I've done some searches here and on the whole wide interwebz but maybe haven't put the right combination of search words together... Anybody got a good list of typical weights for their car components? I'm trying to estimate my car's weight- 61 Falcon Gasser- as a bare empty shell no wiring, brake lines, interior panels, dash board it weighed 680lbs on the front, and 1048lbs on the back using four corner scales tonight I beam axle on parallel leafs up front, a bench seat not attached to anything, no gas tank, sheet rear bulkhead instead of rear seat, and an 8 3/4 mopar rear on stock falcon leaves with traction bars. that's it- other than a steering column/wheel/box, there's nothing to it- not even an entire firewall/floor i'm very surprised at it being 1728 pounds even though i know the doors weigh a bunch and that it takes more glass to put that awesome bubble out back. I've still got to install a 12 point cage (130lbs shipped weight), 415" LA mopar mill (alloy heads, intake), 727 (160ish lbs empty + stall) wiring, brakes, plumbing, plastic 18 gallon cell, fuel system, driveshaft, alluminum radiator, harnesses, gauges, battery-the whole shebang... Edit: the 8 3/4 is leaving for a big ol quick change i found (no one has been able to identify it yet). It's got mag Jones bells, aluminum center, and mag nose plate-so it should save over the 8 3/4.
Reading that I thought it was weird using an 8 3/4" Mopar rear end... but then i read further... A Valiant might be lighter you know.
as a general rule most gassers without fiberglass like yours with race weight everything should come out about 2700 lbs
I know those are light, but i'm really surprised at how heavy this empty shell is- there's not much to it at all Thanks! I've heard that figure before, but also was told that a stripped falcon should come in under 2,500 and that seemed too good to be true. I think i'm gonna look into replacing the 65 van I beam with a lighter tube axle and gut the hell out of the doors. rick
A friend's '62 Falcon 2dr gasser weighed 2250lbs empty with a 289/C4/9", 10-point cage, straight axle front end, and fiberglass nose with lexan windows. The car went mid 10's on motor with his fat ass behind the wheel. The car weighed 2400lbs from the factory.
Man, that's what i'm talking about! I'm just really having a hard time with it being over 1700lbs without the LA/727 in it yet.. grrrrr... supposedly the LA is around 535-545lbs with iron intake/heads (i've got alluminum so figure 500ish?) that puts me even with your friend's and i still have to build the whole car yet... arggggg.......maybe my scales are shot,lol.... -rick
This is probably a realistic weight. 2800 lbs has been a majic number for me for years. At least on a full bodied car, try as I might I just can't seem to break that weight.
Yea, it's always seemed to me that you REALLY have to work hard to get any full bodied car (even "panel" cars) under 2500, with a cage and all of the stuff you need to be legal. I'm hoping my 55 will come in between 2500-2750. And that's starting with a stripped outer hull, lexan side windows, glass front end, doors, and trunk lid. Larry T
mine's 2780 w/ iron lunged 351c and a toploader, plexi side windows, metal panels with the reinforcement structure removed, metal bumpers, trim etc..
i didn't have either bumper, the hood, or the front roll pan on it,lol...guess i'll have to get extreme where i can- no budget for the super spendy light stuff-so we'll just have to be careful with what we put in/cut out. rick.
Stock 2 door sedans weighed 2259 in 1960 (six cylinder), 2343 by 63. The 2 door Coupe was 2438 and the Convertible was a hefty 2645 (more than a 4 door wagon!)
my henry j has glass front fenders, doors, hood tube chassis aluminum floor and lexan bbc glide and lots of bars for 7.50 cert weighs 2450 without me in it...
2800lbs is still light, so I wouldn't be too worried. Fiberglass components will help, but the stock sheetmetal isn't too heavy. Maybe just gut the inner structure and run the outer skins only. I was going to build a Falcon gasser with an aluminum headed 289, but went another direction. I had it all planned out. I was going to run a 1-piece 'glass nose, 'glass doors, and 'glass decklid skin. I also planned to gut the stock floor/subframe/firewall and build a tubular chassis with aluminum sheet floors and firewall. Since I didn't have alot of money to sink into the engine to make power, I figured if I made the car as light as possible, it would still be very fast.
I built a 72 pinto wagon 351w / c6 with a 9" rear, full roll cage and slapper bars on the leafs. I just knew it would come in under 2500 NOPE !! Without me in it 2850, sold the car and built another falcon.
My 61 falcon's 3000 lbs without me...460 block, iron heads, econo axle and long springs, cragars, ALL steel body, full glass and roll up windows, 12 point cage, sub connectors, ladder bars, 5 gallon fuel cell, 1 racing bucket, full carpet and zodiac vinyl flake interior.....weight adds up quickly. Runs 10.40 @125 mph Not all that worried about lightening up the car, cause I can't lighten myself up at all....MmmmmDonuts !!!!
I just ran my little non HAMB friendly Plymouth Arrow pickup over the scales yesterday. It's got a 360/904 como in it. Street trim= 2700lbs
Thanks, Guys! I took a look at the doors- not a ton to take out, but we may take out the regulators- maybe do some seat belt window pulls like the old Mopars-if i can get my old black Plymouth Fury seatbelts back.-love them airplane style buckles. I guess the new goal will be to keep her under 2800lbs if we can-I'm gonna weigh the stock bench seat to see if it's gonna kill us to keep it. -rick
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