Everything is being removed except the latches (glass, regulators, crash beams, inner structure). Lexan will replace the glass. Looking to lose more than 300lbs from the car.

Cleaned out the garage today (boxes that stuff for christmas stuff, why do you end up on top of my Camaro?). Also picked up a set of plastic race seats, some aluminum stock to make brackets and a 160 degree t-stat. I've been working a TON of over-time for Boeing the last few weeks, so more parts are on their way to help me on my quest to lose weight.

Things to do:
1. Make an aluminum dash to hold autometer gauges. (oil press, water temp, fuel level, fuel PSI, volts...no speedo...) and switch panel (ignition, fuel pump, cooling fan, lights, heater fan, nitrous).
2. Fab brackets and install seats.
3. Gut doors and install them.
4. Remove rear glass and replace with lexan (actually going to be poly).
5. Install lexan door windows
6. New fuel pump brackets
7. R&R t-stat
8. Install 4.30 gears
9. Install new alternator and manual tensioner
10. Metco breather?

Also...maybe...
1. Calvert split mono springs
2. Weld prostars...skinnies up front. Looking to get over that 300lb weight loss mark
3. Revise exhaust- remove spintech side exit power-killing setup and replace with dynomax race mufflers out the side.

Here's the Katech manual tensioner pulley that I got in the mail the other day. Awesome piece. Only thing is that I wish they included some new nicer looking bolts. You have to reuse your old ones or pick up a new set yourself. Now, some of you may be asking...what the hell happened to this being a budget build? This and the KWIK bracket aren't cheap. No, they aren't...but the only thing that almost left me stranded TWICE while shaking the car down this summer was the accessory drive system. So, it was decided to invest in what is basically the killer solution.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...22924275_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...42145621_n.jpg

Alternator is on it's way next. Along with a set of used Drag Star 15x3.75" front runners. Grabbing some tires next week and maybe the gauges and switch panel needed to complete my dash. Working on mounting the driver's seat back in the car. Also grabbing a set of bullet style race mufflers to replace the nice quiet Spintech setup that I believe is robbing me of more than it's fair share of HP. Pace of the project should be ramping up here as we get closer to spring.

Started working on the doors last night. Found out how much I need to upgrade my drill. I've been putting it off for too long. Guess I will stop by the tool store soon. Anyway, so far I've found some new things to weigh.

Door Glass: 15 lbs
Regulators: 12 lbs
Difference from power doors: 10 lbs
Total: 37lbs
x2 74 lbs

Added to the previous balance of 258lbs and I've taken 332 lbs out of the car.
I have a set of 15" x 3.75" aluminum race stars sitting in my office, so I need to weigh those and the steel wheels that are coming off. And I'm busy cutting the door beams out. Still planning on replacing the rear glass, deck lid and springs as money become available. Plus I now need matching rear aluminum tires.

Only stuff going back in that I need to weigh is the race seat, aluminum dash and gauges, lexan and deck lid. Wonder if I can push the net weight loss to 400lbs. My goal was 300lbs!

There are also a pair of Schoendfeld race mufflers coming to replace the restrictive yet very pleasant Spintech system.

Pictures of the progress to come later tonight.

[QUOTE=1970camaroRS;390328]Here's the Katech manual tensioner pulley that I got in the mail the other day. Awesome piece. Only thing is that I wish they included some new nicer looking bolts. You have to reuse your old ones or pick up a new set yourself. Now, some of you may be asking...what the hell happened to this being a budget build? This and the KWIK bracket aren't cheap. No, they aren't...but the only thing that almost left me stranded TWICE while shaking the car down this summer was the accessory drive system. So, it was decided to invest in what is basically the killer solution.


I have the kwik ac braclet and the Katech tensioner. Do you also have th a/c bracket or just the alternator? I dont have much room to swing the tensioner so i hope i can find the correct size belt that is a little tight.

[QUOTE=brownz;391794]No, I'm running a trick w/p and lower pulley and an alternator only. No A/C, no power-steering. I can see how the manual tensioner could run out of space on an A/C car.

PS...cutting door beams out of my doors right now. No fun. At all.

