Lightweight fasteners?

[Badvert65]

Though this thread is on lightweight fasteners, here's a part that in someway, has to do with bolts and nuts. This trick saved about 2 Lbs total between both sides and now fastened by lightweight bolts and nuts. Painted black with the rest of the chassis and it isn't there.

View attachment 1271489

I have been considering replacing those on my 65 Belvedere as I'll be going with fiberglass bumpers.

 

[Mopar John]

I never lock the doors on my 1970 GTX race car so I came up with this.
I cut off what was beyond the slot for the clip that holds it to the door!

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[fullmetaljacket]

That's very cool. I'd be using body-panel adhesive in places like that.

I did use body panel adhesive, but also bolted it in three locations with lightweight fasteners. Seems that there are three detectives here on the weight case. DVW is like Steve McQueen with the dapper dress code, Mad John is Columbo with the details and I'm Kojak with the lolly pop on the streets of New York. LOL.

 

[mmissile]

I'm not doing anything that has hasn't been already done over the last 100 years, but I'm also trying to stick with steel and factory glass. I gotta get my steel hood and NOS WO scoop on the car, to do so. Hinges would be nice. I hate handling lift-off hoods.

 

[Cranky]

I spent some effort to lighten my '65 Coronet in '75. I was amazed when I scraped off the undercoating and actually weighed the undercoating I took off. Over 30#.

Man, iirc, the undercoating on my 66 came in around 75#!! That thing had some serious stuff underneath...

Though this thread is on lightweight fasteners, here's a part that in someway, has to do with bolts and nuts. This trick saved about 2 Lbs total between both sides and now fastened by lightweight bolts and nuts. Painted black with the rest of the chassis and it isn't there.

View attachment 1271489

Looks like rear end spring pads but can't see what they are doing.....

I'm not doing anything, that has hasn't been already done over the last 100 years, but I'm also trying to stick with steel and factory glass. I gotta get my steel hood and NOS WO scoop on the car, to do so. Hinges would be nice. I hate handling lift-off hoods.

I even tackle suspension parts whereas many won't touch them.

 

[Badvert65]

Looks like rear end spring pads but can't see what they are doing.....

It's the very front of the front frame rails, where the front bumper brackets mount.

 

[Cranky]

What some people will do to achieve a goal. Trust me, this is not me, but a friend that is trying to have the look of stock fasteners. Here is an UNFINISHED version that when it's completed will fool the untrained eye unless you're a concours show judge.

View attachment 1229994

Here's one of mine.....not even close to looking stock. Thought about using plastic or just tack welding the stuff in place of these.....

 

[rmchrgr]

Man, iirc, the undercoating on my 66 came in around 75#!! That thing had some serious stuff underneath...

Hard to fathom 75 lbs. of undercoating or even 37 1/2 lbs. Though I didn't go as crazy as DVW removing it from the insides of the quarters, I removed all of what I could see or get at easily on my Duster - total of 14.1 lbs. I wish it was 75 lbs., was a lot of effort for less than 15 lbs! It's gone now though, thankfully.

FMJ and I have been over it - we both figured it would have been way more. It's a California car, perhaps it only got a minimal amount? Not so sure about that, it was on pretty thick in some spots. An A body is obviously smaller than a B but a 50lb. difference in undercoating?

 

[Badvert65]

The undercoating on my 65 Sport Fury was incredibly thick. It was over an inch thick on the gas tank, seriously. There was easily 70+ pounds of undercoating on it.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

The undercoating on my 65 Sport Fury was incredibly thick. It was over an inch thick over the gas tank, seriously. There was easily 70+ pounds of undercoating on it.

Yes, A-team cars are smaller and some may have had a feathering of the stuff underneath to make for some little numbers as far as weight, but my Plan-B car had enough to make me scratch my head with wonderment once it was all said and done. Can't remember the exact number right now past the Witching hour, but it was north of 60 lbs or so. It was a NY car from the start though. One of my wheel wells alone had about 4-5 pounds of the stuff. Cars will vary with their thickness depending on their intended final location. Add road crud, grease and overall dirt and it could start to add the Lbs. Either way, a pound less makes for more ET fitness and finesse.

