The Elephant In The Room: unloading the load from a B-body.

[Badvert65]

Published weight of a 65-ish slant six is 475 pounds. The 904 trans I pulled from my 65 weighed in at 140 pounds with converter.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

So the car was originally equipped with a front split folding bench seat and a two piece rear seat with cheap taxi rubber mats on the floor.

Once I got my Gary Ball A-100 seats and related aluminum brackets, I went all in on taking it all out.
For starters, the rear two piece seat like the one below got the boot in favor of nothingness in its place as per the A-990 playbook. That in itself removed 56 Lbs. I couldn't believe that weight because by hand it seemed WEIGH lighter to the tune of maybe 30 Lbs. but sure enough, this pup was porky at 56.

The old and cruddy cardboard partition panel also got the boot in favor of an aluminum partition panel to clean up the area and to also act as a firewall between the drivers compartment and the trunk. I never weighed the cardboard panel since it pretty much fell all apart upon removing it from its nest, but I do remember it having some Lbs's to it. Nevertheless, the aluminum panel replacing it weighed less than 4 Lbs.

 

[Big bill]

Uh....a 66 isn't considered 'early'? lol

I say yes .

 

[Cranky]

AC! open the vent windows and there's your AC. LOL.

If you lived in the Houston area you wouldn't be saying that lol

 

[Badvert65]

I weighed the rear seat i removed, bottom was 27.5 pounds, back was heftier at 31.5 pounds so 57 pounds total there. Someone had installed aftermarket seat belts in the rear. Two sets at 3 pounds per set. Rear armrests were actually from a 64 Fury, they weighed 1.4 pounds for the pair. Front armrests, also from a 64 Fury, weighed 2.3 pounds for the pair. The old headliner, with insulation was 4.74 pounds. A new (untrimmed) headliner weighs 3.56 pounds. My cardboard partition as well as the package tray also came apart in pieces. As a result, they didn't get weighed. The rear seat bottom was actually from a 4 door (curved ends). I don't know what the 65 stuff would have weighed in comparison. The front bench seat was also from a 64 Fury. It had the fold down arm rest. Anyweigh, it came in at a hefty 99 pounds including mounts.
Back in the day, the owner had a friend working in a salvage yard, so when something came in he got first pick of things. The Belvedere came with the rubber covered floor and the original owner put carpet from that 64 Fury in right on top of the rubber mat. I didn't weigh the old carpet or rubber floor as they came apart in pieces. Replacement carpet is 20 pounds for the front and rear pieces, untrimmed and with padding, I got a piece of carpet to cover where the rear seat back was and that piece (untrimmed) is 8.2 pounds. Since then I have gotten the David Ball Super Stock interior panels and trunk divider so I won't be using that extra piece of carpet. I haven't weighed the new interior panels (yet), the front OE door panels were 7 pounds each.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

If you lived in the Houston area you wouldn't be saying that lol

I bet. Houston has that problem of intense heat.
Jokingly, I would think that it would be beneficial to live in a hot area with a hot car with no AC such as mine.
Why?
One time at the track on a 95 degree day and 80 percent humidity, I felt like I lost 5 Lbs from sweating so much in its black interior, black exterior shell. Talk about weight loss without a cost. LOL

 

[Badvert65]

I can attest to the black-on-black-on-black cars. My 65 Fury convertible is black paint, black interior, and black top. Of course, you have to race with the windows UP and in a helmet. Even in Virginia, the summers are too hot for that. Probably why I weighed under 150 back then.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I weighed the rear seat i removed, bottom was 27.5 pounds, back was heftier at 31.5 pounds so 57 pounds total there. Someone had installed aftermarket seat belts in the rear. Two sets at 3 pounds per set. Rear armrests were actually from a 64 Fury, they weighed 1.4 pounds for the pair. Front armrests, also from a 64 Fury, weighed 2.3 pounds for the pair. The old headliner, with insulation was 4.74 pounds. A new (untrimmed) headliner weighs 3.56 pounds. My cardboard partition as well as the package tray also came apart in pieces. As a result, they didn't get weighed. The rear seat bottom was actually from a 4 door (curved ends). I don't know what the 65 stuff would have weighed in comparison. The front bench seat was also from a 64 Fury. It had the fold down arm rest. Anyweigh, it came in at a hefty 99 pounds including mounts.
Back in the day, the owner had a friend working in a salvage yard, so when something came in he got first pick of things. The Belvedere came with the rubber covered floor and the original owner put carpet from that 64 Fury in right on top of the rubber mat. I didn't weigh the old carpet or rubber floor as they came apart in pieces. Replacement carpet is 20 pounds for the front and rear pieces, untrimmed and with padding, I got a piece of carpet to cover where the rear seat back was and that piece (untrimmed) is 8.2 pounds. Since then I have gotten the David Ball Super Stock interior panels and trunk divider so I won't be using that extra piece of carpet. I haven't weighed the new interior panels (yet), the front OE door panels were 7 pounds each.

