Nov 2008 Muscle Car Review, page 56: Ways to reduce weight
Racing on just factory disc front brakes if possible
1) Backing off the drum brake adjusters all the way (only for racing)
2) Turning (machining) the rear drum brakes until there isn't any contact surface... in fact, until there isn't much left of the rear drums that isn't necessary
... or if you have 4 wheel drum, turn them all and put the lightest up front to aid in weight transfer
3) instead of the best cooling radiator, switch to a 2 core
.. .. it holds less water,
.. .. don't run the trans fluid through it (save weight by having less fluid)
4) Acid dipping the bumper and battery tray backets
5) Switch to an aluminum master brake cylinder
6)Use Chrome Moly tubing instead of steel where-ever possible.. like drive shafts and axel tubes
7)Aluminum water pumps with stock casting numbers, when they're painted they all look the same
8)Replace the battery in the engine bay with a empty hollowed out hulk, and put a real one in the factory gas tank, which has been cut open and has a small fuel cell built in, along with an electric fuel pump
9) Rebuild every other seat in the car to appear factory, but is only a thin shell with factory upholstery
10)Gut the windshield wiper motor and remove all linkage
11)Use reproduction bumpers instead of originals, they have less metal and weigh less
12)Use the front license plate to block air from the lower valance opening
13)Remove all the carpet insulation, jute, etc.
14) Replace the pedal linkages with aluminum look alikes
15)Extra Carb gaskets... increases the distance from intake to firing chamber
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