Here we go, some more boring work in progress pictures. BTW, the glass weighed in at 15lbs and the regulators and associated hardware are 12lbs. If the beam is 24 lbs...that's 51 lbs per door. 102 lbs total on both doors. That's frigging amazing.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._9422497_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...80185835_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...30579294_n.jpg

Hard to see here, but I'm trying to point out the spot-welds. This end (latch end) proved to be difficult. Holes didn't look so neat, no pictures of that. If I end up giving up on cutting the beam in half, the latch end might get opened up. I'll cover the hole with fiberglass most likely. Or rivet in some sheet metal I have laying around.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...99304564_n.jpg

Here I am cutting the door beam in half. My 3" wheel isn't deep enough to reach the channel on the skin side. Might cut a notch out that will let me get at that channel. Or I'll just cut a hole in the door as mentioned before. I will also be cutting out some structure of the door since I won't be using regulators anymore.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...20989227_n.jpg

Also, you will notice I changed to using my Iphone 4 for pictures. Not going to use my $5,000 setup anymore. Especially with metal shavings flying about.

After messing with trying to cut the beam in half for way too long, I gave up and cut a hole in on the latch side of the door.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...62888555_n.jpg

Beam came right now, no problem!

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...01864290_n.jpg

This thing is BIG!
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...19571353_n.jpg

Now the big news. They only weigh about 16 lbs! From what others have found, the bars in later cars are much heavier! Lets add up what the doors weigh and what can be removed from them.

Doors (with interior panels) - 111 lbs
Interior panel - 6 lbs (counted earlier)
Glass - 15 lbs
Regulators - 12 lbs
Crash Beam - 16 lbs
Total removed - 49 lbs
New door weight - 62 lbs

I bet the hinges are going to be much happier. I'm going to carve a few more lbs out of the inner structure, make and aluminum inner panel (VERY thin gauge) and install lexan. I bet it won't add too much weight back into them.

Running total-
332 + 32 (crash beams) = 364 lbs out of the car. More to come.

Here's some new stuff. Here's what I currently have for front wheels/tires. They are Cragar soft 8 steel wheels and yokohama 235/60r15 tires. Cheap and effective for when the car was a daily driver.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...60286689_n.jpg

BUT, insanely heavy! 50 lbs per wheel/tire!
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...53587076_n.jpg

Replacing it with these tires. M/T SR 165 radials. 18 lbs per tire.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...48196583_n.jpg

And these wheels. Race Star 15" x 3.75" aluminum. 12 lbs.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...19515733_n.jpg

So, that's 30lbs per wheel/tire. 20lbs less than the previous setup. So, 40lbs total coming off the car!
Added to the previous 364 lbs, that's 404 lbs!

Still going to remove misc metal here and there. I expect 10-15 lbs per wheel in the back, but I'm keeping the 255 M/T radials. Then there's the rear glass and decklid. And the springs.

Oh, and here are my new "mufflers". Schoenfeld bullets. Need to replace the spintech setup I have with its crazy 2 180 degree bends. Will run 3" from the x-pipe out the side. Should also pull another 15 lbs or more out of the car. Don't think I will get away with this on the street...but we will find out. Also going to stock up on ear-plugs.
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...40719457_n.jpg

If this cuts down 10 db of noise, I will be shocked.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...49465963_n.jpg

And so it has been decided. The nitrous system is coming off and the cam is being changed out. Working on getting at the G5x3 I have in there now. I will stick the stock truck cam back in to keep the lifters at bay for now. Will likely go with this guy here: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HRS-190265-10/

Pulled the nitrous plate last night. The new hood fits now. Just need to glass over some holes and get some 1/4 turn fasteners. Also, can this car get any more redneck? I think so!
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...05207224_n.jpg

Here's my helper...I think she may be slowing me down worse than my dog did. But she's more fun.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...35042848_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...12212302_n.jpg

Also decided to check something. I have been suspecting that I wasn't getting full butterfly opening on the secondaries. I was right.
http://youtu.be/wAXicGT1Ow0

I trapped 111mph with almost no secondaries.

So I took the TV cable off and tried again.
http://youtu.be/0QKGbczGKbI

ALMOST perfect. So, I adjusted the linkage and reattached the TV cable.
http://youtu.be/TOVqzQKk7Mw

Better, but still not there. This will take a little more work to get right. Anyway...off to go pull things off the front of the engine so I can get that cam out.