Tube Chassis B-Body

[RonnieK]

Looking at a potential tube chassis B-Body being built but with steel panels and only some fiberglass like the hood, doors and deck lid. Would be a 8.50 cert car. All chrome-moly.

does anyone have any cars like this that know the weight? I’d be curious to know what it is ballpark.

 

[66Satellite47]

All depends on how much tube and which fiberglass is in it. What is left of the original steel body? Has the steel body been lightened?

 

[Hemirunner]

Mine is at the body shop. We’ll weigh it when it comes back, but it seems heavy. It’s a 25.3 chassis.

 

[dvw]

If it's a round tube moly car with just 1/4's and roof hung on, it will be very light. If its mild steel with 2x3 main rails and the original roof/quarter panel/rockers/A&B pillar shell hung over it that's another story. My friends 68 GTX is built like that. With an iron 440 its about 2750 empty. Lift off glass molded nose, fixed window glass doors, race weight glass deck lid, all Lexan, no interior, glass dash. All coil over, custom front A arms, ladder bar, 9" aluminum center .
Doug

 

[mmissile]

2500-3000. The more you add.....

 

[Budnicks]

One of my old 68 RRs 2x3" mild steel mandrel-bent rails
cut & welded into the org. steel floorpan (it was still street driven)
mini-tubed, front section of the tunnel from the tail housing forward
was 0.060" alum dzud in, for easy trans access
(from Chris Alston ChassisWorks they were org for a tri5 chevy kit 115" wb)
I altered the stuff to fit the car & org chassis width
12pt cage, 1-3/4" .095" wall Mild steel, with a FC cage added
mono leaf/Calvert Caltracs, alum. 742 center MP section 8.750"
Lamb dbl adj. shocks
Mark Williams drilled axles, old style disc brake conversion from a Lincoln 9"
Coilover Lamb front (later went to strut 'it is lighter'),
tubular moly uca & lca,
front steer Mustang 2 power Rack & pinion, M2 spindles
Baer 12" vented rotors w/6 piston disc (5 on 4.5" Ford patern) brakes
Iron 230 400 block/727tf 3.90" stroker combo 470cid
alum oil & trans coolers all -6an plumbing alum hard lines,
except for the fuel feed was -8an Teflon lined
Alum head, alum rad, alum pump, alum intake,
0.040" alum inner fenders panels
long tube 1-7/8" headers,
heavyish steel Fowmasters Scanvenger 4-2-1 collecters
(really good bottom end torque)
moly driveshaft, fiberglass hood, trunk lid, front & rear bumpers
& much lighter alum bumper brackets, home made junk
7075 alum bolt-in trans-cross-member sort of patterned after the org.
7075 alum bolt-in safety-loop
7075 1/4" alum front plate, steel 1/8" mid-plate
2 lightweight Jazz (shitty molded seats) thin padding & leather-ish covers
w/alum mounting brackets, 2 full 5 pt harnesses
alum door panels
no rear seat no sound deadening, just carpet
an alum 0.040" panel where the rear seat was
Quicksilver shifter, assortment of Autometer gauges
some no-name alum housing-steering column (from speedway),
alum billet steering wheel (speedway too)
all glass front windshield, roll up side-windows & rear window
rear/trunk mount battery
Jazz 'steel cell' with blader 20 gal. (usually only 5 gal. when racing)
Old Halibrand Saltlake (knock off) American wheels/polished slots
(not exactly light, but no where near as heavy as steel)
M/T 315 drag-radials, cheap x rated front runners
misc. safety stuff, it was 3250# before I got in it, race ready...
3500# with me in it...

I did a lot of hole-sawing & drilling stiff out
where you couldn't see it, a few lightweight fasteners here & there
(maybe (?) 100-125#s worth/both 'I'd guess', I never weighed it)

Not exactly a lightweight build either,
I was pleasantly surprised when I scaled it,
near 50% on the rear tires too
until I go in it (I'm or was 6'2" 250#)

I think I covered most of it...

