Does anyone know if the doors were equipped with side impact re-inforcing beams from the beginning? Before I do surgery on my doors to lighten them up, I'd like to know if earlier models,(before '74), had no guard beams.
I have a 69.5, and the doors are empty, except for the glass and regulator and locks. No beams there.
not 100%, but i dont think they added the side beams til 74? I know the 72's and down dont have them.couldnt tell you on the 73s
Same here... 72 down = no beams 74 up = beams 73 is the mystery year I guess. The bad part is I carried a 73 door through the salvage yard last summer, and I can't remember if it was beamed or not. I do know that it is the only year door with provisions for either early or late door panels/handles. Dave
That's about right. 20 lbs is a lot if you are on a serious diet. 100 lbs lost is equivalent to adding 10 hp at the wheels, or a tenth in the quarter. 20 lbs from one particular mod is good. From a safety standpoint, the braces are probably more hype that safety, but if you drive the car a lot, it could be the difference between life in a coma, or DOA in the trauma unit. I wouldn't remove them if I had them in my car, but I wouldn't add them either. Dave
I guess I'm trying to say is it worth the effort? ... you can't get them out without removing the door skin since they would have been welded in prior to the door skin going on ..
My '74 does NOT have them and they are the original doors... Doors are empty as can be inside other then what makes the window roll up and down. Of course thats not to say that a previous owner didn't remove them.
I guess I was corrected! Removal is still not worth the effort IMO. If weight was that critical to someone, they would be better off salvaging a set of early doors and using them. Dave
buy a fiberglass hood from autokrafters and remove the back seat. you can switch back a lot easier and dont have to risk damaging your car
Shaving 20lb is like finding horsepower in Stock Eliminator boys!! We're not allowed luxuries like fiberglass replacement parts. If we can get the car under it's minimum weight for the class, we can add weight back in where we want it to help with traction and chassis reaction. Our car is actually a '74 that got the small bumper treatment to achieve a lower weight;(and look better in my opinion). I was thinking that we could remove the beams if they were not a feature in '72. The car has a roll bar so driver protection is not a concern. The old 200 incher needs all the help it can muster!!
