hi all, i'm new of this forum...i have a '77 vette with a brand new 406ci stroker fm american speed dinoed at 575 hp, plus the car has been uprated in suspension and mainly lightened with the following mods: get rid of the fifth wheel and accesories, get rid of the front light motors/vacuum/etc plus the defence sistemsfront and rear, change those 'luxury' leather '77 seats with lightweight race ones, 'shaving' the interior of the t-tops, changing carpets with thinner ones and finally changing wheels with lighter minilites 8x15, now the car fm a 2 seats sedan (pls dont kill me now!!!!) is more likely to be a sport car...but there is more work to be done. I'm thinking to get rid of both door windows with the electric motors plus accesories, the back glass as well and here i'll need your advice..i intend to cut the t-top sistem altogether, leaving the car like a convertible with only the front glass, i know that the chassis will be weakened but i was thinking about fixing a rollbar instead, question: has anybody of you done this job? is it frankly viable? where should i weld the roll bar? go down to the chassis and fix it there? will it be enough strengthening?
last thing pls: i've lowered the back with longer bolts on the spring but t's not enough and i can't get longer bolts then those already longer then stock that i bought..am i missing some other sistem to get the job done right? is there any co. in usa that is specialized in corvette uprated suspensions sistems? thanks a lot/Giu

 

Drag car or sports car?

You forgot the heater core too.

 

I got a 6-pont rollbar in my '68... I had it done by a race car builder..
I also lightened my '68.. The car weights 2850 lbs (3050 lbs with me in it).. My car still has a full interior (except the seats.. I'm only using one seat and it's a lightweight race seat)..
I reduced the weight by
1) removing spare tire and carrier
2) composite rear spring
3) lightweight wheels and tires (100 lbs weight saving right there)
4) heater and heater cover removed
6) windshield wipers removed
7) hood pins instead of hood hardware
8) tilt front with lightweight headlight assemblies
9) race seat and no passenger seat
10) aluminum heads vs. iron heads
11) aluminum radiator
12) no AC/PB/PS/PW
13) Radio removed
14) rollbar is chromoly for lowest possible weight
15) lightweight transmission (TH200R4)..
16) lightweight balancer
17) sway bars removed
18) sidepipes vs. under car exhaust - no mufflers

I'm sure I forgot a few things

BTW - I also have a 406 with about 600 HP..

 

Does the 1977 have the steel floor pans? Previous C3's used fiberglass floor pans.

The front removeable crossmember (used to support the front bumpers and also in later years used as a vacuum reservoir) is much heavier than you need.

 

the car is a sport car ....
i forgot some other lightening procedures: alu radiator, alu heads of course, no ac, need to get rid of heater though...front lightweight transverse suspension...after the windows/motors and top the final touch is going to be replace the whole gauge sistem/buttoms/etc with a stack electronic gauge alone right on top of my driving wheel...

 

I pulled almost 50 pounds out of my front end. The holes alone amount to 30 pounds and then I left off alot of the crash stuff behind the front bumper. The vacuum tube alone gave up 20 pounds and you do NOT need it for lights.

 

Go on a diet

 

that pic makes me think of.....

 

well, i did a lot of work in the front, i've dropped the big vacuum tube, i drop the whole light sistem with the heavy up/down lights mechanics and i dropped also the front end of the chassis that creates a veeeery heavy front defense!!! and a good artisan made one very light in aluminium, just to hold the front bumber in place, i think all this stuff weights maybe over 200/250 lbs...
i have to investigate the floorpan if it's lightweight or not

 

Boofers is right. GS could probably save another 40-50lbs if he'd just spend as much time at the gym as he does at the track

Sorry, couldn't help picking on ya man

-dath

 

Be nice Marck I don't need another critic

 

sounds like you have done more than any of us have and know more than us about lightening a vette. Do you have any pictures of the front end work?

 

I've done pretty much everything you've mentioned. I'd say mine is lighter than GrandSportC3's (he has retained some of the things that I've removed), but norvalwihelm (Sponge Bob) may have me beat. I still haven't weighed it yet.
There are tons of small things you can remove/cut in an effort to shave weight: Horns, antenae, cut out metal behind door panel, cut out glass behind tag, get rid of heavy center console, fiberglass dash (hairy glass makes them), get rid of wheel wells and of course, buy anything in aluminum that you can. Just take your time looking around the car. I always ask myself these questions: Do I really need that? Can it be removed without compromising safety too much. Will it effect aerodynamics too much? Would it be too ugly to remove? Can it be replaced by something lighter (aluminum, plastic).
Sounds like you've already made some moves in the right direction.

 

I'd like to see what your car weights.....

 

mee too.

you can have it weighed at any drag strip or circle track or even a junkyard or garbage dump. You need me to lend you 5 bucks?

 

hi turtle, i'll make pics of the car next week when i return where my car is quitely waiting for me and of the work done in the front end and post here...by the way how do i put pics in the forum.. ??

 

Don't forget to install a 6 gallon gas tank.........

 

I buddy of mine here has just had a carbon fibre hood and front end made up for his 1990ZR1, it weighs about 8lbs.

 

do you have a link for the carbon fibre builder??

 

hi rihwoods, does anybody build lightweight alu small gas taks for the C3?