[67'7F6'Bird]

The 1000th Post needed to be Very Important!!!!

http://www.dcimotorsports.com/produc...ir-five-heads/

See attached.

[455firebird1969]

Originally Posted by RAIV-Z

Little more work left todo on the front end in order to drop the oil pan without pulling the engine.

I'm curious, as to why you used the OEM subframe on this build. When I see the amount of custom fabrication going into this car, that subframe seems like a lot of extra weight you could have eliminated. The fab work looks very nice, like the shop doing the work could have built it any way you wanted. It's going to be a bad machine regardless, 2015 is going to be a good year for Pontiac performance!

[RAIV-Z]

Originally Posted by 455firebird1969

I'm curious, as to why you used the OEM subframe on this build. When I see the amount of custom fabrication going into this car, that subframe seems like a lot of extra weight you could have eliminated. The fab work looks very nice, like the shop doing the work could have built it any way you wanted. It's going to be a bad machine regardless, 2015 is going to be a good year for Pontiac performance!

Thanks for the kudos.

As with most projects like this one, they end up evolving over time due to various reasons, in hindsight maybe the subframe should have been replaced.
We’ve got a few more changes to make which will help with maintenance and shed some weight.

The major step in evolution for 2015 is swapping out the entire McCarty top end and stepping up to DCI Motorsports RA-V’s.

[RAIV-Z]

Axels arrived Monday, rear end just about complete.





Merry Christmas to all!

[BruceWilkie]

Best of luck with this. You have made some tough decisions. Looking forward to seeing this completed and you being able to enjoy it. Looks like 2015 should be a good year for you. I think this car is awesome. Lots of nice in this project despite the setbacks!

Bruce

[Jack Gifford]

Extremely rigid-looking housing. Is that your own design, or something that's on the market?

[RAIV-Z]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

Extremely rigid-looking housing. Is that your own design, or something that's on the market?

It’s a Mike Hall “Hall’s Custom Race Cars” designed Ford 9.5 housing.

[RAIV-Z]

Got the 69 bird front end pieces cleaned up. Any guesstimates on how much weight can be saved by drilling holes?

[LiL Jack]

Originally Posted by RAIV-Z

Got the 69 bird front end pieces cleaned up. Any guesstimates on how much weight can be saved by drilling holes?

Not sure about how much weight can be saved but it will make it look like chit.

[wreckmastr]

Originally Posted by RAIV-Z

Got the 69 bird front end pieces cleaned up. Any guesstimates on how much weight can be saved by drilling holes?

Not much!! It's not worth the time and effort. Not to mention it will look like Sh*t IMO

[Elarson]

For example:

a 1" dia hole in .090" steel (a guess) would save .02 lbs so (100) of them would get you 2 lbs savings. That should answer the question.

Eric

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by RAIV-Z

Got the 69 bird front end pieces cleaned up. Any guesstimates on how much weight can be saved by drilling holes?

The other thing is EVERYTIME you drill a hole you should deburr the hole and remove sharp edges in the hole to reduce a stress riser crack from happening. So it could be very labor intensive to do it right.

If you were building a frame from scratch (and I know a couple of guys who have), they water-jetted each part (no stress riser issues) and welded the pieces together. This was for a Cobra Kit Car deal.

Not worth the bang for the buck and can cause other major issues.

Tom V.

[cosgrove]

The 69 has a many more steel parts in the front nose assembly than you show in the picture. I altered every piece with a plasma cutter. Save every bolt hole but cut out large holes in the areas in between. The front end will bolt back together just fine. It will be rigid and light. Just don't run into anything. I weighed the pieces that were cut out. Twenty five pounds worth. Cleaning up the edges and using 1/4 inch bolts saved another ten pounds. This was a lot of work but some of the most economical weight savings on the entire car. I did this eight years ago and have made hundreds of passes with no issues. An aluminum filler between the radiator and nose hides it all.

[RAIV-Z]

Cosgrove,

You're right, the picture was missing a few items which are included in the pile below.

Piled up most of the steel parts, screws and bolts that make up the front bumper assembly and the weight came in at ~53lbs. The scale doesn't work below 25lbs so I can't weigh individual pieces today.

[455firebird1969]

Originally Posted by cosgrove

The 69 has a many more steel parts in the front nose assembly than you show in the picture. I altered every piece with a plasma cutter. Save every bolt hole but cut out large holes in the areas in between. The front end will bolt back together just fine. It will be rigid and light. Just don't run into anything. I weighed the pieces that were cut out. Twenty five pounds worth. Cleaning up the edges and using 1/4 inch bolts saved another ten pounds. This was a lot of work but some of the most economical weight savings on the entire car. I did this eight years ago and have made hundreds of passes with no issues. An aluminum filler between the radiator and nose hides it all.

Great info, thanks for sharing the technic you used to shave weight off of the multiple parts that make the front end on a 1969 Firebird. One option I'm toying with is removing the nose as an assembly, sealing it in a bag under vacuum and making a mold with fiberglass. My goal is to make a lightweight nose that will bolt to the fenders.

That pile of OEM parts is heavy compared to your whittled-down assemly.

[RAIV-Z]

Originally Posted by 455firebird1969

Great info, thanks for sharing the technic you used to shave weight off of the multiple parts that make the front end on a 1969 Firebird. One option I'm toying with is removing the nose as an assembly, sealing it in a bag under vacuum and making a mold with fiberglass. My goal is to make a lightweight nose that will bolt to the fenders.

That pile of OEM parts is heavy compared to your whittled-down assemly.

If you come up with something that's light weight that will bolt up, send me a PM. I'm interested. Will need to support lights and directional being a street car in all In the meantime I'm moving ahead with unmodified factory steel parts.

[ponjohn]

There is a chassis shop that offers a round bar radiator support.

[RAIV-Z]

Originally Posted by ponjohn

There is a chassis shop that offers a round bar radiator support.

Got any pics, price, etc...

[ponjohn]

Ron Rhodes builds them 300.00 according to his post on YB.

Here is the thread... http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/sh...support&page=4

[dci]

Parts are finally starting to come in for your heads Ed. Here are the custom order valves.These are from Victory in North Carolina and look like jewelry. Intakes are stainless 2.28", 11/32" stems, 6.450" long, exhaust are a super alloy 1.68", 11/32" stems, 6.450" long. The custom made exhaust guides should be here any day. I'm hoping today!!!