Weight Reduction--C4 Doors
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Weight Reduction--C4 Doors
Does anyone who if there is any weight within the C4 doors that can be removed without doing away with the glass and power windows? My Malibu doors had a beam inside the doors that saved 12 lbs per door when removed. 
Thanks,
NitrousSam
Thanks,
NitrousSam
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
with lexan windows you would'nt need power...toss the power door locks and the jukebox speakers...now the whole wiring harness can go.
gotta give up something if you're gonna build a flyer.
gotta give up something if you're gonna build a flyer.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by hookedup
Yes there is a beam in the door, but after I looked at what was required getting to it and then removing it I put the panel back on.
Good luck,
Dave
Good luck,
Dave
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by redrose
with lexan windows you would'nt need power...toss the power door locks and the jukebox speakers...now the whole wiring harness can go.
gotta give up something if you're gonna build a flyer.
gotta give up something if you're gonna build a flyer.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by NitrousSam
Did it look like a steel beam?
Yes, but I'm not sure if the door would hold together without it. In 85, there was a corrugated steel beam fused to the door panel and welded to a plate on the lock side, and to some more steel where the hinges attach. GM got rid of most of this steel beam sometime before 1989.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
Yes, but I'm not sure if the door would hold together without it. In 85, there was a corrugated steel beam fused to the door panel and welded to a plate on the lock side, and to some more steel where the hinges attach. GM got rid of most of this steel beam sometime before 1989.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
It's a corrugated piece of sheet steel (folded back and forth like so... _n_n_n_n_ ), there is no face of the beam. You could probably cut it longways though with a nibbler and remove the center few ribs out of it. Might be worth 10+ lbs total.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
It's corrugated, there is no face of the beam. You could probably cut it longways though with a nibbler and remove the center few ribs out of it. Might be worth 10+ lbs total.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
GM got rid of most of this steel beam sometime before 1989.
I wonder whether the good folks at Vette2Vette could help out
by checking door weights. They may even have these written
down for different years to assist with with shipping.
Drop a dime.
Even if there is no difference, you may be better off to get
a spare pair of doors. You could section them, gut what you
judge unneccessary and then glue them back together without
remorse.
.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by Slalom4me
NitrousSam
I wonder whether the good folks at Vette2Vette could help out
by checking door weights. They may even have these written
down for different years to assist with with shipping.
Drop a dime.
Even if there is no difference, you may be better off to get
a spare pair of doors. You could section them, gut what you
judge unneccessary and then glue them back together without
remorse.
.
I wonder whether the good folks at Vette2Vette could help out
by checking door weights. They may even have these written
down for different years to assist with with shipping.
Drop a dime.
Even if there is no difference, you may be better off to get
a spare pair of doors. You could section them, gut what you
judge unneccessary and then glue them back together without
remorse.
.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
From: Boynton Beach, FL
Just for reference you can totally gut the door to the exterior shell if you leave a few inches if he inner fiberglass lower panel. Think of it a door pocket. You can still use stock door latch mechanism. 
Larry
Larry
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
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From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
Yes, but I'm not sure if the door would hold together without it. In 85, there was a corrugated steel beam fused to the door panel and welded to a plate on the lock side, and to some more steel where the hinges attach. GM got rid of most of this steel beam sometime before 1989.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
I made a quick attempt to check the Melrose site yesterday to
see whether they listed doors. Ran out of time ...
Melrose carries or carried several items for C4's. Doors might
might be on their list too and if the price is right then this saves
you some work.
.
see whether they listed doors. Ran out of time ...
Melrose carries or carried several items for C4's. Doors might
might be on their list too and if the price is right then this saves
you some work.
.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
Originally Posted by Slalom4me
I made a quick attempt to check the Melrose site yesterday to
see whether they listed doors. Ran out of time ...
Melrose carries or carried several items for C4's. Doors might
might be on their list too and if the price is right then this saves
you some work.
.
see whether they listed doors. Ran out of time ...
Melrose carries or carried several items for C4's. Doors might
might be on their list too and if the price is right then this saves
you some work.
.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by 69427
Slightly off topic, but what did Chevy do after '89? I've never taken apart my C4 door panels, but I assume there's some sort of side protection beam in the later ones too. Was there a lighter design in the later cars? I'm very interested in what numbers (weight wise) the various door vintages come up at.
Dunno. I've only seen the insides of a 84, 85 door and 89 door. I guess GM decided the crash protection in the 85 door was overkill. The 89 had a much smaller cross piece.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: Duncanville Texas
I can't remember the exact number but the bare bones door shell with no hinges weighed 25 or 30 lbs. To take a significant amount of weight out of there would mean just going straight to carbon fiber doors which I think Exotic Muscle still offers. Also, does melrose have a website?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,088
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From: Poop land
I wonder if it would be possible to fab up some simple manual window rollers rather than this unreliable set of window motors and complex mechanisms...
Sometimes the pass. window would roll down, but not back up. I'd have to hit it a little for it to roll up.
Sometimes the pass. window would roll down, but not back up. I'd have to hit it a little for it to roll up.