 

[Hemirunner]

One of my old 68 RRs 2x3" mild steel mandrel-bent rails
cut & welded into the org. steel floorpan (it was still street driven)
mini-tubed, front section of the tunnel from the tail housing forward
was 0.060" alum dzud in, for easy trans access
(from Chris Alston ChassisWorks they were org for a tri5 chevy kit 115" wb)
I altered the stuff to fit the car & org chassis width
12pt cage, 1-3/4" .095" wall Mild steel, with a FC cage added
mono leaf/Calvert Caltracs, alum. 742 center MP section 8.750"
Lamb dbl adj. shocks
Mark Williams drilled axles, old style disc brake conversion from a Lincoln 9"
Coilover Lamb front (later went to strut 'it is lighter'),
tubular moly uca & lca,
front steer Mustang 2 power Rack & pinion, M2 spindles
Baer 12" vented rotors w/6 piston disc (5 on 4.5" Ford patern) brakes
Iron 230 400 block/727tf 3.90" stroker combo 470cid
alum oil & trans coolers all -6an plumbing alum hard lines,
except for the fuel feed was -8an Teflon lined
Alum head, alum rad, alum pump, alum intake,
0.040" alum inner fenders panels
long tube 1-7/8" headers,
heavyish steel Fowmasters Scanvenger 4-2-1 collecters
(really good bottom end torque)
moly driveshaft, fiberglass hood, trunk lid, front & rear bumpers
& much lighter alum bumper brackets, home made junk
7075 alum bolt-in trans-cross-member sort of patterned after the org.
7075 alum bolt-in safety-loop
7075 1/4" alum front plate, steel 1/8" mid-plate
2 lightweight Jazz (shitty molded seats) thin padding & leather-ish covers
w/alum mounting brackets, 2 full 5 pt harnesses
alum door panels
no rear seat no sound deadening, just carpet
an alum 0.040" panel where the rear seat was
Quicksilver shifter, assortment of Autometer gauges
some no-name alum housing-steering column (from speedway),
alum billet steering wheel (speedway too)
all glass front windshield, roll up side-windows & rear window
rear/trunk mount battery
Jazz 'steel cell' with blader 20 gal. (usually only 5 gal. when racing)
Old Halibrand Saltlake (knock off) American wheels/polished slots
(not exactly light, but no where near as heavy as steel)
M/T 315 drag-radials, cheap x rated front runners
misc. safety stuff, it was 3250# before I got in it, race ready...
3500# with me in it...

I did a lot of hole-sawing & drilling stiff out
where you couldn't see it, a few lightweight fasteners here & there
(maybe (?) 100-125#s worth/both 'I'd guess', I never weighed it)

Not exactly a lightweight build either,
I was pleasantly surprised when I scaled it,
near 50% on the rear tires too
until I go in it (I'm or was 6'2" 250#)

I think I covered most of it...

This gives me hope, LOL

 

[66Satellite47]

By '84 I got my '65 Coronet down to #3350 with all steel body, stock steel bumpers, hood, deck, #125 8D battery in the trunk, Dana 60, gutted doors with Lexan, gutted dash. My 8 pt roll bar was really heavy, some very hard material, not mild steel. Lots of bolts and brackets removed. All stock suspension with imitated 002/003 springs. Not lite but not...

 

[33 IMP]

If it's a round tube moly car with just 1/4's and roof hung on, it will be very light. If its mild steel with 2x3 main rails and the original roof/quarter panel/rockers/A&B pillar shell hung over it that's another story. My friends 68 GTX is built like that. With an iron 440 its about 2750 empty. Lift off glass molded nose, fixed window glass doors, race weight glass deck lid, all Lexan, no interior, glass dash. All coil over, custom front A arms, ladder bar, 9" aluminum center .
Doug

I have an impertinent question. With all that work to build a light car, WHY an iron head (I assume) 440?

 

[66Satellite47]

I have an impertinent question. With all that work to build a light car, WHY an iron head (I assume) 440?

Back in the day, very few aluminum heads available for a BB. I tried to lighten the car.

 

[dvw]

I have an impertinent question. With all that work to build a light car, WHY an iron head (I assume) 440?

I meant iron block, aluminum heads. It's had quite a few different combos. It's currently a single 4 all aluminum B-1. Runs low 5.50's in 660. About 150lbs lighter now.
Doug

 

[Lowcar]

Back in the day, very few aluminum heads available for a BB. I tried to lighten the car.

people forget or just wasn't her yet but back in the sixty's and seventy's the only mopar aluminum heads available was the race hemi heads and they weren't exactly everywhere, street heads were all cast iron.