Thank you Badvert for clarifying the rear seat weight. Like I said, mine was at 56 Lbs and was the original with the square ends being that its a two door. I thought I was either getting stronger or the scale was off which happens to be a certified USA made item.

Now the front split back bench seat was a slightly different thing. With all hardware and seatbelts it came in at an exact 100 Lbs.

I'm not in front of my Gary Ball seat weight figures at the moment, but if memory serves me right, each of them came in at 21 Lbs not counting the aluminum SS brackets. Roughly 44-45 Lbs for both. I'll check later and confirm the numbers if needed. If the math is correct, 112 Lbs was removed.
I know of certain cars that have some kind of paper mache or composite formed rear seats that weigh less than 10 Lbs.
How do I know? I was asked not sit back there or touch it. It looked totally stock.

May I mention that DVW made use of custom foreign car Magnesium seat frames that matched the A-100 cushions and covers perfectly via the amazing talents of a family friend who is a seamstress.

When I get back, I'll also mention the numbers for the rear seat floor attachment braces and hooks that had lost their leases in the interior.
The A- 100's are attached at the stock points using Titanium bolts and nuts along with large spread aluminum washers to distribute the stress.
There's another neat trick that will be revealed soon enough.

 

[Badvert65]

I couldn't find a set of A-100 seats. I am using Bestop Jeep seats. The come in at 18.6 pounds apiece without floor mounts.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

The original rubber (Taxi) floor mat weighed 19 Lbs intact. The decision was made to leave the floor without a carpet or mat and instead treat with a tough type of bed liner coating as seen in the image below. When the can of stuff?????? was weighed, it came in at 5 Lbs. More or less 4.5 Lbs got applied over the epoxy primed floor boards. Safely can be said that 14 lbs were given the boot.
Still holding tough and buff till this day. The small rubber shoe mat weighs more than all of it together. LOL

 

[GTXDAN]

The original rubber (Taxi) mat weighed 19 Lbs intact. The decision was made to leave the floor without a carper or mat and instead treat with a tough type of bed liner coating as seen in the image below. When the can of stuff?????? was weighed, it came in at 5 Lbs. More or less 4.5 Lbs got applied over the epoxy premiered floor boards. Safely can be said that 14 lbs were given the boot.
Still holding tough and buff till this day. The small rubber shoe mat weighs more than all of it together. LOL

View attachment 1547771

What happens to this stuff when it gets hot. Does it put off hazardous fumes??? Could it kill you if there was a fire?? Something to think about.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

"Three Car-d Monte" pick the lightest.
Now this might seem braggadocious, but it's just for a little look into history.

This '62 which I call "Red Baron" is a Brooklyn based real deal Max Wedge. A true factory lightweight via only two things, under hood brace removal and the fact that it is light straight off the assembly by virtue of its size and design. It is a low compression stick shift version and street driven. 3395 Lbs as you see it here.
As a race car back then, it was labeled "The Bakers Special" and it ran primarily at the old National Speedway and Hamptons raceway on Long Island. If anyone by a long chance has images that might have caught this gem in action, please send them to us on here.

The second in line is a beautifully restored LL1 Turquoise tribute '68 Hemi Bee. This thing, also a stick shift attached to a Dave Dudek Hemi is a hands down 100 point car at any show. Even more appealing is that it was a hardtop originally and now is a homemade post car. All mentioned, it took 15 years to create.
It is a semi-lightweight via contaminating affiliation with a certain black car.
Keep in mind, this thing looks BONE STOCK. A number of things that make it a little floatier than most are; no radio, no heater, sand honed iron exhaust manifolds, aluminum heads, intake manifold, water pump and housing, chemically milled bumper brackets, no undercoating, inner door gutting and a small number of other wafer thin aluminum brackets and plates. 3661 Lbs as you see it here.

The third hunch of the bunch?......................... LOL.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

What happens to this stuff when it gets hot. Does it put off hazardous fumes??? Could it kill you if there was a fire?? Something to think about.

Never thought of that being that the floor doesn't get that hot. A similar question could be asked of the undercoating on most cars, but that sits on the outside directly near the exhaust and transmission. Good question.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Just the bear facts Man! LOL.
Years back when the rear quarter window panes were removed along with the rooster tail crank mechanisms, I noticed the track extensions just hanging out there in the open inside the quarter. Didn't think much of them and plugged it all up in anticipation to get the car out and about. Sometime later, like perhaps early last year, I decided to have another look underneath there. The window tracks just stood out again, so I went ahead and surgically removed them with a nice sharp buzz wheel. 1-1/2 Lbs removed.

How is your rear widows supported?

 

[fullmetaljacket]

How is your rear widows supported?

