Slow Iroc

I want too use a SBC in my next project car, but the Fox Body mustang keeps calling me with it's light weight and decent styling. GIVE ME A WAY OUT! Is there an easy to get Chevy car out there that weighs as little as the 79-93 mustang, but still has some nice styling too it that I can work with?

[This message has been edited by Slow Iroc (edited October 17, 2001).]

Gta-Paladin

C'mon face it, the f-body is a larger more voluptious vehichle there is no way about it... the fox bodyis lighter. However stephen 87 iroc has gutted his ask him what it weighs

Slow Iroc

Gutting a car isn't exactly stylish. I could see if now-

"Come on baby, this Milk crate is great to sit on, it saves weight."

The Fbody is heavy with a single exhuast, and I can't justify spending thousands just to try to make it fast. I have for the past 3 years... a 383, superram, exhuast, gear, convertor, TFS heads and I'm running 12's? I can only poitn to weight+exhuast restriction as the problem, and am not interested in driving a stripped down car just too have an Fbody.

This is a serious question, I would appreciate a serious answer. I'm not saying the Mustang is anything special... it's not. It's just basic, which makes it easy. Light, dual exhuast room, cheap.

Secondly, please don't go on and on about dual vs. Single exhuast, we've all seen it before, and it's tiring. I have yet to see a Nascar car with a Y-pipe, and they do have the option to run one if they want.

Mark A Shields

Actually most of the Fox-bodies are heavy I thought unless you're talking about the LX models. I thought the hatchbacks weighed around 3400-3600 lbs.

------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

merf23

How about an S-10 p/u? Theyre about as boxy as a Fox body car and would outrun an LS1 with your 383.

------------------
1984 Z28 (L69) monochrome tangerine orange with IROC decals and hood
1987 IROC wheels with Goodyear GSC's
305 from 87 IROC with 1994 LT1 cam (203/208 .450/.460")
performer intake
Qjet from 73 Olds
dynomax cat-back, gutted cat
no emissions controls --> passed emissions testing
non WC T-5 with 0.73 5th
3.27 nine-bolt

jcb999

Lets see,,, the only ford motor worth having is the 392 crate motor with a set of AFR heads. You will then get to modify the hood to get the intake to clear in a fox chassis.

The little bit of weight a mustang will give up to a Fbody is not worth the hp disadvantage. My third gen weighs 3180 with 1/3 tank. I still has all 4 seats and power lock/windows. What more you want? Your average LX mustang can be anywhere from 2900 to 3150. But not too many in the sub3000 range. Whats 150lbs?

iroc5speed

If you want a fox body why don't you get one and drop a SBC in there. I'm sure you can buy brackets to make it work.

------------------
'86 IROC 5-speed
305 LG4
edelbrock performer rpm intake
edelbrock 600 cfm carb
msd pro billet hei distributer
'95 3.23 rearend
hotchkis rear suspension
PST front polygraphite suspension
"speed kills. buy a f@&d, live forever."

Slow Iroc

Obviously several of you missed something.

I don't want a Fox Body, and I don't want a Fbody anymore. The Fox body isn't pretty, but you can work with it's styling a little. Also, the GT's weigh far less than 3400-3600lbs, and the LX's weight even less. But does that mean I want one? hell no, I'm just looking for the Chevy that's on equal ground, not a fat slug that you have to force to move around.

Maybe a list will help you...

Things I don't want
-Limited floorpan space forcing a single exhuast
-HEAVY WEIGHT
-Torque Arm rear that hurts weights transfer
-Any Ford or Chysler product, period.

Things I do want
-Light
-Some form of style to work with
-Something that will take a SBC with ease

As far as any motors of Ford's even worth having... let's not turn this into a Ford/Chevy war, because if we argue enough we may end up losing. I don't think there is ANY Ford motor worth spitting on, but Let's face it, they have been a lot faster for a lot longer than our third gen's in the aftermarket performance area. Out of the factory we hurt them, but they put the hurting on us later (maybe because of weight?)....

