Aluminum Trunk But No Aluminum Hood?

[kingcolbert83]

Anybody know what the options were on the 78 buick regals? My car has an aluminum trunk but steel hood. As far as I can tell it is original parts.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I would venture to guess that the aluminum trunk lid is even more rare than the hood! I have never heard of one before now!

 

[kingcolbert83]

I never paid it any attention until I started doing the bodywork on my car. It rained and the car got wet on the raw metal. The backend always get wet because its under a car port and it sticks out a little. I noticed there wasnt any rust on the trunk so I took a magnet across the whole car to make sure. Wouldnt stick to the trunk. I'm pretty confident its the original trunk too.

 

[Blake442]

I've heard of aluminum trunk lids on both '78-'80 Regals and Montes, though I've never heard of an aluminum hood for either.

The only cars I've seen aluminum hoods for are Cutlass's...

Then of course there's the aluminum radiator core supports and bumper reinforcements.

I'm not sure of any other aluminum parts... Anybody else know of anymore aluminum pieces for the various models?

 

[foxtrot]

I thought that the T-Type Regals had light weight brake drums also?

 

[Blake442]

That's right, I forgot about the drums...

I've actually seen quite a few cars that recieved those, not just the turbo cars.

 

[kingcolbert83]

why have an aluminum trunk but not a hood?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

why have an aluminum trunk but not a hood?

You got me! It seems illogical to have the light weight trunk lid on a car that is nose heavy like a G body. What engine did yours originally come with? Options? I tend to think that the aluminum parts were chosen by a computer to balance the car and not actually checked off on the option box by a dealer. After all, very few Americans back then who wanted a G body gave two sh*ts about handling and weight bias, or they would have bought something else.

 

[srercrcr]

They weren't extra cost options, they were part of GMs effort to reduce weight. Remember the G was the first downsize from the large A in the 70s....it was all about weight.

 

[Camshaft]

So it's possible that there's one for the Cutlass as well...?