Adding horsepower by choping off the weight

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NEWATTHIS

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Hi guys, i know that you know this , but i was surprised and wanted to share this with you. The cost to recrome both bumpers for my 74 dart sport was to much $$$$$ , so i got two bumpers from AAR QUALITY FIBERGLASS in the U.S. The bumpers are great and i can lift them up with one finger, the old bumpers thats another story. The front bumper with brackets was 84 pounds the back was 85 pounds. I have way more hedder room now and they dont hang so low, i shed 169 pounds off the dart sport with just these two bumpers. I was told that chopping weight is the same as adding horsepower, the front end sits higher, thats a lot of weight off the nose. THANKS for letting me share that information with you Newathis
 
Not just h.p improvement. You also gain in the handling and braking dept's
 
You just picked up nearly two car lengths in the quarter...

Shedding weight is just like gaining HP....
 
Cutting out weight is the cheapest way to go faster. Sombody once told me. "Don't look for ten places to loose ten pounds" "Look for 100 places to loose 1 pound".
 
This is why just engine specs and track times dont mean anything special. You can run mid 12s or quicker all day long with a 300hp 318 in a car and driver that weights 2500lbs.
 
Glass bumpers are great, I put them on the front and rear, also put glass fenders and hood. I got my Scamp down to 3036# with a full tank of fuel, also removed the heater.

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68dodge said:
Glass bumpers are great, I put them on the front and rear, also put glass fenders and hood. I got my Scamp down to 3036# with a full tank of fuel, also removed the heater.
Click to expand...


Now that is light. My all steel 70 Dart is 3250 pounds with a full tank. No heater or radio and a bench seat.
 
AAR Fiberglass is about 40 miles from me. I have the same bumpers I fabbed up my own Brackets too using 1 inch flat steel. Just dont use em on a Street car IMO. One touch Could cause a big OWIE!
 
How is the fit and finish of AAR bumpers? I was thinking of going the same route and painting them a high luster silver/chome paint to keep up appearances. Rechroming in Canada is crazy expensive. I have seen an AAR sic pack hood on a duster around here, very good quality it seemed, i would think the bumpers are the same.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, it seems that light is right. To answer your ? Tomcopbar, your right when you say that rechroming your old bumpers is $$$$$$$ in Canada. My advice to you is to get fiberglass bumpers from AAR Fiberglass in the U.S there product is great, the bumpers fit very well and you will not regret it, and you will shed alot of weight. If you buy them, and i know that you know this, you will be paying in U.S $$$$$$$ also there is the Floria state tax and the UPS charges. Newathis ( DAVE)
 
The bumpers look great and it sounds like they can help shed a good deal of weight. I'd consider these for my car. Do the bumpers attach to the stock brackets?

Chris
 
Gentlemen, i will answer 71 duster 440 first. I dont no if your 71 stock brackets will work or not , my car is a 74 and our bumpers were different. If i was you, i would not use the stock brackets anyway,you can pick these bumpers up off the floor with one finger, why use old heavy brackets that way about 10 pounds each to support a 3 or 4 pound pumper. Eric 568 made his own brackets out of 1 inch flat stell, that sounds like the way to go. To answer your question Pettybludart, i never bought both the front and back bumpers together, but i should because i paided twice on a shipping and handing charge. The bumpers are 149.00 $$$ U.S for each one, plus a 45.00 U.S shipping charge,plus UPS charge of about 50 Canadian. Check out there website www.aarqualityfiberglass.com
 
For the fit and mounting AAR bumpers, you will have to cut out the mounting holes. You can tell on the bumpers where they are. Just have to take you time and cut the square holes. You may have a little trimming.

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Used to know some freeks in the old days who would go at their cars with drills and hole saws of different sizes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The only worries I have are glass doors. I wont ever run them on a street car or anything without a cage.
 
Its been previously mentioned pretty much.

But i tell everybody,making your car lighter is the ULTIMATE bang
for your buck.

Sure a cam swap might add horse.

But getting rid of 100 kilos in weight will improve
-Handling
-Braking
-Acelleration
-Fuel economy

No other single modification to your car improve it as
much as weight saving.

Thats one thing the ricers have going right hahha.
Carbon fibre this,titanium that!
Man titanium exhaust systems!
My wallet hurts just thinking about it.
 
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