(The S10 was a consideration, but how do you make one look cool??? Secondly, how do you make it hook up?)

spartyon

jcb999, sorry man i would not go for the 390 crate motor. comon i know this is a chevy board and all but the 429 scj just blows everything away except the 426 max wedge from mopar products. i love all makes. but i just happen to own only chevys


------------------
86 berlinetta
350cui w/.30 over
.526 hilift cam
hooker supercomps
3" duals
edelbrock streetmaster
holley 750 dp
bad asshauler

mcconahay37

iTrader: (3)

Early novas are pretty lightweight, look good, you can run duals, and accept big blocks. Sounds like what you're looking for.

[This message has been edited by mcconahay37 (edited October 17, 2001).]

Slow Iroc

Hey spartyon, how did you manage to get duals under the car and how does it look/fit? Where does the exhuast exit at?

92RSB4C

How about a corvette? or an old street rod?
1934 Ford w/ a SB Chevy?

------------------
Chevy World Home Page Tripod Home Page Speak up for our hot rodding rights!!!

ede

they're a little old now and hard to find a nice one, but i love the chevy monza. with a little chassis and suspension work you'd have a nice car and light weight.

------------------
ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond 538 F&AM

Mark A Shields

Yeah, my brother had a Monza that thing was quick, but he also had a Vega that was faster. Not sure which was lighter though, but I know he twisted the frame on the Vega.

------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

CaliCamaroRS

Hmmm....CHEVETTE!!!!!

firbird

gto? chevelle? cuda? little old and maybe hevey but i like them. can take any thing you throw at them and there not f bodys and not f*rd

Guest

Early 60's ChevyII/Nova. Look no further.


Hows that 200-4R doing?

spartyon

hey slowiroc,
i have full length headers, cuz i am el cheapo here, and all i did was cut a little 1/2 inch notch in the frame support so the collector would fit. then i welded in some of that ibar iron stuff to strengthen the frame back up. then took it to a muffler shop paid 170 way to much if u ask me and he ran it straight back and it exits right before the axle. i got pulled over the other night so i slapped on some cherry bombs for now. i have to be careful though cuz it will bottom out over railroads and stuff but not to bad. just my way of nigariggin. hey i am in college and every penny i can save is good! it works and sounds kick butt.

------------------
86 berlinetta
350cui w/.30 over
.526 hilift cam
hooker supercomps
3" duals
edelbrock streetmaster
holley 750 dp
bad asshauler

LottaBallsCamaro

You can run true duals! get on the appearence board and ask for a guy named carndvr, He had a side exit dual that looked bad *** . Loud as hell though and it was custom.

Instead of looking for something lightweight, why dont you look for something big and put a bigblock in it, I smell mid 80's montecarlo SS? I dont know what it has for a rear suspension besides that it has coilsprings.


how about a GEO metro?


------------------
You have walked onto the biggest baddest dog porch and you will be dealt with accordingly.

I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct!

Slow Iroc

The only problem with the Nova idea is the price tag, lol.

mcconahay37

iTrader: (3)

Price tag? Look around. You can get a straight one with a decent interior for anywhere between 2 and 4 grand, less without engine and tranny, which you're going to replace anyway. It meets all your requirements, and you ought to be able to get enough out of your thirdgen to cover the cost of purchasing the car.

Guest

I agree, 2-4k is the going rate for a decent car to start with. If thats too much, then I'd be looking at the aforementioned Monza.

85 Berl

I saw a Chevette with a 500 Caddy in a magazine. If it can take that, it should take a sbc easily! Just get a sawzall.

dudelovett

Hmm....tough call...most of GM's nicer cars are a bit heavy. I like the S10 idea, Monza's and Vega's are cool, but they look like ****. This is a tough one!!

------------------
1991 Firebird Formula
305 TPI,Auto,Custom 3" Mandrel bent I-pipe, Flowmaster 80 series muffler, 3" hi-flo cat,Taylor Spiro Wires,Bosch Platinum Plugs, K&N Filter, Grant GT Steering Wheel, 5% Rear tint, Pontiac Windshield Decal, Fresh paint

Check it out https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/index...ew&rideid=1074

clemsparks

iTrader: (1)

Go over and surf the yahoo clubs for h-bodies (vegas and monzas). there's 4 or 5 main clubs that are really active.

