[SergeF]

I ran my 72 ventura at LACR on Saturday. Best run uncorrected 11.956 at 114.14mph, corrected 11.59 at 117.56. 1.804 60 times. I want to put this car on a diet. So far no ac/heater box and all ducting removed, welded firewall. I am still running 4 wheel drum brakes. I want to change to manual brakes and remove booster. Car has full interior. Front and rear bench seats. I know where to remove weight on 70-72 firebirds but not 71-72 Venturas. I also noticed not much fiberglass for Venturas. Any ideas on where to remove weight? What is a weight for 71-72 Venturas? Thanks

[md1twal3]

How about on the drivers waistline! Just Kidding! Search this forum section for fiberglass. I think someone was making fenders and hoods....

[Colin]

I dont know of any fenders for the Ventura, unless you have them custom made. There are hoods available and I think you can get bumpers too. The fiberglass doors and trunk lid made for the Nova will also fit on the Ventura.
Is this car street driven? If it is then I would hesitate on using 'glass doors.
If its more race than street then there are a lot of thigs you could do. Either lighten the bumpers or use fiberglass. Make an aluminum core support to replace the stock one. Remove the inner fenders. There is also a lot of metal on the inside of the fenders that can be removed if you run a pin on 'glass hood. You can remove the windshield wiper motor. Lexan windows (not on the street though). Ditch the interior and use lightweight racing seat(s), that "full interior" is heavier than you might think. You could even ditch the dash and fab an aluminum one. Aftermarket tubular a-arms would be lighter.
Use as much fiberglass and aluminum as you can. Ditch EVERYTHING that you dont need.
It all depends on how comfortable you want it and if its gonna be a street car...........thats what you need to decide first.

[md1twal3]

Here is the thread I was referring to. Looks like from one of them, that a company would be willing to do it, if there was enough interest...

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...erglass+fender

[ventura7211]

Careful planning.

Interior:

You can have a complete looking car without a large weight sacrifice, that and the panels are not really that heavy (considering the bare look).

I would start by replacing the bench seat up front with either kirkey/jaz racing seats or a good alternative for a street car is a pair of non power 4th gen f-body seats as they are only a few pounds more.

If you don't need or use to the rear seat, remove it and cut the stock metal divider out and replace it with aluminum. You can also get rid of the gas vapor canister thing while you back there.

Carpet: Cheap speaker box type car is about as light as you can get or you can remove all the sound deader from the bottom side of the stock carpet. Remove as much seam sealer as possible while you have the carpet out.

Door panels: Delete the arm rests, replace the handles with cheap plastic ones. Don't be scared to take a hole saw to the metal behind the panels, just don't get carried away with it.

Rear Panels: You can take the rear 1/4 window regulators out of the car and pin the glass by using a couple sheet metal screws under the glass. You could also remove all the metal except for a inch strip around the perimeter of this area.

Gauge Cluster: You can remove the speedometer and fab an aluminum inclosure to house the necessary aftermarket gages.

Ashtray: Do you smoke in the car? You can remove the ashtray, cigerette lighter and metal on the back side of the lid.

Since you deleted the ac/heating system you can trace all the now dead wires and remove them back at the fuse block.

Dash: There is alot of metal that can be removed out of the dash and hidden with the stock pad.

See there are plenty of ways to get the weight out of the inside and keep a decent looking car by having interior.

Other random thoughts:

Replace the fuel tank with a fuel cell in the trunk.

fiberglass bumpers, hood and deck lid. Move the front bumper back, loose the filler panel and fab some new bumper brackets out of aluminum. You can move the stock bumper back and/or loose the outside bumper brackets.

Wheels, draglites are the lightest streetable wheel I'm aware of.

Monos vs multi leaf springs

aluminum rear drums

remove the ventilation system of the firewall

If this is a street car:

You can divorce the windshield washer system from the wiper system. I believe this was worth about 5lbs.

Replace the power steering with a manuel box from a s-10. Use the pitman arm on your car. The s-10 box is about 10lbs lighter than the factory powersteering box, plus what the pump, resovoir, belts and brackets weigh.

Replace the mastercylinder with an aluminum mopar style.

Replace the metal horn with an import plastic horn.

I know more ways, but right now I've gone blank. I'll think on it a while and add more as it comes too me.

[Colin]

Originally Posted by ventura7211

Careful planning.

Interior:

You can have a complete looking car without a large weight sacrifice, that and the panels are not really that heavy (considering the bare look).

I would start by replacing the bench seat up front with either kirkey/jaz racing seats or a good alternative for a street car is a pair of non power 4th gen f-body seats as they are only a few pounds more.

If you don't need or use to the rear seat, remove it and cut the stock metal divider out and replace it with aluminum. You can also get rid of the gas vapor canister thing while you back there.

Carpet: Cheap speaker box type car is about as light as you can get or you can remove all the sound deader from the bottom side of the stock carpet. Remove as much seam sealer as possible while you have the carpet out.

Door panels: Delete the arm rests, replace the handles with cheap plastic ones. Don't be scared to take a hole saw to the metal behind the panels, just don't get carried away with it.

Rear Panels: You can take the rear 1/4 window regulators out of the car and pin the glass by using a couple sheet metal screws under the glass. You could also remove all the metal except for a inch strip around the perimeter of this area.

Gauge Cluster: You can remove the speedometer and fab an aluminum inclosure to house the necessary aftermarket gages.

Ashtray: Do you smoke in the car? You can remove the ashtray, cigerette lighter and metal on the back side of the lid.

Since you deleted the ac/heating system you can trace all the now dead wires and remove them back at the fuse block.

Dash: There is alot of metal that can be removed out of the dash and hidden with the stock pad.

See there are plenty of ways to get the weight out of the inside and keep a decent looking car by having interior.

Other random thoughts:

Replace the fuel tank with a fuel cell in the trunk.

fiberglass bumpers, hood and deck lid. Move the front bumper back, loose the filler panel and fab some new bumper brackets out of aluminum. You can move the stock bumper back and/or loose the outside bumper brackets.

Wheels, draglites are the lightest streetable wheel I'm aware of.

Monos vs multi leaf springs

aluminum rear drums

remove the ventilation system of the firewall

If this is a street car:

You can divorce the windshield washer system from the wiper system. I believe this was worth about 5lbs.

Replace the power steering with a manuel box from a s-10. Use the pitman arm on your car. The s-10 box is about 10lbs lighter than the factory powersteering box, plus what the pump, resovoir, belts and brackets weigh.

Replace the mastercylinder with an aluminum mopar style.

Replace the metal horn with an import plastic horn.

I know more ways, but right now I've gone blank. I'll think on it a while and add more as it comes too me.

Those are all great ideas..............I was gonna mention the hole saw thing but some people are kinda scared of doing that.....it does help.

[nonnova]

Originally Posted by Colin

I was gonna mention the hole saw thing but some people are kinda scared of doing that.....it does help.

A few select hole saw sizes and a jigsaw can lighten up a core support pretty good!