Then I thought about just ditching the whole thing, use horizontal "slats" ( think testarossa rear) with 69 firebird LED tail lights.
This, coupled with the trunk perimeter lightening openings, would allow additional engine heat to vent OVER the rear bumper as well as underneath.
Cost, and the "lightbright" look made me reconsider for now, then I remembered the trick I used to make my mom's 91 sunbird look like it WAS'NT hit with an ugly stick before I sold it.
Wow 2100 pounds! You have any shots of the interior now? Have you been driving this car much? How's it handle? I'm finding this thread interesting, keep it up!
It is a blast! The car still needs a 4 wheel alignment, so I drive it sparingly.
But, on the way back from the weigh in, I could'nt resist from doing a few impromptu burn outs. 0- 60 mph was EFFORTLESS. ( Six seconds maybe.......) I can damn near take a street corner at 40 mph.
I love it!
[This message has been edited by sunofjustice (edited 11-30-2012).]
I have quasi-completed the interior (version 2.0 maybe).
I'll have to post something tomorrow.
It's not bad, but I'm having headaches trying to find glue that has enough moxy to unite my choices of foam, with my choice of vinyl. ( It is NOT unusual for me to glue one or two pieces, wait a few hours before joining them together. Just to see the vinyl try to "lift-off" slightly, or cause a wrinkle or two.
(Some uber spray adhesives were $15. a can, and the vinyl STILL tried to lift off!???)
Maybe I should have some pieces professionally SEWN down.
Radiator support was toast, so I used a piece of aluminum barstock to replace it. Had a pic, changed my mind about it, and deleted it. Sorry. To be honest, just did'nt feel like getting bitched at about it.
Removing the old rad support .............3 lbs
Removed misc. metal from air dam area........1 lb / 7 oz.
Whilst pondering how the heck to reconnect the rubber/ plastic (?) radiator air dam, another epihany hit me...........
What if you move the radiator air dam to the front fascia???
This would help with ADDING down force, by preventing lift which the stock front-end generates a 100 lbs of. Hmm.
Lets try it...........
Some light cutting with metal shears, some sanding.............
Taped up window , using "cheater" method to remove it. Besides, the window has huge spider cracks in it, and the "ford special tool" will be fun to use.
Started out as a five minutes, its a wrap "fun"............... then progressed to a "why are'nt I done?" hour. Doh!
New window was gonna be a $350. Percy's speedglass special, but since this is a FIRST attempt.....I'd rather try installing an el cheapo poly carb window . ( If you consider $150. bones "cheap" that is.)
Cant find pics for lexan, (figures) will have to post final result of window.
Just out of curiosity, where did you get the makrolon sheet for the rear window? I've been looking around, and nobody seems to have sheets wide enough to span the whole window (unless I buy a 4x8 foot sheet, which would be really wasteful).
Blacktree, great to hear from you too! I purchased The TINTED makrolon from a local plastics supplier ( Laird plastics in warren, michigan). No disrespect, but try your LOCAL phonebook under " plastics ". Or, if All else fails, Lowes and Home depot sell makrolon as well. Toontownfiero, Actually , I was planning on doing a large "rally stripe", or hood applique(?), that WIDTHWISE would reach exactly to the edges of the two OUTER hood lines.
Sort of like Dodges's 70' AAR cuda, that had a flat black hood theme. Except, I wanted to do a FLAT RED stripe (cranberry???) to match the rest of the car. " Ghost stripes" if you will. Who knows, I might still do it.
Went to meijers earlier to take some more pix......
Window still needs a weather strip seal, plus window edge repaint. ( Used a pinpoint silicone bead to seal window. Light+waterproof.)
Not perfect, but turned out OK.......... Creation of first poly carb windshield was a rollercoaster of angst/ and fun. I'm looking forward to the Percy's speed glass, when money / time allows! (Supposedly, you can scrub it with steel wool and it WONT make a scratch.)
My FINAL interior design requires alot of electrical work to attain it ( new speedo, move blinkers, idiot lights, delete more unused wires, get rid of old instr. pod, etc.), most of which I am not good with.
So, I put that idea on the back burner and used this interior configuration for now.
I like the vinyl, but the vinyl DOES'NT like the foam. $15. a can adhesives still keep lifting off. oyvay.
Still have to get rid of stock tach, but concerned that ecm may still be using the signal from it, or using it to complete a circuit.
Equus 5" tach is pretty light for its size, under a pound if i recall. Equus triple gauges were real lightweights too ( 10 to 11 oz. with gauge cage.).
My old , factory dual gauge pod (without cover,w wire pigtail, plastic bezel +alum. surround) was ...........15.7 oz.
Old autometer temp gauge with metal cup was roughly .........1lb.
A-pillar plastic trim, unused boost gauge (was planning to supercharge it), autometer ELECTRIC fuel gauge with mini junction box, misc. wire, sender etc. ...................3 lbs.
Heatercore ( copper )..................2 lbs. ( Could use an aluminum grand am core, have another idea though.) Heatercore car length aluminum tubes+ hoses...................2 lbs. Extra coolant .............roughly 1lb.
Stock rearview mirror......................12. 7 oz.
(Converted panaramic race mirror from a "grabber" type, to a direct over head bolt on.)