I was going to do a tpi, 5spd vega as a daily driver (until I found my Merkur XR4Ti)

Clem

------------------
Clem
SCCA TransAm Series Race Mechanic/CrewChief
-------------
1983 Z28 with LG4, 5 speed, and (unfortunately) T-tops
1983 Z28, NO T-tops, (unfortunately) Auto Transmission (hopefully not for long)

gruveb

My brother in law in going to put a 350 TPI in his mid 90's S-10. The truck looks pretty nice. There is a lot of aftermarket body stuff you can get for those little trucks.


Look at it like this. You don't want to gut an F-body. However, you want to put your power package into a smaller, lighter car for a better quarter mile time. That's the impression I got from reading your post.

Does your car move? Is it realtively fast for a naturally aspirated car? 12's is pretty dam n quick.

The reason you don't want to gut the car is because it will not be as nice to drive or look as nice right? Those other smaller cars, the vegas and such are NOT as nice as our F-bodies. It's a swap, but you're getting pretty much the same thing with those cars or gutting an F-body.

If you want a car that's fast down the track, it doesn't matter what it looks like or what it has to offer, right? Just how fast it gets down that apx 1250 foot track.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Ever taken an S-10 or a Manza on a trip? I have, it sucks.

I have seen factory dual exhaust for these cars. Every once in a while you'll come across them on eBay. It's the thirdgenparts.com seller. He also has a website, but you'll have better luck looking on his auction listings. I think he had about 4 of them this year so far. They're not too expensive either.

91z4me

Hows about a Blazer there was one in Chevy high performance running 13's. It was pretty nice and a lot better than a reg cab s-10 so far as interior. Also I love the long wheel bas s-10's had one before I got my Z. I think a 305 TPI would make one of those move quite well.

------------------
************************
91 z-28 305 700R4
3.73 gears out back
T-Tops and Black all over.

UVA3rdGen

Get a toyota for a daily driver and if you want a light car, that is fast and has dual exhuast factory get a Factory Five 427 Kit Car, durable and very very fast for a reasonable price. Not to mention one of the best looking cars of all time.

Vehicle weight (dry) 1985 lbs.


http://www.factoryfive.com/



------------------
My 1LE Brothers IROC
SCCA 1LE
89 IROC

She is not the fastest thing in a straight line but she sure will stick in the turns.
Hawaiian Orchid X-SCCA showroom stock 2-time national/ 1 time regional (not with me driving) champ 1LE 92 Z-28 and the family 89 IROC

[This message has been edited by UVA3rdGen (edited October 18, 2001).]

Mark A Shields

Forget the kit car, why not just get the original, shouldn't cost too much...



------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

3rd gen F-bodies could be made fairly light (lighter then all the other generations) if you want to without sacrificing at least the creature comforts that the other cars discussed offer. Things like back seats, excessive stereos, the maze of emissions and heating tubing, dozens of brackets, aluminum bumper supports, glass hoods, aluminum heads… can be removed/lightened without loosing anything except weight. Take it a step further and things like AC, power brakes, power steering could strip a lot of weight without causing major sacrifices (and done with cheap junk yard parts). Tubular suspension parts, crossmembers, coilovers… more radical but will also make a big difference. With all this you’ll have something much lighter then most fox chassis cars unless they’ve been stripped (no, they’re not that light, the GT’s could actually be heavier then most f-bodies, but the LX notches are _light_ as are some of the odd ***** like the 4-door LTD LX (my brother is on his second one, factory 5.0, 4 doors, and around 3000lb). The newer mustangs are as heavy as the 4th gens.

