74 Duster weight loss program

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tyrone

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Does anybody have any tips for removing weight on 74 duster without being too obvious? I'm trying not to make it look gutted but want to know where the hidden weight might be!
 
Assuming this is a street car, you are probably limited to a fiberglass hood, maybe aluminum wheels, dumping the bumperettes, and perhaps racing seats.

The "hidden" weight on these cars is due to govt crash regs. Door crash bars, the bumper mounts and supports...extremely bulky on these cars. But you aren't shedding those on a street car.
 
I didnt bother on my ten second dart. Can't imagine it being worth it. Even glass fenders are only like a 9 lb savings over steel. Whats your goal here? Street? Strip? Unless you spend every weekend at the track you aren't going to accomplish much. Rough rule is every hundred lbs is a tenth in the quarter mile.
 
Some guys go as far as to scrape off undercoating and drill holes....im not that weight crazy. If I wanted to get that skinny I would buy a dragster or a tube chassis car.
 
My goal is to run the quickest et with the car that I have, I don't have a lot of money so I'm looking into shaving weight to compete with friends with novas and mustangs.
 
Then scrape off some undercoating, remove the carpet padding and insulation. Underhood pad, trash the bumperettes. All that may be 50 lbs? And you pick up a theoretical .05 in the quarter? Sorry to tell ya there is no quick and easy, or cheap, 300 lbs just hiding in these cars. Aluminum or plastic seats, glass hood, that may score some more points. But not cheaply.
 
I did this on a 74 Dart sport, pretty much the same car you have. I cut out the brace that runs behind the chrome bumpers except where the "shock" bolts to the bumper and obviously to the frame. Both bumpers done was about 70 lbs. I went to manual steering. This dropped another 40 lbs, plus gave me more room under the hood, and I had one less belt to turn over! I also went to manual brakes, but the booster didn't weigh but a few pounds, however, gave me more room to change spark plugs, or replace the header gasket. These were some changes that could not be seen as the car drove by, but was about 115 lbs. I then removed the heater core assembly (figured I wasn't going to drive it in the winter anyways) and that was about 30 lbs. Then I removed the carpet, and that was about 50 lbs. I never carried a spare (they are about 40 lbs) or a jack (15 lbs). All together, about 200 lbs. and that could be felt when I was running a 318 in the car, especially off the line. I think hundred pounds is a tenth is for a big block. I believe a 318 it's just under 2 tenths. Go as extreme as you would like, but this is a start for you, and your right, it's free!
 
Thanks! That's the type of information I was looking for. This car has a mild 360 so weight is a big deal.
 
tyrone said:
Thanks! That's the type of information I was looking for. This car has a mild 360 so weight is a big deal.
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360 has more low end grunt than a 318. Be sure it's tuned right, timed right. Timing is huge! Usually with a mild cam total advance timing will be between 38-42 degrees. Be sure it has the right torque converter and gears for your use of the car. Last, smoking tires is cool, but traction wins races, period!
 
Just do your self a favor and don't do anything to the structural integrity of the car.
 
^^^^ Good info. I cut the shocks out of mine and welded up some brackets to suck the bumper in. I guess I never thought about the early bumper being a little different, I'll probably buy a 70-72 glass bumper and flush fit it, no more bumper wrapping around the quarter
 
Nice! The bumpers can be finder glass but also remove the steel behind them and look for light weight brackets for the bumpers. Fiberglass hood feders and deck lid help a lot.

I suppose Lexan is to far?

Hot Rod mag did a article on this a ways back. Even caged, it came in at some crazy weight like 2500lbs.
 
318willrun said:
Last, smoking tires is cool, but traction wins races, period!
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Speaking of traction, buying a used set of slicks for $150 of craigslist and Two junk yard rims to put them on was the best bang for my buck! 1/2 second off my quarter mile time day one. There is a lot of things you can do and take off just for race day. All of witch could be done say in a couple of hours after work on Friday - race -Saturday and in a couple of hours Sunday morning BAM daily driver :D
 
radials are faster then slicks.Don't run more tire than you need. I have picked up .02-.03 with 11lbs less tire on the back.That is a car that's been 5.82 in the 1/8.slower cars should see better gains with lighter tires.
 
Here are a few things I did with my GTX. The power brake booster and master cylinder weighed in at 20 lbs. Lightweight manual master is about a pound.
 

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Do you have an auto or 4 speed? Just to let you know, my car was running 12.3 with the stock converter and when I switched to a good one, the car ran 11.5's. Almost a full second with a $450 converter.
 
Look for a feather Duster, they had aluminum bumper brackets and the hood and trunk had aluminum frames underneath.
 
bobtile said:
Do you have an auto or 4 speed? Just to let you know, my car was running 12.3 with the stock converter and when I switched to a good one, the car ran 11.5's. Almost a full second with a $450 converter.
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I dropped .4 tenths 13.30's to 12.90's by going from an 11 inch converter to a 10 inch convertor. Trap speed stayed the same, though
 
5 sec dart said:
radials are faster then slicks.Don't run more tire than you need. I have picked up .02-.03 with 11lbs less tire on the back.That is a car that's been 5.82 in the 1/8.slower cars should see better gains with lighter tires.
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Unsuspended weight is important, and often overlooked
 
Ditch the heater box..if you have power steering convert to manual.
 
318willrun said:
I dropped .4 tenths 13.30's to 12.90's by going from an 11 inch converter to a 10 inch convertor. Trap speed stayed the same, though
Click to expand...

bobtile said:
Do you have an auto or 4 speed? Just to let you know, my car was running 12.3 with the stock converter and when I switched to a good one, the car ran 11.5's. Almost a full second with a $450 converter.
Click to expand...

There's the proof that a good converter will really help and that it is often overlooked or scoffed at due to the price tag and a cheaper converter comes in its place. A cheap converter has its place. Ether on a ride your not concerned about with the time slip or the garbage.
 
i asked a similar question a year or so ago, and i drilled the inner door panels, drilled the rear quarter inners, i run glass hood, deck lid, front n rear bumpers, have lightweight bumper brackets, i have no interior apart from a cage, 2 lightweight race seats but a stock dash (without any of the heater, ac, its all just to keep the look) and lexan/ polycarb windows
there is weight to be saved, but its a massive compromise, if yours is street driven its a horrible place to be sat, noisy, cold or hot, cant open the windows, or they are blowing a gale through due to gaps, its smelly, due to no carpet or headliner, or anything to absorb any engine/road/exhaust smells (yes smells even with firewalls)
its harsh, loud, brutal at times, but would i change it

like hell i would.
 
Thanks for the help, I do know that the converter is key so I put. Dynamic 8" converter in it. I guess I should specify the engine is mild compared to most of my stuff but it's a magnum flat top 360 (pistons .016 out of the hole), .050 thick head gasket with edelbrock magnum heads and a hydraulic roller 228 236 @ .050 on a 110 air gap intake 850 carb and 3.91 gears.
 
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