 

[Cranky]

Hard to fathom 75 lbs. of undercoating or even 37 1/2 lbs. Though I didn't go as crazy as DVW removing it from the insides of the quarters, I removed all of what I could see or get at easily on my Duster - total of 14.1 lbs. I wish it was 75 lbs., was a lot of effort for less than 15 lbs! It's gone now though, thankfully.

FMJ and I have been over it - we both figured it would have been way more. It's a California car, perhaps it only got a minimal amount? Not so sure about that, it was on pretty thick in some spots. An A body is obviously smaller than a B but a 50lb. difference in undercoating?

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Read below lol

The undercoating on my 65 Sport Fury was incredibly thick. It was over an inch thick on the gas tank, seriously. There was easily 70+ pounds of undercoating on it.

Same with mine! Did a few cars in my life and just couldn't believe how much was under this one and this car was sent to a dealer in Central Tx no less which is pretty close to being in the middle of Texas. Central Garage was the dealership. The dealership is no longer there but the garage is still there with the children taking over years ago and now has some of the grandkids running things. Funny how some people save all the paperwork on a /6 car but don't do that with a high end car.....

 

[Badvert65]

Add road crud, grease and overall dirt and it could start to add the Lbs.

When I pulled the K frame on my 65 Belvedere, it had 5 pounds of dirt and gravel packed inside. I had to use a pressure washer to get most of it out.

 

[66Satellite47]

When I pulled the K frame on my 65 Belvedere, it had 5 pounds of dirt and gravel packed inside. I had to use a pressure washer to get most of it out.

Ya, added weight can be found in many places if we look.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Ya, added weight can be found in many places if we look.

Agreed. Every car is different and yet the same. Some give off the usual suspected items for removal and some will shield their pork in hidden areas more than others and you just have to go DEEP SEE diving and find the weight. I especially love extracting from Behemoth cars that are large and heavy to the optics, but could be lighter by a surprising amount.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Agreed. Every car is different and yet the same. Some give off the usual suspected items for removal and some will shield their pork in hidden areas more than others and you just have to go DEEP SEE diving and find the weight. I especially love extracting from Behemoth cars that are large and heavy to the optics, but could be lighter by a surprising amount.

This is not coming from me directly, but obviously the fever has caught on with some in a more intense manner. Here's what seems to be new world car plastic fender C-clips in black. Blue ones are stock steel. Both do the same job. A little shaving or grinding and these pups could look like the stockers. How much can be saved???????? with aluminum bolts, your guess would be better than mine I guess. Probably too maddening to even make sense. I know I would if I had an afternoon of time to spare.

 

[Badvert65]

What application are those for?

 

[fullmetaljacket]

What application are those for?

Supposedly used to hold on the front fenders on newer cars. The metal ones as you may know are the ones that are used to hold on the front fenders on the old cars.

 

[Cranky]

@GTX JOHN

The names are stirring up the faded memory bank.....been a long time since hearing or reading about Big Willie Robinson and didn't know he was gone. May he rest in peace!

John, if y'all raced at the Baytown (Houston) track, we may have talked. Used to 'visit' the class pits often and especially the Mopar guys.

https://www.dodgegarage.com/news/ar.../03/father-and-son-mopar-drag-racing-duo.html

 

[66Satellite47]

Man, iirc, the undercoating on my 66 came in around 75#!! That thing had some serious stuff underneath...


Looks like rear end spring pads but can't see what they are doing.....


I even tackle suspension parts whereas many won't touch them.

Maybe mine was about 40#, I was still amazed. It varied a lot along the underside.

 

[Cranky]

Maybe mine was about 40#, I was still amazed. It varied a lot along the underside.

The paint was another issue. Someone painted this thing many times!! The only reason I started to take it off was because something was reacting underneath one of the many coats it had on it. I started with 36 grit on the trunk lid but it was taking way too long to get down to the metal. A buddy suggested trying to blade it off and wow, that worked well. It came off in sheets. Don't remember the weight but it was several pounds....and filled up two 5 gallon buckets.