If you’re really looking for something else, have you looked at the ‘80’s Malibus and similar cars? They’re light, have a full frame, 4 link in back, SLA front, many upgrades available, and although boxy they can be made to look pretty good. Many f-body parts work on them, cheap…


------------------
Mark
'87 Formula 350
’83 Crossfire TA
'97 WS6 TA (for sale)

Drakar

Malibu SW 1980 .... my brother had one with only a 305 and some **** gears 2.73 and **** that thing hauled *** . lighter then my stripped 92 RS. Although not as good in the corners .... which is the reason why I choose an F-body, where I live not many straight lines to go out and just go straight more twisties so I figured why not get something fast and that can do the twisties as well F-BODY. haven't seen alot of G-bodys or anything else for that matter that can handle the power and turn at the same time (corvette/viper).

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1989 Trans Am GTA

Mark A Shields

What about early Mustangs? My friend has a 65 and weighs around 2400 lbs. He rebuilt the stock 289 and put a 4bbl on it. With stock gears (2:7x's) he ran a 14.6 . He just put 3:55's in so he might have broken into the 13's. I'm sure with a bigger motor you can really get that car to run.

------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

AJ_92RS

Since the S-10 idea doesn't bother you, look for a Chevy LUV instead. That would be light, and 'unique' looking.

If not, then I say the Vega. They were originally competition to the Pinto, and about as ugly, but they will run like hell with a SBC in 'em!!!!!

AJ

Slow Iroc

Thanks for the toyota idea, your a moron, please don't reply to any more of my posts.

I don't want to transplate my engine into the new car. 12's in a N/A car for the money I spent SUCKS! It's not even funny how much it BLOWS! Jesus, for the price of the SR/Roller Cam/Chip I could have had a 6-71 and laughed at the concept of the SR. These are not performance cars in terms of straight line performance unless you want to spend BIG money. As far as it possibly being made lighter than any other generation, have you seen a 67-70A Camaro? MUCH LIGHTER.

I guess my choices are S10, Vega, Nova ($2-$4k....LOL, I want to come to where you live then!), of another manufacturer. First gen's are out of the question, big bucks. I suppose cars just go for more up here than other places?

65 Mustang that weighs 2400 lbs! WOW, now that's a light car!

UVA3rdGen

suck it

JETHROIROC

Count my $0.02 for a Nova.

------------------
1990 IROC 350
Mods: Too busy trying to make it run right to mod it.
Airfoil, Dynomax cat-back, MSD coil, 180 t-stat, Bald Eagle tires,
Hypertech fan switch, Accel 23# injectors, Holley module, ported plenum,
Ported Daytona Yellow stock base, Moroso valve covers, other stuff,
Streetdampr, Ruger P95DC, hot wife, new oil filter, !cats, !TBC, !AIR.
18.0 @ 85MPH since I'm one big-a$$ MF
"It's better to have and not need than to need and not have."

taliesian

buy an 84 fiero w/4 cylinder auto and buy the v-8 conversion kit and drop in your choice of small block they are around 2500lbs

E-Z Rollin

Since your considering an S-10,consider a 1 gen. S-10 2wd blazer or GMC. They are cheap[with bad eng.]have fold down rear seats an or light.You can easily install a V8 and these all sorts of after market body and chassis parts.I'm building one myself,if interested I can put you onto some sites.

Guest

Actually I just looked through Hemmings and found more than a few for those prices. They were pretty much all over the country. I know locally they were around that so this just confirmed my suspicions. Good cars for the right place arent always close to home unfortunately.

FYI I have a 66 Mustang, and before I swapped the tranny (to a lighter one) it was ~2500lbs. They are pretty light with no options and extra garbage, but are prone to rust in the 1/4's and cowl pretty bad.... besides, you dont want a Ford.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited October 20, 2001).]

Mark A Shields

Thanks for the backup info. My friend didn't just pull that number out of the air. It was measured on a landfill scale.


------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

Slow Iroc

Mid/late 80's Blazer... would be VERY unique, and I'm sure there are a ton of ghetto'fied ground effects kits and lowering parts. I imagine the S10 V8 brackets would work.....

