Rapom's Rocket - just another Duster build thread

rmchrgr said

I do have one observation though and that is there appears to be a good deal of weight being added to the car with all the fabrication. I don't see this as being a drag-oriented deal so it's probably not terribly relevant but I was just wondering if the extra mass was a concern or not. I am a weight reduction freak so that's what I notice. Do you have any idea what the car weighed before you took it apart? '73-up are generally heavier than the '70-'72 models.

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What significant amount of weight? The subframe connectors and radiator support? Those are worth their weight in chassis stiffness. The 4 link is probably lighter than the old leaf springs, not to mention the Fox shocks are lighter than the old ones.

Adding the relays and additional wiring does add some weight, but I wouldn't say its a lot. And removing the rear shock mount bumper probably saved 150lbs. No kidding.

The column modifications don't add any weight, and the new master cylinder weighs half of what the old one does. Same with the aluminum radiator. The hydraulic clutch probably saves weight too vs all the linkage.

I thought about that as well when I was adding subframe connectors, J bars, radiator support brace, torque boxes etc to my car. The chassis stiffening is just plain worth the weight in improved handling. But a lot of the other modifications are actually removing weight, especially since a lot of the modern components are lighter than their original counterparts.