So where's the weight come from?

Topic: So where's the weight come from? (Read 2661 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #15 – September 16, 2005, 01:12:32 AM

I took the insulation out of the back seat area and the sound is much louder than before. You can really hear the exhaust rumble now. But the insulation is very heavy. The back seat is fairly light.

The seats weigh a ton, powered or not. But I tried to lift an aftermarket seat and they seem just as heavy. You would think that they would have a light weight frame. They never give the weight of the aftermarket seats like in Summit. I have never lifted a stock Mustang seat and I don't know for sure that they would fit. I really like the feel of the stock turbo coupe seats though.

There's a big chunk of iron the the rear end near the u-joint that I never figured out what it was for. I took it off and it seems the same to me.

The stock master on the turbo coupe weighs a bunch and you can switch to manual brakes. There's also about 25 pounds of wires/computer for the ABS and eletronic suspension.

More power does help.

TED

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #16 – September 16, 2005, 12:26:29 PM

Quote

There's a big chunk of iron the the rear end near the u-joint that I never figured out what it was for. I took it off and it seems the same to me.

what the dog bone thing with the two bolts. I thought that was for vibration control from the the rear to the driveshaft..etc

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #17 – September 16, 2005, 12:29:59 PM

The dog bone is the counterweight for the rear end gears to help reduce driveline vibration. Once you change rear end gears it becomes useless and can be removed.

There is also a counterweight on the tailshaft of the transmission, sometimes, depending on the AOD (the Mark VII AOD definitely has it). That can probably get tossed as well.

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #18 – September 16, 2005, 12:54:55 PM

That is a very nice looking car Thunder306!
TED

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #19 – September 16, 2005, 01:20:27 PM

Alright, we've settled on the sound insulation, and I've removed just about everything from under the hood that I can.

From stock
Headers instead of cast manifold
No AC equipment
No PS equipment
Pulled out the stock carpet for lightened non-insulated stuff

Also, the 8.8 I put in from the Mark7, didn't have a dogbone.

Where else can I get some lightening from? I'm thinking about the seats next, possibly even removing the tar insulation and carpeting that I put in.

I know more power does help, but I've seen these cars run considerly slower than mustangs with the same mods, I just don't want it to be true :D

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #20 – September 16, 2005, 01:32:20 PM

Hey ! Precisely yesterday i remove that "Dog Bone" from the end of the driveshaft. One of the sides broke and it was heavily rubbing with the driveshaft. i cant mount it unless i get some custom fabrication, but i need to put again ?

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #21 – September 17, 2005, 09:41:30 AM

Quote

Where else can I get some lightening from?

Saran wrap is lighter than glass.

Quote

i cant mount it unless i get some custom fabrication, but i need to put again ?

You don't have to if you don't want to. It's just there to "tune" out some of the vibration from the rear gears.

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #22 – September 17, 2005, 05:54:32 PM

Take off the catylitic converters and replace them with straight pipe.Take the exhaust off from the lers back,and install turn down pipes there instead.If it's just for racing,remove the bumper covers and take the big fiberglass bumpers off and then re-install the covers.Remove the fuel tank and install a smaller fuel cell.Smaller battery.Remove the cast iron heads and install aluminum heads (LOT of weight there).Heater core and A/C evaporator box (just run the heatercore lines under the hood together and bypass the core).Remove the factory airbox and put a cone filter on a shorter intake tube.Short glasspacks instead of factory lers.Remove the carpet.If your car is going to be your primary driver,then be very cautious about what you do.The sacrifice you make in comfort may not be worth the sacrifce for weight savings.Get a Mustang and you save a few hundred pounds from the start from what a T-Bird and Cougar weighs.

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #23 – September 17, 2005, 08:48:45 PM

"If it's just for racing,remove the bumper covers and take the big fiberglass bumpers off and then re-install the covers.Remove the fuel tank and install a smaller fuel cell."

Do you know how much these fiberglass bumpers weigh? I thought they may be pretty light.

Also there is a big piece of plastic under the tank that can be removed to save a few pounds. Don't why this is here but the stock straps work just fine without it.

TED

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #24 – September 18, 2005, 01:33:59 AM

Quote from: vinnietbird

Take off the catylitic converters and replace them with straight pipe.Take the exhaust off from the lers back,and install turn down pipes there instead.If it's just for racing,remove the bumper covers and take the big fiberglass bumpers off and then re-install the covers.Remove the fuel tank and install a smaller fuel cell.Smaller battery.Remove the cast iron heads and install aluminum heads (LOT of weight there).Heater core and A/C evaporator box (just run the heatercore lines under the hood together and bypass the core).Remove the factory airbox and put a cone filter on a shorter intake tube.Short glasspacks instead of factory lers.Remove the carpet.If your car is going to be your primary driver,then be very cautious about what you do.The sacrifice you make in comfort may not be worth the sacrifce for weight savings.Get a Mustang and you save a few hundred pounds from the start from what a T-Bird and Cougar weighs.

Well I've done 99% of those options already... And why would I want a Mustang? Everyone's got one.

Re: So where's the weight come from?

Reply #25 – September 19, 2005, 01:09:10 PM

I dunno about other thunderbirds/cougars, but on my Turbo Coupe there was some kind of weight bolted to the factory crossmember, this thing had to have weighed at least 5 lbs by itself. I pitched that and the weight on the end of the transmission.

Also as was mentioned about the ABS- the factory ABS MC is heavy (never actually weighed mine), but an '87-93 Mustang booster is only a few pounds and an all-aluminum MC is pretty light too.