 

[RonnieK]

One of my old 68 RRs 2x3" mild steel mandrel-bent rails
cut & welded into the org. steel floorpan (it was still street driven)
mini-tubed, front section of the tunnel from the tail housing forward
was 0.060" alum dzud in, for easy trans access
(from Chris Alston ChassisWorks they were org for a tri5 chevy kit 115" wb)
I altered the stuff to fit the car & org chassis width
12pt cage, 1-3/4" .095" wall Mild steel, with a FC cage added
mono leaf/Calvert Caltracs, alum. 742 center MP section 8.750"
Lamb dbl adj. shocks
Mark Williams drilled axles, old style disc brake conversion from a Lincoln 9"
Coilover Lamb front (later went to strut 'it is lighter'),
tubular moly uca & lca,
front steer Mustang 2 power Rack & pinion, M2 spindles
Baer 12" vented rotors w/6 piston disc (5 on 4.5" Ford patern) brakes
Iron 230 400 block/727tf 3.90" stroker combo 470cid
alum oil & trans coolers all -6an plumbing alum hard lines,
except for the fuel feed was -8an Teflon lined
Alum head, alum rad, alum pump, alum intake,
0.040" alum inner fenders panels
long tube 1-7/8" headers,
heavyish steel Fowmasters Scanvenger 4-2-1 collecters
(really good bottom end torque)
moly driveshaft, fiberglass hood, trunk lid, front & rear bumpers
& much lighter alum bumper brackets, home made junk
7075 alum bolt-in trans-cross-member sort of patterned after the org.
7075 alum bolt-in safety-loop
7075 1/4" alum front plate, steel 1/8" mid-plate
2 lightweight Jazz (shitty molded seats) thin padding & leather-ish covers
w/alum mounting brackets, 2 full 5 pt harnesses
alum door panels
no rear seat no sound deadening, just carpet
an alum 0.040" panel where the rear seat was
Quicksilver shifter, assortment of Autometer gauges
some no-name alum housing-steering column (from speedway),
alum billet steering wheel (speedway too)
all glass front windshield, roll up side-windows & rear window
rear/trunk mount battery
Jazz 'steel cell' with blader 20 gal. (usually only 5 gal. when racing)
Old Halibrand Saltlake (knock off) American wheels/polished slots
(not exactly light, but no where near as heavy as steel)
M/T 315 drag-radials, cheap x rated front runners
misc. safety stuff, it was 3250# before I got in it, race ready...
3500# with me in it...

I did a lot of hole-sawing & drilling stiff out
where you couldn't see it, a few lightweight fasteners here & there
(maybe (?) 100-125#s worth/both 'I'd guess', I never weighed it)

Not exactly a lightweight build either,
I was pleasantly surprised when I scaled it,
near 50% on the rear tires too
until I go in it (I'm or was 6'2" 250#)

I think I covered most of it...

So probably fair to say that after glass, full steel floor, block and moly over mild steel on the chassis. You may have gotten pretty close to 3K total if you went with weight saving options instead?

 

[66Satellite47]

people forget or just wasn't her yet but back in the sixty's and seventy's the only mopar aluminum heads available was the race hemi heads and they weren't exactly everywhere, street heads were all cast iron.

In the early/mid '80's the only aluminum heads for a BB Mopar wedge were B-1's and some Zeeker heads. Zeeker never caught on, & B-1's were just out of my $$ range. I did build my 2nd 400/451 motor with pistons cut for the B-1's. But never had the cash to go B-1, just kept porting my 906 or 915's.f
Oh, Fred Brewer made some too, again didn't catch on.

