as many bolts as I could get away with, gutted most of the steel underhood bracing ribs, aluminum water pump housing, no alternator just a 8D battery in the trunk, Moroso electric motor for the water pump, plastic fan. Of course had already stripped the undercoating off of everything.
Edit: this was mid '70's. Got the Coronet down to 3350# w/o me but with the iron heads and a very heavy roll bar & a Dana, gutted doors, plastic side windows. Steel hood, stock bumpers.

 

[glassman]

I'd swap on a fiberglass hood but for $600, I'll pass.

That hood is $350 at Sled City Fiberglass

 

[biomedtechguy]

That hood is $350 at Sled City Fiberglass

And you are a great person to deal with!

 

[Budnicks]

Hey @biomedtechguy
did you do a before & after weight when you had the
QA1 & SPC stuff or other parts & front/rear Assasin Bar suspension installed

have you scaled the car ?

just curious

 

[biomedtechguy]

Hey @biomedtechguy
did you do a before & after weight when you had the QA1 & SPC stuff or other parts & front/rear Assasin Bar suspension installed have you scaled the car ? just curious

No
Before and after?
It weighed more before....
...it weighs.....less now.....