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Organized Drag Racing and AutocrossDrag racing and autocross discussions and questions. Techniques, tips, suggestions, and "what will I run?" questions.
New here. Looking to start building a 3rd gen camaro here in a few months. The plan is either twin turbo or big single on an LS wether it be a 5.3 or 6.0 (whatever I can find). Trans will be powerglide or th400 depending on the weight. It’s gonna be a stock style suspension car with a trick chassis 9” and possibly Viking coilovers. Up front I want to do a UMI k member and rock solid Motorsport tube front end. Will have an 8.50 cage for now. The car will be gutted but leaving the dash (class rules). I’ll most likely do a fiberglass hood. I really want to get some weld v series 15x10 wheels but we’ll have to see how the money situation is looking at that point lol. Curious to see what you guys with similar setups have to say as far as the weight goes. Thanks guys
Well mine is a gutted out race car. It's been back halved and has a full cage. BBC with aluminum heads, a powerglide and a narrowed 9". Lexan windows all around. Fiberglass hood and doors. Basically anything not required for speed or track safety has been removed.
Race weight, car and driver sitting on the starting line is 3030 pounds. The full cage itself added 190 pounds to the car. With the framework I added later to attach the driver seat to the cage instead of the floor probably has the cage weight closer to 200 pounds now.
Best guess for yours would probably be in the 3300-3400 range. I doubt you would be in the 3200 range race weight without gutting a lot out of the car. These cars are not light.
Tube chassis road race car, 2780 with 200lb driver and 90lbs of fuel, 5 gallons of oil dry sump system, big brakes, 13 inch wide front and 14 inch wide rear rims and tires too.
Steel roof and stock taillights required by rules only parts off a production car.
Surprised a production based Camaro drag car can't be lighter?
My current setup with an NA LS motor, 4pt roll bar, no interior paneling or carpet, tubular UMI K-member, A arms, etc. DSE subframes, mini tubbed, stock hood, heavy cast 19" wheels weighed in at 3081 lbs sans fluids and driver. As it sits now, its probably 3400 or so.
Surprised a production based Camaro drag car can't be lighter?
Well if I had a tube chassis car instead of a modified production car, the car weight could easily be down in the 2600 pound range without a driver.
After all the years of building my car, it would have been cheaper just to start with a tube chassis car even if it started off only running 12 seconds with a mild street engine. Don't need a chassis certification until it gets to 9.99.
Well if I had a tube chassis car instead of a modified production car, the car weight could easily be down in the 2600 pound range without a driver.
After all the years of building my car, it would have been cheaper just to start with a tube chassis car even if it started off only running 12 seconds with a mild street engine. Don't need a chassis certification until it gets to 9.99.
That is a great perspective, most of us start with a donor car and pay as we go.
Most of my hot rod projects have been heavily modified production cars.
A tube chassis car takes a little more time and fabrication and $$ to complete.
We spend most of our time wrenching and improving our cars in the garage, a tube chassis car is much easier to work on.
A gutted LS turbo build with a iron block and heavy th400 is probably gonna be in the 3,000lb range.
depending on how crazy you get.
You can go crazy with weight reduction like cutting off bolt threads and tint factory brackets.
but it's what ur willing to do and how much $$ is behind it.
I've weighted about 6x 3rd gens and they arn't lightweights nor are they super heavy.
Pic is a 1987 iroc gutted with a giant cage in it.
4.8L LS with a t56.
And a tubular front end.
Probably missing 50lbs of crap as well.
My white 92 Autocross build is shaping up to be about 2950lbs when completed. With a full interior. But that's because of a Aluminum engine and my turbo autism with weight reduction.
A gutted LS turbo build with a iron block and heavy th400 is probably gonna be in the 3,000lb range.
depending on how crazy you get.
You can go crazy with weight reduction like cutting off bolt threads and tint factory brackets.
but it's what ur willing to do and how much $$ is behind it.
I've weighted about 6x 3rd gens and they arn't lightweights nor are they super heavy.
Pic is a 1987 iroc gutted with a giant cage in it.
4.8L LS with a t56.
And a tubular front end.
Probably missing 50lbs of crap as well.
My white 92 Autocross build is shaping up to be about 2950lbs when completed. With a full interior. But that's because of a Aluminum engine and my turbo autism with weight reduction.
87 IROC gutter and cag'd. 92 AutoX build.
that actually works great because most classes I’m interested in are a 3k minimum weight. Basically with this car if it’s not needed it’s gone lol. A guy down the road from me just got his 3rd gen small block nitrous car down to 2750. I don’t know him well so I didn’t ask about it. There’s something to be said about white 3rd gens! Shew wee. If I don’t go black I’ll probably paint it white
mine currently sits at 2865 no driver. i have full appearing interior, full glass, full steel (except hood), power windows, radio, 9", stock style suspension and small tires, iron block, mild steel cage, etc. i'm working on another diet this winter to get it to or below 2800lbs no driver.
i know of several purpose built small tire stock floor cars that are sub 2500lbs with no driver. just gotta be willing to get creative and/or cut out a lot more than the next guy.
