Bee Jay

First off, Merry Christmas everyone.
I put the Vette up on the lift earlier today to start my fuel injection install by mounting the fuel pump. While the car was up there, I decided to remove my rear spoiler (a major PITA) and my rear bumper cover (a bigger PITA) and remove the rear battering ram, like I did the front battering ram about a year ago. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ghlight=bumper
Removing the heavy rear bumper was easier than I expected and not a PITA. But that sucker is heavy, more than 55lbs. This is not going back in. I'm going to make an aluminum cross member like C-3R did. Another 55lbs lost and I didn't have to skip a meal or exercise. The car looks good with no bumper. Someone should design a short kammback style bumper for post 73 C3s. The car would be half a foot shorter, and 55lbs lighter. Hey Panic, done this yet?
Bee Jay

rclinton

Great post and excellent pics. Wish I had seen this prior to me filling the joint on my bumbers. Did you find your build sheet while you were there?

Belgian1979vette

You could make a mould based on the original ones and manufacture carbon fiber bumper bars that look exactly like the originals. I myself never did this, because I think it is too much work.

panic

[QUOTE=Bee Jay;1563311071]....But that sucker is heavy, more than 55lbs. This is not going back in....




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BJ, you've got two possibilities, put the rear bumper shell, which is very light, back OR build a custom flat rear end, indeed the car will be a few inches shorter...proportions front/rear will be different and will probably make the front end look more important...you will have to modifie the exhaust as half muffler will probably be out of the rear. Probably best and radical mod would be sidepipes...

When i got rid of my rear heavy sucker i had designed a honeycomb black alu rear cover, fixing the 4 red lights and it looked cool but it remained just at the first step design and i never finished it...at that very moment i had my full front end in pieces and wanted to concentrate on one iussue at a time...

You bet, it's a great idea anyway

strokervette

When I removed my rear battering ram it weighed 65 lbs with the bumper shocks. I just installed a fiberglass rear bumper cover and mounted the tail lights right to the cover. Easy weight savings.


There was such a gap in there I wanted to make a rear valance to keep out any air that could be caught by the cover. It looks like it would act as a parachute at higher speeds.


I'm still in the thinking process as I like the 80s style cover.

panic

Stroker, is that an eckler's fixed lights kit without the plexiglass covers in your car?

strokervette

The front lights? Mabey, I got them on Fleabay after I sold my popup vaccum operated lights. I bought my own plexiglass and I'm going to make my own covers somehow. Whatever light kit it is, they didn't fit well. I had to cut, grind and shape them to get them to fit right.

The rear lights are the originals just mounted directly to the inside of the rear cover.

Bee Jay

How much weight do you save by tossing the pop ups? I'd do that, but I got hooked on Vettes as a kid in '63 when I was watching Bonanza. Chevy was the sponsor, and they showed the brand new Corvette with the headlights opening. I freaked and swore "I gottta get me one of those". I understand that the electric conversion saves a few pounds.

panic

You'll save at least 20lbs for both, if not more. It's a pity i didnt put those on scale but they were very heavy believe me...infact it's the only all steel parts you'll find on the vette front end, apart from the steel defenses...if you want to go deeper in the hole then eliminate the vacuum steel tube too and replace with an alu custom support for the front end...i had one done by a masterguy but it went destroyed 2 years ago in a front crash accident, one of these days i'll ask the guy to rebuild me another one but costed me quite a few $$$$$$

enkeivette

That's kinda scary seeing the gas tank right there.

If I were to do that I think I would go with an aftermarket gas tank and move it up.

Bee Jay

You don't need the vacuum reservoir to operate your pop ups. I just ran the vacuum source line to a "T" and then to each motor. It takes a little longer for them to pop up, but the reservoir weighed about 45lbs. 55 lbs off the back, 45 lbs off of the front. Dang, that's 100lbs. I just gotta keep it under 2.5mph when I run into things.

murraybs

Lookin' good!

Why not stick a C5 style flat rear on there? It might add a bit dragwise but would still look pretty darn slick (and custom).

Though now that I think about it it would probably end up looking terrible...
Sorry I even mentioned it.

strokervette

Each popup light assembly weighed 20lbs and each recessed light assembly weighed like 8lbs with the bulbs. In another thread I started about losing the whole battering ram/ air tank I showed how I just bolted the rad support directly to the frame extensions.



The entire front battering ram and all other like components weighed in at 135 lbs total. Then I just slapped on a new fiberglass cover and is now undergoing stress tests until I get the time to do the final body work. I just drove it today to visit Mom and Dad and the it's still holding like the day I put it together.

strokervette

I photoshopped this awhile back because I had the same idea.

Bee Jay

I think a C6 style rear would look better. The C5 has a big ol' butt . Hey stroker, I just spent almost an hour looking at your videos on your homepage. Nice car, and it looks good going down the street without the post 73 duck bumper.
Bee Jay

enkeivette

Someone makes a C4 stlye bumper for the C3, looks pretty cool believe it or not.

strokervette

Yeah I couldn't wait to drive it and I live on a dead end street that practically no one drives down. I test out my bikes there too. I still want to do something about the styling on the rear bumper and as soon as I do the pics will be posted here. I don't have to go back to work till new years eve so I'll be messin in the garage for the next couple of nights. I want to pull the carb and intake to do some port matching and mill off the choke tower on the carb, then check the intake mounting angle with a feeler gauge and install some new gaskets. Then I'll be readjusting the lash again, it's making some noise lately. After all that I'll be thinking of some sort of rear valance and restyling of the rear bumper cover.

I'm Batman

IMHO, that ZR-1 bumper cover is a bit chunky. It would look better if it wasn't quite as deep.

turtlevette

BeeJay,

looks like you never got around to putting the batwing in. Still planning to do that.?

I have not put my 82 rear end in yet either.

I am a little reluctant to take any crash protection out of the rear. It's harder to control someone hitting you from behind.

strokervette

Just a tip that I always use is leave a bit of running room between you and the car in front at stop signs and traffic lights so you can pull out of the way in a hurry if you see someone not stopping behind you. I got hit in my 4x4 one rainy night at a light and saw him coming all out of control and couldn't get out of the way...if I only had a few more feet of distance between me and the car in front. I had already shifted into gear and was lifting the clutch when I noticed I was stuck. Anyway the car went under my truck and I lost my rear bumper. Since then, that move has saved me about 5 accidents. Gotta love NJ!
I go to alot of defensive driving courses through work as a cable tech since I drive a work vehicle all the time and now I'm a more aware driver. That was my only accident I've ever been in so far in 15 years of driving and I'm not saying it would prevent all accidents from happening but I feel confident enough to pull out the the mentioned equip from my car. If I break it, I'll fix it, that's what I'm good at. Just remember where your car stands after you remove any safety equip.