How much do they weigh?

zslug

Sounds like the perfect pocket rocket to me, except you'll need the V-6 transaxle to handle the SBC's torque.
A 302 oughta be about right

------------------
Zslug

May the road rise to meet your treads...

'84Z, 5sp, stock 305, Edelbrock intake, GTA wheels

cort351w

To the guy saying forget the kit car, get an original:

After a year and a half of work, I just finished building a cobra replica with a 351W and Tremec 3550 TKO and 3.73 in a 9" curie (lone star classics--great products, but they are ******). The "kit" is frame and body that they manufacture. Other than that, you get boxes of good aftermarket parts. Basically, the "kit" company saves you the trouble of going around and seeing what fits. They race some of their replicas as well and see what works and what doesn't from their point of view. YOU BUILD THE CAR FROM THE FRAME UP. Just like any build project, it doesn't go perfectly smoothly. There was a decent amount of problem solving and a decent amount of fabrication involved in putting that car together. "kit" cars just have a bad name because some retards think it's really cool to put ferrari bodies on fieros and stuff like that.
That cobra is not incredibly fast--it could be, but it wasn't set up that way--but it kills my friend's new corvette Z06. Plus you get (at least in my opinion) the best looking car ever made.

If I could do it again, I would get the base kit (that's what you see advertised for $10,000 or so--it's a body and frame and maybe suspension) and buy the parts I wanted, but I didn't know as much when I started the car. (By the way, the car actually cost $45,000 when it's all said and done--they are not cheap, plus the kit company takes their cut of every part they order for you, which is another reason to get the base kit and get stuff yourself)

Just thought I'd let you know about the cobra replicas. My car weighs in at a little over 2200 lbs.

And you can't find an original cobra, there were only about 300 427 S/C models made. The 289s can't handle a whole lot of power (that frame basically the one from the AC--a four cylinder car). The 427s got beefed up frames, wider fenders, and of course, bigger engines. They are now worth upwards of five hundred thousand dollars. You can, though, for about three hundred thousand, get all NOS parts from Shelby American and build a new real Cobra.

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91 formula WS6 305 tpi, true dual exhaust

poncho9789

You can pick up a mid 70s nova for next to nothing. The S-10 idea is a good one. I had a friend with a 90 S-10 blazer with a 305 in it and that thing ran like a bat out of hell. But the blazer adds like 400 pounds to the S-10 pickup. I have seen a guy at the local strip with a luv and a 400sbc and that thing is ungodly fast.

In mustangs here are the weights that I have seen at the track with the cars in track form with the spare and low on gass.

lxcoupe 3160
lxhatch 3380
gt 3520

Mark A Shields

I was being sarcastic, and you can find original Cobras the trouble is finding someone to sell it. Don't quote me on this but I thought I remembered one being auctioned for like $250,000. Anyone think this is possible, again I can't remember if this happened or not, sorry for this sounding confusing.


------------------
"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

Vader

#1. A '65 Mousetank with the 6-cylinder and four-bolt wheels, 8" drum brakes, and a Reynolds Wrap floor pan might weigh in at 2,400 pounds (that seems to be the number being thrown around). A 289 Mousetank with the better brakes, floor pan reinforcement (you're gonna need that and a lot more for any tourque at all), spring tower reinforcement (see above), and tracion aids at the rear (ditto), and a full interior is getting much closer to the 3,000 pound mark. To make it stand up for any length of time to anything over 300 ft/lb you're going to need a LOT of work (and weight);

#2. A '67 'F' car weighs 3,280 vith a V-8, automatic, vinyl top, and full interior (at least MINE did). They are frickin' tanks. I wiped all the tool boxes right down to the frame rails off the left side of a telephone service truck with mine when he pulled out in front of me. The car spun 180°+ and all I did was bend the face bar and lower valance - it didn't even get into the hood.;

#3. Later Mousetanks are fuggin' slugs. I can TRASH any near stock '96 and later Ford with a 4,400 lb Impala with very few low-buck mods. They can't even take the wind at 130+ MPH and hold the road, let alone hook up for a good launch. Ford should be REALLY proud of that - yeah, right, whatever... The '95 and earlier Fords (with the REAL engine) are a bit more impressive, but still limited;

