Hot Rods How much does a hot rod weigh?

I know the 3x2 setup won't make as much power as a single 4 BBL, but it's a must have. Form before function as long as it somewhat still functions. Open fendered cars with a single carb = boring.

 

It shouldn't be that unrealistic in a light car with traction. I ran a 7.75 in a Ford Ranger truck at 3300 lbs with a 5.0 with Explorer heads and intake, and a T5 with 4.10 gears. That pass was on slicks leaving at around 2000 rpm because it was light in the rear and had traction issues. It made 276 hp to the wheels, and the 7.75 pass was using a dry nitrous system jetted at 80 hp. The truck only made 337 to the tires on the nitrous. I never had it on a 1/4 mile track, but that should be 12.0's or 11.90's. Now, factor in that the Model-A is 1000 lbs lighter, it shouldn't be unrealistic at all. Surely a properly built y-block with some good traction can keep up with a junk yard 302.

 

That's what I'm talking about.

 

I weighed a weight.

 

They still gave a damn about them in La Mesa, Ca. a couple of years ago. Fortunately, the city figured out the Thursday night cruise was better for their PR and pockets than the tickets, and stopped assigning officers that didn't want to be there. Sad thing is, the damage was already done, and there are numerous people I know who won't go there. Hell, I'm even a little hesitant about taking the T there, I usually drive the '48. Now, back on subject, it's pretty hard to come in under 1500 lbs., my T weighs 2,000 (admitedly, there are several things that could be done to make it lighter, but I'm not racing it on a regular basis, so why bother). You can have a drive able, 12 sec. Model A (my neighbor had one for years, a '28 closed cab pickup) and he regularly took it to the track and ran 12:60's, and he also regularly ran around the neighborhood with his kids in the bed (back when that wasn't illeagal!). I don't know all the details of his combination, but it was a 375hp 327, turbo 350, and a 9" rear end, and I believe 4:11 rear gears. Pretty sure it had buggy springs and 4 bars for suspension. Anyway, as others have said, build something you're going to enjoy driving, then sneak up on those 12's. It's going to take a lot fine tuning to create a usable 12 sec. car.



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With or without the owners ego?

 

My Henry 32 , SBF , auto , 9in with me in the seat weights in 2380 with full tank of gas .


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My Model A Roadster on '32 rails weighs 2320 lbs. with me in it (I'm 160). It has a 347 SBF and T5 (w/ scatter shield) in it, 4.11 geared 28-spline Ford trac-lok 9". The 347 is supposed to be around 400hp (bought it used) and the best I've run is an 11.95 @ 113 mph. 1/8th mile, I run mid-7s around 91 mph. On the track, I run 29.5x7.00-15 M&H Racemaster slicks. They've worked out well and do stick. I imagine I'd end up with better ETs if I were to run an automatic. The T5 doesn't like the abuse and it's hard to hit 3rd gear sometimes.

 

Here is a starting place for you:
Note: weights are approximate and assume gasoline tank and radiator are empty)

Vehicle Weights
"A" chassis 1650
Sport Coupe 2283
Open Cab Pickup 2073
Tudor Sedan 2375
Roadster 2155
Panel Delivery 2416
Phaeton 2212
Fordor (3 window) 2462
Closed Cab Pickup 2215
Fordor (2 window) 2467
Standard Coupe 2257
Town Sedan 2475
Cabriolet 2273
Station Wagon 2482
Deluxe Delivery 2282
Taxi Cab 2500

Bodies
Roadster body 465
Tudor Sedan body 726
Phaeton body 549
Fordor (2 window) body 782
Cabriolet body 575
Fordor (3 window) body 786
Coupe body 591
Town Sedan body 810
Sport Coupe body 596

Miscellaneous Parts
Bumperettes 46
Tire/tube (19") 20
Cowl Tank & dash 43
Tire/tube (21") 18
Front bumper 34
Wheel (19") 21
Rumble seat 55
Wheel (21") 22
Tools ("A") 14
Wheel carrier 10

On a coupe you are hard pressed to loose much weight. Best bet is if its bare bones that it is still going to be pretty close to stock you may loose 100 lbs if you really trim things.

 

My 32 and the 51 both have creature comforts and insulation and sound deadener. They both weight inbetween 3200 and 3300 lbs with half a tank of fuel. This is on the scales at the grain elevator. Both have 5 speeds and v8s.

 

How much does a hot rod weigh?

As little as possible and still hold together

 

Losing weight will be really easy if you leave everything loose
Then you can drive down the road losing loose parts and the weight loss will quickly add up Maybe even as much as that 100 pounds

 

Those computer generated times are great. Now jump on your key board and go run 7's.
What temp,? what elevation ? what humidity ? How much aero drag ? what tires ?
Who's driving ? Is the track prepped ? They are WAG times. That's wild ass guess times if you didn't figure it out.

 

FWIW, my "hot rod" weighs right at 4,000 pounds

 

3...but....

