Weight and the bias

[pwDave]

got my car weighed today, I have a 64 Plymouth bel tudor sedan, glass front end, glass doors, plexiglass side glasses, car was gutted 40 yrs ago,(can you say regret). has a 440 w/a dana sixty. car scaled at 3460 w/ me sitting in it, the front to rear bias was 51.2 % and the side to side was 50.9 to the drivers side. the car has a full exaust and the steel rear bumper and deck lid, glass front and rear windows, the guy that weighed it said don't touch it, it's good to go. What say ye minions of wisom??? Dave.

 

[Mike Gaines]

WOW !
That is 3260 lbs (about) without a driver.
The lightest 66 Coronet I have knowledge of weighs about 2800lbs. It races at my home track in Famoso CA.
It is a "unibody" chassis with torsion bars on front and ladder bars in rear..
It is "gutted", fiberglass front fenders, hood, doors, bumpers (front and rear), deck lid, lexan front windshield, lexan rear window, lexan side windows, aluminum dashboard, no front inner fender panels, tubular k-member, CenterLine Wheels, 24" Hoosier fronts, Ladder bars, Full Chrome Moly Cage, Dana 60, light weight driveshaft, lightweight seat (1), Aluminum rear wheel tubs.
Aluminum Heads, of course, Iron 440 Block (filled with hard block). Mezierre water pump, no alternator, 1 yellow top Optima. 4 Gallon Aluminum fuel cell, Willwood Disc brakes front and rear, lightweight radiator.... Can't do much more than that....
Sad thing is that it has a pretty TIRED AND WEAK 500" wedge and only runs 10.20 to 10.30

My 10.158 3680lb 66 Coronet should run about 9.278 at that weight....wow, I would love that....so would Mr Malex...lol.

 

[dvw]

I'm assuming this is a drag car? What matters is that it leaves straight and stops straight. What type of rear suspension? If it's leafs, there isn't much weight swap you can do if it wheelies a long distance. Itll need some weight shifted. With no or short wheelie the LF torsion bar can be loaded to correct steer to the right on launch, lossened to correct steer to the left. Ladder bar or 4 link can be preloaded easily for correction. My 10.20 car didn't care as the wheelie was a short distance. My 9.0 car carries 50-60ft. It definitely needed adjustment to go straight.
Doug

 

[Frank Mopar]

What really matters is it goes A to B at XX.XX each and every time. Assuming its a bracket car that is. IMHO

 

[pwDave]

dvw, more atreet car than a drag car hence the exaust, it was weighed with a almost full 15 gal. fuel cell. it has a chromemoly roll bar and two 1965 dodge van seats, leaf springs w/ cal-tracs, 15x5 center lines on front and 15x12 centerlines on the back, alum. heads, alum radiator alum duel quad intake(tr) w/ edelbrocks. the car still has the 11x3 drums on the front and the 10x2.5 on the back. unless I get a good argument for changing the balance I'll leave it be, it's close as is. Dave. P.S. front tires are steel belted radials and not the light weight drag tires. P.SS. forgot to mention us car tool frame ties.

 

[malex]

WOW !
That is 3260 lbs (about) without a driver.
The lightest 66 Coronet I have knowledge of weighs about 2800lbs. It races at my home track in Famoso CA.
It is a "unibody" chassis with torsion bars on front and ladder bars in rear..
It is "gutted", fiberglass front fenders, hood, doors, bumpers (front and rear), deck lid, lexan front windshield, lexan rear window, lexan side windows, aluminum dashboard, no front inner fender panels, tubular k-member, CenterLine Wheels, 24" Hoosier fronts, Ladder bars, Full Chrome Moly Cage, Dana 60, light weight driveshaft, lightweight seat (1), Aluminum rear wheel tubs.
Aluminum Heads, of course, Iron 440 Block (filled with hard block). Mezierre water pump, no alternator, 1 yellow top Optima. 4 Gallon Aluminum fuel cell, Willwood Disc brakes front and rear, lightweight radiator.... Can't do much more than that....
Sad thing is that it has a pretty TIRED AND WEAK 500" wedge and only runs 10.20 to 10.30

My 10.158 3680lb 66 Coronet should run about 9.278 at that weight....wow, I would love that....so would Mr Malex...lol.

