How much can you lighten a Mav?

I'm planning on rebuilding the whole car I have to a fast road/strip spec, and there is no better way of increasing the performance AND handling than reducing weight, at least that the thinking over here

Dont get me wrong- I'll still be doing the engine, but is there a lot of places to take weight off the car? I'd like to chop the front end out and make a light tubular frame but theres a good chance it will be too much work for me and I'll lose interest half way through (which I dont want!)

I was thinking about the front cross member, turrets, inside arches etc, not sure about the rear end? Also would a 4 link rear end be much different in weight to standard?

 

Carbon fiber hood... Fiberglass front fenders/deck lid/doors...Gut interrior...All aluminum engine... These cars are fairly light to begin with,soo unless your are building a purpose built autocrosser... As for the 4 link,its not about weight savings,its about weight transfer and handeling.You wont see a significant savings in weight with a suspension change.

 

They are pretty light by standards so I have a bonus there, a mate of mine has just bought a '73 Plymouth Satellite/Roadrunner with 400ci Mopar bb and is convinced he will kick my ass on the 1/4 mile
I'm going to keep it to myself that my Grabber weighs about 1/2 tonne less in stock form and should push an easy 300bhp when I have done my rebuild, compared to his tank with maybe a little over 200bhp???

 

Build a little torque monster and get some good gears and he wont stay with you in stock trim, but be warned...I had a 73 challenger with the 400/4 BBL in stock trim and it would cook tires all day and go like bobs your uncle. So dont under estimate the lowely 400 tall deck mopar orphan engine.

 

For weight reduction it is simple get rid of everything you don't NEED in the car.
One of my projects has all the sound deadening out, window regulators GONE, side glass replaced with Lexan, Light weight aluminum inner door panels, one piece front end (weighs 25 pounds), rear seat removed, Dash cut out and replaced with light-weight aluminum, light weight steel front suspension and everything out of the trunk except the battery and replacement fuel tank. All the excess wiring has been removed too. This is a street legal fun car - not a dedicated racer. As a matter of fact it will likely never see a track.

 

pics please that sounds awsome

 

I would concentrate on getting as much weight off the nose of the car as reasonable ... the front to rear balance on these is no where near 50/50 ... very nose heavy because it is a light car to begin with, but still needs all the mechanicals. It is pretty easy to get these cars backwards ... they are short and only handle a little better than bowling balls when stock.

If you are an unlimited budget, then fiberglass body parts can help, but only marginally... pretty light panels to begin with. The stock hood weights 50 lbs ... you will only save 20 lbs with a durable glass hood. Fenders are similar. Much bigger gains would be aluminum heads and intake, get rid of the heat/AC system, convert from power steering to manual. Moving the battery to the passenger side of the trunk helps the balance a surprising amount.... on most cars it is equivalent of setting the motor and tranny back 10% of the wheelbase. Another alternative there is that there are some batteries out now that are half-size, and due to battery technology getting better, they have as much or more juice than these cars came with.

When I would race my Comets at the strip, I always had a 70 lb toolbox in the trunk ... traction.

If you want to autocross ... go for getting it as close to 50/50 balanced more than light as possible (keep the interior)... then make more power ... also, for handling, look at three-link rear suspensions ... much less twitchy than four-links. The new Mustang went to them ... lovin' it.

 

Awesome, good advice. I would like to go with ally heads, looking at ditching the power steering and might even replace the old steering box with a lightweight rack and pinion, as well as losing weight it should be much tighter too. Battery in boot is a good tip, dont need AC in England!!! I like the grabber hood, looks awesome but it is damned heavy, my mazda one I've just finished V8ing I can lift with my little finger easily- so I might just chop out some supports from underneath.

 

Careful with the power steering removal. If you are looking to autocross you will undoubtedly want to put larger tires up front. That extra steering help will come in handy. I've got 245, 40-17's up front and am ADDING rack and pinion power steering. Normal everyday driving is hard enough with manual steering. I cant imagine what it would be like on the auto-X.

 

It'll only be for road, fun road (), and occasional 1/4 miles

 

Something that was done frequently in the early 1960s here was to lighten panels by "swiss-cheesing" them ... break out the hole saw and spend way too much time cutting holes in them.

Check out this vid ... especially the frame ...



Disclaimer ... (The Surgeon General has determined that excessive swiss-cheesing is probably a bad thing to do to items that are primary structural members of your car) ... but the hood frame is probably OK ... hack away ..

 

I was thinking of doing that, like the front cross member and inner arches (to a point), I am a fabricator/engineer so I'm good at judging where strength is needed etc so I wouldn't be worried about my judgement! As you already said Cap'n, the most weight needs to come off the front. I was also considering machining aluminium wishbones etc, the only downside is that due to the increased size of ally parts like that they dont always end up much or any lighter, tubular steel is usually the best compromise between weight and strength. Any thoughts?

 

Switch the doors to 1971 doors. 72+ began the crash supports inside and are heavier.

 

Mavman makes some carbon fiber hoods, even Grabbers. I'm seriously thinking of one but it's expensive out the a**. Gorgeous look and would definitely reduce the weight.

 

hey briansboy are you for sure its 72 when the doors start being heavily? i just read another thread and someone said that 73s were the last lighter door year and they changed in 74.
just wanted to double check thanks