 

[biomedtechguy]

One of my old 68 RRs 2x3" mild steel mandrel-bent rails
cut & welded into the org. steel floorpan (it was still street driven)
mini-tubed, front section of the tunnel from the tail housing forward
was 0.060" alum dzud in, for easy trans access
(from Chris Alston ChassisWorks they were org for a tri5 chevy kit 115" wb)
I altered the stuff to fit the car & org chassis width
12pt cage, 1-3/4" .095" wall Mild steel, with a FC cage added
mono leaf/Calvert Caltracs, alum. 742 center MP section 8.750"
Lamb dbl adj. shocks
Mark Williams drilled axles, old style disc brake conversion from a Lincoln 9"
Coilover Lamb front (later went to strut 'it is lighter'),
tubular moly uca & lca,
front steer Mustang 2 power Rack & pinion, M2 spindles
Baer 12" vented rotors w/6 piston disc (5 on 4.5" Ford patern) brakes
Iron 230 400 block/727tf 3.90" stroker combo 470cid
alum oil & trans coolers all -6an plumbing alum hard lines,
except for the fuel feed was -8an Teflon lined
Alum head, alum rad, alum pump, alum intake,
0.040" alum inner fenders panels
long tube 1-7/8" headers,
heavyish steel Fowmasters Scanvenger 4-2-1 collecters
(really good bottom end torque)
moly driveshaft, fiberglass hood, trunk lid, front & rear bumpers
& much lighter alum bumper brackets, home made junk
7075 alum bolt-in trans-cross-member sort of patterned after the org.
7075 alum bolt-in safety-loop
7075 1/4" alum front plate, steel 1/8" mid-plate
2 lightweight Jazz (shitty molded seats) thin padding & leather-ish covers
w/alum mounting brackets, 2 full 5 pt harnesses
alum door panels
no rear seat no sound deadening, just carpet
an alum 0.040" panel where the rear seat was
Quicksilver shifter, assortment of Autometer gauges
some no-name alum housing-steering column (from speedway),
alum billet steering wheel (speedway too)
all glass front windshield, roll up side-windows & rear window
rear/trunk mount battery
Jazz 'steel cell' with blader 20 gal. (usually only 5 gal. when racing)
Old Halibrand Saltlake (knock off) American wheels/polished slots
(not exactly light, but no where near as heavy as steel)
M/T 315 drag-radials, cheap x rated front runners
misc. safety stuff, it was 3250# before I got in it, race ready...
3500# with me in it...

I did a lot of hole-sawing & drilling stiff out
where you couldn't see it, a few lightweight fasteners here & there
(maybe (?) 100-125#s worth/both 'I'd guess', I never weighed it)

Not exactly a lightweight build either,
I was pleasantly surprised when I scaled it,
near 50% on the rear tires too
until I go in it (I'm or was 6'2" 250#)

I think I covered most of it...

 

[Budnicks]

So probably fair to say that after glass, full steel floor, block and moly over mild steel on the chassis. You may have gotten pretty close to 3K total if you went with weight saving options instead?

yeah
probably if I went "also" fiberglass, fenders doors
& Lexan where the org. glass was, it'd been close

maybe even a alum driveshaft or carbon fiber

& especially no full exhaust all the way out the back,
3" Flowmasters Muscle car delta-50s, mandrel system
(* & the FM Scavenger 4-2-1 collectors) 'isn't light'

lots of options to have gone lighter

moly pipe
would have saved something like 40% of the pipe weight
could have gone smaller diameter (like 1-5/8") tube with moly too

nobody made moly 2x3" rails

I think that ladders (or a real 4 link) & coil-overs
would have helped some too
leaf springs 'are heavy' even Calvert mono-leafs & Caltracs
albeit it on the rear, I wanted (didn't mind) weight on the rear
& more off the nose

lightweight 'race or forged wheels' would be another probably 40#'s less
carpet too maybe 20#s
1 seat, mount & harness instead of 2 another 20+#s(?)

a lighter race battery,
not some heavy *** group 24 MoPar wet cell battery

Albeit;
the car was pretty gutted for a "street/strip car"

maybe also do a bit more
no heater, defrost, heater core box, or hoses
no wipers or motor, all the associated wiring etc.
I'd bet it could have been 2,900# before driver
that'd be pretty damn light for a 68 B-Body

or
www.usbodysource.com/Pages_Cars/68-Roadrunner.htm
full body shell that weighs 100#s

 

[dvw]

My non chassis car doesn't have aluminum block, glass trunk, or bumpers. With those changes it could get to below 2900 w/o driver. That's still using old cast wheels, truck Dana, stock windshield, regular battery, and steel doors.
Doug