Took someones advice (or was it a heckle?), to ditch steering wheel cover. Weight removed.....................1 lb.
Some pics of 8 lb exhaust w homemade muffler. Quasi hidden MSD wires, one wire alt., lightening holes.....
Was planning to redo the 5 ", dual exhaust megs in aluminum, but changed my mind . So, I went with a central mounted 3" exhaust instead. ( Much props to Blacktree, yo!)
[This message has been edited by sunofjustice (edited 12-07-2012).]
Posting some more pix, since I ran out of space on my cheapy digi cam last time..........
Central mounted exhaust..........
Quasi hidden MSD wires.............
By using the 90 degree sparkplug boots (2 oz. less, EACH ), I removed almost a full pound in spark plug boots. ( 12 oz.)
Since the wires would have cooked if installed the conventional way, I routed 'em UNDER the headers with lots of tiny wire seperators.
With the wires routed in this way, they are'nt in a DIRECT heat-path as they were before. ( As a precaution, the wires near the block are wrapped with a spare, modified DEI sparkplug boot protector.)
Sort of arbitrary.Crude but effective. Originally, I had some 5" aluminum tubes that were going to be for dual exhaust megs, but they were still too heavy. And, after factoring in the cost of an aluminum muffler, y-pipe, V-bands, pipe (alum. VS steel), custom fabbing, welder DOES'NT like fieros, etc. I'm possibly looking at $600. worth of work. Yikes.
So, I thought.......what if the muffler "triples" as a y-pipe, down tube, and muffler?
Total cost: roughly $60. ( plus one and half weeks to assemble. Bolts only.)
[This message has been edited by sunofjustice (edited 12-06-2012).]
Regardless, I like the new DEI TITANIUM wrap. Seems tough (so far) , fairly light, flexible, and it's affordable. ( Used two and half rolls so far.) Headers are next.
Bought used alt. ($20.), returned / exchanged /reclocked used alt., STILL no charge, asked a friend for $ to rebuild it. Friend bought NOS alt. from autozone......($100.) He ordered it RIGHT, but it had the WRONG pulley, and needed reclocking too, so I suggested we return it. Went to Kings auto (VERY cool mom/pop speedshop), was considering c100(?) alt. UPGRADE, but at this point anything that had to do with more wiring, was SERIOUSLY ticking me off
So, I went next door to Marv's electric, and he hooked me up with this one wire, self exciting alt. ($60.) The rebuilt alternator charges a full 14 1/4 volts, and works great. hallejuiah!
[This message has been edited by sunofjustice (edited 12-07-2012).]
Forgot to add pics of Rodney Dickman's ALUMINUM clutch master , clutch slave , replacement hyd. line, and "diy one-man bleeder kit"........
The parts were top notch, came with clear instructions, and had helpful install tips. ( The bench bleeder kit, that came with the master, was well appreciated.)
When I finally finished installing the poly carb window, that's when the clutch started getting bitchy to get in gear while running. Great. Well, It HAS been about two years since I last rebuilt the master, and slave cylinders. ( MR2 upgrade for slave $7., at advance auto.)
I was going to rebuild the cylinders again, but the opportunity to upgrade to aluminum was too tempting. ( Two birds with one stone.......brand new, plus LIGHTER.) :thinking:
Here's the old parts........
New master pic, (roughly 1 lb 17oz., could'nt find rest of pix.)
New slave weight was fairly similar.
New parts shaved roughly a pound off. Nice. Clutch feel is outstanding! I now have a HIGH, PROGRESSIVE clutch engagement. $200. WELL spent. I love it!
[This message has been edited by sunofjustice (edited 12-07-2012).]
Misc. trunk metal (outer perimeter/ bulk head).......3 lbs
Trunk metal (decklid lock base)............................12.2 oz
Total: 21 lbs / 12.2 oz
Which part of the trunk is 18lbs? I've thought about cutting the trunk and making it more shallow....like putting a flat piece of sheetmetal where there is a flat area already on either side maybe about a foot below the top. I never use the trunk at all but mine is a hobby car. Would make it a lot easier working on the exhaust or the rear side of the engine/tranny without that trunk in the way. And 18lbs is a lot of dead metal riding around back there.
I don't know if you're intending to keep this car street legal or not, but have you kept track of which things are and aren't legal for street use, that you've swapped to? For example, the switching to lexan of the windshield is almost certainly not DOT legal.
Originally posted by mark1970: i agree alum. block, heads, and alum. flywheel and lightweight pressure plate would reduce weight by 200-300lbs...
~100lbs, maybe. 2-300? not likely. The stock V6 weighs ~360lbs. The old buick all alumnium V6 weighs 285lbs. And the only aluminum block I know of for the 60 degree V6 line is from GM racing or some such and is worth more than most well kept Fieros.
You could proably shave 50lbs off with an aluminum head 3400 and an aluminum/chromoly flywheel without breaking the bank.
I havent followed this thread for a while now but in reply to the Lexan Windshield. I just replaced the one in my 88 race car for the second time. I have a template made from cardboard and buy a piece 32"X 60 from a local distributor. This last one (3/16") cost me $80 BTW the car is down to 2250#
