I have a simple question i cannot find an answer to. What is the weight of an 85 z28 with no options? No power anything without t-tops.

 

Take said car to a public scale and weigh it.. grain elevators and truckstops have them..

 

My '89 Formula 350, which had no T-Top, no pwr windows/doorlocks/seats/mirrors etc. (but did have a/c and AT) weighed in at a sprightly 3262 lbs. (Probably one of the lightest ever built). I wanted ALL the power on the wheels. It was a special order, GM didn't like to build them that way.

 

Oh, after I sold my '89 Formula 350, I heard that they were built with aluminium hoods. Is that true ? Never had an occasion to check it w/a magnet, and yes, the car was rust free when I sold it in '95.

 

GM didn't mind building them that way, it was the dealers that generally didn't order them that way. As for the aluminum hood... turns out there were some bulge hoods made in aluminum, but I believe they were on very few of the early T/As that had that style hood. I don't believe any would've been originally on a formula from 85 and up.

 

The aluminum hoods were made around 83. very few of them. also used for firehawks in 91-92.
they weigh 21lbs steel hoods weigh almost 60.

 

so...in theory, with ac gone, aluminum radiator, aluminum ps pump and all alum pulleys, electric fan, completely gutted dash of heat/ac venting, 3in stainless borla exhaust without cat, fiberglass hood, all stereo brackets and wiring gone as well as every other wire that did not go to motor or lights removed, autometer ultralite guages.....i may be less than 3100lbs? does that sound even close?

 

I wonder if the notchback cars were significantly lighter at all. The rear hatch must weigh at least 100 pounds. There were also some early z28 hoods (around 82-83 I think) that were fiberglass, which should be lighter than the steel ones.

 

I'll bet you're close to that mark, funkdubie. I'll second Tony's comment about just weighing your ride (for the exact weight). Our local scrap dealer has a scale outside the office, so I always park on it when I've got a bunch of copper/brass plumbing fixtures to carry in and recycle. I've weighted a couple vehicles now just by observing the scale's display when I go inside the office.
Let us know what it weighs when you find out.

 

Having handled both a Notchback lid and the normal Third Gen hatch off the car, I have to say the Notchback lid, even though it is fiberglass, was not exactly light weight. In fact, I was more surprised at the weight of the Notchback lid than I was with the weight of the normal Third Gen hatch. That's not to say it wasn't lighter. I didn't get to weigh them, but I think another member did.

 

Yes, the dealers didn't like to order the individual (RPO) codes, because they made more money w/the packages. I had to actually supply the "CC1" code for cruise control, since they pretended that it wasn't available separately without being part of a 1SA or 1SB package (or something like that). The dealership also stated that I wouldn't get the front or rear carpet mats if I didn't order the luxury interior package, but when it finally came, it came w/a
complete set of carpet mats, anyway.
But truly (JeremyNYR), I was there, trying to spec out the lightest Formula 350 GM could build, and it was very obvious to me that they wanted to load it with weighty options at every opportunity they had. GM wasn't happy that a base Formula was lighter than the base TA w/the same engine/trans combo in '89. I think the handicap averaged 180-200 lbs at the time. (I probably still have the Car & Driver magazine that mentions this). Remember also, that a supposedly "lightweight" Corvette weighed about 3400 lbs at that time too, and it's obvious why GM was sensitive about the weight of their F-bodys.

 

CC1 is not cruise control. It's ttops.

 

I think it was fiberglass hoods in 82 and 83. Discontinued in 84 for steel. My car weighs in at 3250 LBS. 84 Z28 T-TOP with most options.

 

GM could care less that the Formula was lighter... Heck if they did not know the car was going to be lighter than a GTA or Trans Am then they should have stopped smoking whatever they were smoking. The FORMULA was intended to be a "Street fighter" an ALL OUT performance machine not to be weighed down with the Ground effects and extra sound insulation. It was the GTO of the day.

After a certain point individual options cost MORE because it was less expensive to group them together. The Dealer literature shows Option packages to keep the COST down. For example if you wanted Power windows and not power locks that was a different wire harness than if you wanted power locks and not power windows, or if you wanted both. To symplify the manufacturing process GM realized that there were patterns to what people were buying they took the best balance of those options and grouped them together to make "Packages". It was an attempt to keep manufacturing costs down. Dealers may have reiped the benefits of packages but they were cheeper for the customer too, so its not like it was a one way street.

The reason why your dealer did not want to sell you a Stripped down Formula 350 was the dealer was trying to make some extra money on the options... Thats what I think... I looked at a 1988 Formula 350 with NO options it only a radio and power antenna... Crank windows, manual locks, no defog, no hatch release, no cruise, no AC... The car was even that strange Orange Metallic offered only one year. The dealer books clearly state that the car could have been orderd striped down...

As for the Corvette, you have to remember that the Corvette had better flowing Aluminum heads and better exhaust manifolds... It should have still been slightly faster... It would not have been GM anyways that was the one who filed a complaint it would have been Chevrolet. AND they had the ZR1 which was being introduced IIRC in 1989. ITs like the GN and the 1989 TTA that were also faster thana Vette. There was problems with that too apparently...

Scott... its K34 for Cruise

John

 

Will do