Wow, you had us worried over here Itis. Long time no see.
The quarter windows if that is what you're asking about are supported with an aluminum flat stock brace that is then sandwiched between the glass pane and screwed to the inner quarter panel lip just underneath the point of sight.
Some guys like to screw right through the lexan window using washers as a stop, but me thinks a cross braces is both more tasteful and stronger supporting. Once the interior panel is reinstalled, it all disappears.
I'll try and get some flicks in the next few days if I get a minute.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

So there was a thought that belt mounting fasteners actually weighed a lot based on their physical look, but to much a surprise, all four weighed in at 1 Lb. In other words, each one at a 1/4 Lb.
An even more humbling surprise was that a Titanium version would somehow weigh much less. How can anything with the responsibility of strength weigh substantially less than a pound. LOL.
This T-6AL4V Titanium piece made by Met-Tec only cut a 1/8 Lb off each original. In other words, 1/2 Lb off the whole deal.
Too much time with the notion that "every ounce counts' makes sense against the irrational.

 

[dvw]

How is your rear widows supported?

My rear 1/4 Lexan is held in the upper felt channel with a single piece of 5/16" threade rod. 2 thin body washers and nuts capture the Lexan. The other end of the rod sets in a drilled hole behind the trim panel with 2 nuts as well. After drilling the holes in the correct location to hold the window in the full up posistion, the window can be adjusted outward to press against the outer sealing strip by threading the outer nuts in/out on the rod.
Doug

 

[fullmetaljacket]

My rear 1/4 Lexan is held in the upper felt channel with a single piece of 5/16" threade rod. 2 thin body washers and nuts capture the Lexan. The other end of the rod sets in a drilled hole behind the trim panel with 2 nuts as well. After drilling the holes in the correct location to hold the window in the full up posistion, the window can be adjusted outward to press against the outer sealing strip by threading the outer nuts in/out on the rod.
Doug

Now this here is what you call well thought out ingenuity. The black car is very primitive compared to this MASTERPIECE THEATER of a Plymouth.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

On the heels of minimal returns from a stinging expense to have four fasteners machined out of the Ti-stuff came the easy and FREE removal of 10 Lbs by just looking around.
All the pieces were located between region #2 (mid section) and Region #3 (the trunk)

*Wiring harness shield covers along the drivers and passenger side rocker panels in the interior had to go.
*Rear seat floor hook anchors and tabs had to be dislodged from the spot welds and tossed. (no rear seat as per A-990)
*Rear quarter window track stabilizing brackets saw their way to the door.
*Rear package tray shelf got a few elongated oval holes introduced, but the two cross braces were spared for strength.
*Spare tire bracket and trunk light brace were given the boot.

 

[rmchrgr]

*Rear seat floor hook anchors and tabs had to be dislodged from the spot welds and tossed. (no rear seat as per A-990)

I did that too! Made a mess of the floors. I added some weight back making a rear platform but the whole thing is still way lighter than the back seat. To be clear, this is A body stuff and I get my inspiration from the '68 Hemi super stock package cars.

Can't find a decent set of A100 seats? For those of us that don't have magnesium sports-car seat frames laying around and/or lack the skill to make them into something that fits in our cars, Little Red Express seat frames are almost identical to A100 seat frames. I think they need to be cut down in some way but the basic framework is pretty close.

Old '80s Jeep Scrambler seats are pretty light too. 22lbs with aluminum brackets. I got a pair for free from the dealership I worked at, the owner was throwing them out. I found the seat covers online somewhere. These are long gone from my car but I'm just throwing the idea out there. They wouldn't look right in a '60s B body but they fit my Duster pretty well. They were not terribly safe though.

Just want to mention for comparison's sake that my Kirkey aluminum seat weighs 12lbs total. Comfy too with the extra foam bolster on the bottom and safer as the seats are bolted to the floor brackets through the sides in shear.

What happens to this stuff when it gets hot. Does it put off hazardous fumes??? Could it kill you if there was a fire?? Something to think about.

Different stuff than you're thinking of. It's Lizzard skin which is basically truck bed liner. It's not paint per se but it's not toxic either. It's like pigmented glue with texture in it and you spray it with a paint or schutz gun. Similar to Raptor Liner or what have you. Helps to deaden sound and insulates as well. It's pretty stable once it dries.

The adhesive-backed foil matting is what can give off fumes - I know from first-hand experience. Look at my second picture on the trans tunnel, that is the butyl backed crap that smells like asphalt. I will never use that stuff again. Forget trying to get it off either.

Nice to finally be here BTW even though I'm no longer a member of the B team. Hopefully none of your students will take offense to the A body content.

What I'd really like is if we can steer some of the F.A.S.T. guys over here to spill their weight-loss secrets. Fiberglass factory air cleaners anyone? Carbon fiber 'back seats'? Gun drilled axles? All of it? Yes please! See below.

F.A.S.T. weight reduction secrets revealed!