 

This one weighs 2600 lbs

sbc/350 turbo/9" rear axle

 

how far into the woods can you go?

 

To get back to the real world, all I can add is that I've had two of my cars weighed on state certified scales. The first was my "T" bucket I built in 1965; I had to have it weighed to get the registration. It was a steel front of a '23 "T" touring on a home-built tube frame with a 270" '55 Dodge hemi and a Dodge 3-speed. It came in at 1835 lbs (no fuel, no driver). The second time was when they said I cheated with my Hemi-powered dirt modified. It came in at 2250 and I came out OK. These numbers are supplied for reference only.

 

My '31 pick up weighs precisely 2060 wet. No fenders, hood or side/rear glass. Has a flathead, top loader 4 speed and a 9 inch. Frame is un boxed with a Tardel K-member. I know the weight because one of the conditions of getting a title issued here for pick ups is that they have to go to the weigh station first.

 

283,Muncie, 9 inch, all hand built from there... 1900#. No clue as to any ET, though.

 

Here is my Model A on the scales last Spring. I was curious as to what it would weigh, so I drove over to Landmark Agriculture in town to find out. It weighed in at 2,380 lbs (without me in the car).

I have a SBC 300 HP with a TH350. 9" Ford posi rearend with a Currie center carrier, 3.55 gears. Its a no nonsense car with the intent of weight being kept to a minimum.

My suggestion is that you build the strongest drive train as you can; you'll never go wrong doing that. A 9" Ford rear end with posi traction, Strange or Currie axels and center carrier, etc.



As far as your desired ET in the 1/8, I think it's just a matter of you building your car with the money you have and your goals in mind. You need to get the car built, then to the track and makes adjustments from there.

 

If you're serious about getting power out of the 292, I'd scratch that list you've got and look at what the big boys play with, aluminum heads, 4 barrel intake/carb, stroked, cam, etc. As well, 11s in the 1/4 likely means it'll be geared to be pretty high RPMs on the highway.



This is from Mummert's page.

I'm a fan of the y-block but after doing some homework I decided to jump ship and either run a 389 Pontiac or a 383 SBC (that's dressed like a 283 or 327).

 

This guys no dummy, y block= boat anchor

 

Halfway… Then you are heading out.


Sent by homing pigeon

 

FWIW, I built a Y-block in high school. Ran well. We had a '54 Ford and the block cracked in the winter of '64. Found a good 292 block. Put the short stroke '54 239 crank and rods in it along with a set of 0.040" over custom Jahns forged pistons with compression height set for 239 spec. Ran an Isky RPM-300 solid lifter cam (hotter than Isky E-4 cam). Also ran heads, intake and dual exhaust manifolds from a '57 312 engine and a 4100 Autolite carb from a 390 Ford. 4.11 gear and 3-speed overdive transmission. Drilled, tapped flywheel for '57 Ford cop car 11" clutch. She wouldn't rev quite like a 365 HP 327 Chevy, but the '54 was lighter than the '55 - '56 Fords and the destroked 292 would rev faster than most Y-blocks and would give just about anything other than a hemi a run for their money. If you can get better breathing aluminum heads and a better intake for the Y-blocks now of days, you should be able to get down the road pretty well in a light car like your Model A.

600 cfm Holley double pumper should do it. Along with a magnetic pickup in your distributor, an MSD CD ignition box and a good hot coil. Best we had in the early '60s was dual point conversions and Mallory Voltmaster coils.

I wouldn't trust a T-5 to hold together behind a 'built' Y-block if you run it hard and do what you need to in order for it to hook up, though. Contact D&D and see if they still have T-56 6-speeds for Ford applications in stock. And by all means, run a 9" Ford rear with good 31-spline axle shafts if you plan on running it hard.

Can't say much for slush boxes. I'm an old stick shift guy. If you go automatic, just remember that an automatic tranny will weigh more and even if you stick with a stock converter, an automatic will take some horsepower to run in addition to losing at least 8% power through converter and internal slippage. More so if you run a loose converter.

Don't worry about time slips. You're not building a race only car here. Just build her to run, build her strong and safe and have fun. Whatever times she runs when you take her to the strip a couple times each year to sort things out is whatever times she runs. If your goal is speed first and all else second...... Think hemi. 341 DeSoto or 354 Chrysler built to the hilt.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Good luck with your project,

Harry

 

Weighed today...2540 lbs. Without me in it. About 6 gal of gas. All steel, 302, C4, 8" rear, Vintage air heat/ac.

 

I think Don's calculations are rear wheel horsepower (maybe) might need to add a little to them for engine horsepower.

 

@jakesbackyard has gotten the rare formula for Jack Chrisman's "Torrid '29 Tudor" down pat!

First magazine car to drive me nuts in 1954... Beautiful car, Jake! Maybe more photos???

 

Not a clone, but Chrismans was the inspiration.

 

You ask how much does a Hot Rod weigh? There many Model A roadsters which weigh over 5000 lbs and run over 200 Mph at Bonneville. All it takes is power to make a "brick fly".