#4. Forget about 426 Hemis and Ford crate engines. Did everyone just completely forget the Ford 427? That was a very nice factory engine;

#5. You don't need the V-6 transaxle in a Fiero V-8 conversion if you have a manual trans. The V-6 uses the same driveline and ratios;

#6. The Cobra replicars have a LOT of potential. There is room to put almost any engine under the hood;

#7. There are a lot of S-10 trucks out there that spank almost anything they encounter, with a relatively mild V-8 build. And they can be made to handle well - just don't plan to haul a lot of firewood. I'm working on one now;

#8. Finding a Vega, earlier Chevy II / Nova, Monza, of Chevy LUV in the "Ohio-ish" area is going to be tough, unless all you want is a template to fabricate a new body. There is about as much seasoning applied to the roads in winter there as anywhere;

#9. The earlier Corvettes ('58-'62) were relatively light and have plenty of room for a Ramjet 502 or similar BBC. Or does the thought of 900 HP in a street car scare you?

------------------
Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

Guest

Vader, weight ranges for 64.5-66 Mustangs without options like AC and PS are 2449-2650lbs (Convertibles are heaviest, of course). Source:Ford Motor Corporation

There arent any differences between a I6 and V8 floorpan, only the convertibles are different there are changes in the plates that the seats mount to, it connects and extends over the trans tunnel. The rocker boxes are also thicker.

Losing a few pounds or so is not difficult, especially with aftermarket body parts that are considerably lighter than factory materials. I lost 45# in the hood alone.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited October 21, 2001).]

Slow Iroc

I'd kill for a first gen, but I don't see it happening. A 67 Nova weighs about 3000-3100 pounds, so I could stand for the extra hundred pounds for better looks, lol.

Kit Car, out of the question *FOR ME.* And no, a 900HP street car doesn't scare me.... I LIKE THE IDEA! LOL.

Anyone have any pictures of nice styled, non-ghetto looking S10's?

poncho9789

there is a 68 no tranny for 3000 with all the body work done but thats here in tx and that guy must be friggin nuts to sell that car for that cheep(or his wife is selling it behind his back).

Vader

Max,

No argument about the factory weights of '64½-'66 'Stanks, but if you read the post, I mentioned that you're going to need a lot morer metal to strengthen the car to handle any appreciable power without twisting it in half:

"...with the better brakes, floor pan reinforcement (you're gonna need that and a lot more for any tourque at all), spring tower reinforcement (see above), and tracion aids at the rear (ditto), and a full interior is getting much closer to the 3,000 pound mark. To make it stand up for any length of time to anything over 300 ft/lb you're going to need a LOT of work (and weight);"

The front spring towers alone should be doubled on the top and sides to stiffen them from the pounding. and a transverse bar should be installed (not unlike a late 'F' car STB). The floor pan will require reinforcement to handle the torque. The drum brakes suck (like most of them did on any car), and the rear end would need serious traction controls to keep the wheels from twisting up the leaf springs like a bread tie. The rear subframes should be reinforced, but a lower HP engine might let you get by with the factory stampings if the car has no rust (yeah, right). What I said, apparently not so clearly, is that the necessary added weight to make the car survive will negate any weight saved from starting with a light chassis. The earlier Chevy IIs and S-10 trucks at least have a real frame, and would require a lot less added steel to make them viable.

Back in about 1973 I had a '68 'Stank w/289, A/C, P/S, P/B, vinyl, and it was a lumber wagon with the C4 automatic. I gave the car to a guy I worked with and helped him build a bored 352 (not 351) to slide into it. The car was trashed in less than a year, and not from accidents. It just tore itself up. I can't imagine the '64½-'66 cars were a lot better.

Of course, plastic body panels change the equation. That is one of the ways the ODB (formerly posting on the board) got his ThirdGen to perform so well. He was running at about 2,200 pounds, IIRC.

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
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