---
Hey hey hey Mr. Gaines. My current weight is 3240 or 3440 with driver. Including wipers, e brake, horns, factory functioning side glass, full interior and alternator. Give me some of that 600' air of yours and I'll shake you a real nice 9 out of the tree.

 

[33 IMP]

I think your weight bias is fine, it just seems very heavy for a "gutted" car. My all steel 62 Savoy is 3250 plus driver with iron headed 440, 727, 8 3/4. Copper radiator, stock big starter, 3 1/2 exhaust to back bumper. It does have plastic seats and no back seat, but I thick the roll bar and subframe connectors balance out. Carpet, door panels and window mechanisms still there.
How confident are you in the method of weighing your car? If individual wheel scales, it's probably right, just seems heavy.
( by the way, not bragging or taking credit for mine, it just is what it is, offered for comparison.)
Forgot to mention, you are probably carrying 100lbs of fuel, makes it look heavier than it is.

 

[pwDave]

33, the car was weighed at the shop that did the roll bar, four wheel scales, gave me side to side and front to rear, with me in the car and without. I have had this car for 43 yrs and it has always been a little fatter than I thought it should be. It was a 426 wedge car so it's all pretty heavy duty, big brakes, torison bars and no tellin' what else, I always thought it was maybe some reinforcement in the body that couldn't be seen that only showed up on a scale. in the late 70's was running a hemi in it w/ a four speed, leaving the line at 6000 with 10.5 slicks,lift the front about a foot for 20 ft or so, never did warp the body or twist it??? I just don't know. Dave,

 

[33 IMP]

Mine was a slant six car, and i picked it because i was told the 62s were the lightest b bodies available. Sure is ugly, but i've had it long enough to love it.

 

[dvw]

3460 w/driver, exhaust, front street tires, drum brakes is very good. I know many that are heavier.
Doug

 

[Mike Gaines]

---
Hey hey hey Mr. Gaines. My current weight is 3240 or 3440 with driver. Including wipers, e brake, horns, factory functioning side glass, full interior and alternator. Give me some of that 600' air of yours and I'll shake you a real nice 9 out of the tree.

No question about it Mike.

 

[66Satellite47]

---
Hey hey hey Mr. Gaines. My current weight is 3240 or 3440 with driver. Including wipers, e brake, horns, factory functioning side glass, full interior and alternator. Give me some of that 600' air of yours and I'll shake you a real nice 9 out of the tree.

Malex, that lite weight of yours is truely impressive. My '65 Coronet had gutted doors, dash, lexan side windows, many removed parts, all steel, 125# battery, 440 iron head, Dana, no exhaust - 3350# W/O me.

 

[dvw]

This car can weigh 3200 race ready with my 200lb butt.
Doug

 

[Mike Gaines]

This car can weigh 3200 race ready with my 200lb butt.
Doug View attachment 651062 View attachment 651063

DVW...You have one of the greatest cars I have seen. Period.

 

[dvw]

Thanks. Lots of nice stuff here. This picture wasn't to show case the car. Rather to show that you can get them light and still look pretty stock.
Doug

 

[66Satellite47]

This car can weigh 3200 race ready with my 200lb butt.
Doug View attachment 651062 View attachment 651063

Also extremely impressive.

 

[383man]

That's not to bad. My 63 is all steel with all factory glass. It does have a glass hood but I added a 6 point rollbar and frame connectors and it has power drum brakes with a full exh system as its a street car. Standard radial street tires up front and radial Hoosier slicks in the rear. It goes 3725 with my 180 in the car. Ron