G Body Weight?

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I was just sitting down and calculating some changes to the weight distribution of my car, and came across an interesting bit of data in one of the Oldsmobile brochures from my "library". It's a 1987 one that is named "87 Oldsmobile Performance Report". In it, the listed weight of a Cutlass 442 with a 307 is 3,203lbs. It seems a bit low to me as I have seen data that suggests it should be around 3500lbs. Has anyone here bothered to weigh a dead stock V8 2 door G body?

The other thing I have read in the past is that the weight distribution is 60/40, but I also wonder if this is correct? I am trying to get my car down to around 55/45 without removing any optional equipment like the A/C, so I wonder how much there is to go? I made a thread about component weight in the How To section of the forum http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5121 to try and discuss what things weigh and look for good places to remove them. At any rate, I calculated that with an aluminum: Hood, heads, water pump, radiator support, radiator, and bumper support, plus a Civic battery, mini starter, plastic head lights and headers I should be able to trim around 170lbs off the front, enough to shift around 2.2% of the weight to the rear of the car if it weighed 3300 lbs to start with, and it would knock the weight down to 3130lbs ( about what a new Civic weighs). If it's a 3200 lb car, it then will be just over 3,000lbs-which is great for a large car with all the toys. I also figured I could switch to rack and pinion steering for another 10-20 lbs and tubular control arms for another few pounds. Swapping to a Sanden A/C compressor may also be worth a few pounds, but I really have no idea what they weigh. Lighter seats from a Civic or Integra could be worth another 50 lbs according to my scale, but I don't know if I want to do that.

Anyhow, anyone know for a fact what these cars really weigh stock?

:EDIT: I found more road tests, and the distribution varied from a good of 55.4/44.6 for an 83 MCSS, to a bad of 58.2/41.8 for a car I cold not see the right page for. It was an article comparing the MCSS vs the 442 in 1985, so I assume the 442 was the worst of the two since the Olds engine I think is heavier than the SBC. Weight varied from 3200-3600+ in the different road tests carried out by Car and Driver and Motor Trend.

 

[BBC_cutty]

i weighed mine with a half tank of gas, 6 point cage, 355, and me (2760) and i got just over 3600lbs

 

[R/T kota]

My old 79 malibu 2 door 305 with ac was just over 3100 lbs.

Never put the buick on the scale but all the GN guys tell me it should be 3600 but they never put theirs on a scale either. Got their info from the interweb.
I can't see it being that much more than the malibu.

 

[Coveted]

3361 i believe it was for my calais, which I felt was a bit heavy.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I just wish I could afford to have my car's corner weights done so that I would have an accurate picture of the weight distribution. I mean, if it is only 3200lbs with a 56/44 balance, my theoretical 170lbs removed from the front, and 50 lbs of stereo added to the rear would make it a very good 52.6/47.4. 50/50 is of course ideal, but it's hard to do in a car that does not have the engine fully behind the front axle centerline, or a rear transaxle. It would also make the car much more neutral in the corners and help braking.

If you are following along and want to know how I am arriving at my numbers, I am basically starting with a weight and weight distribution given in an old road test, and calculating the initial weight from there. Then, I am subtracting the weight removed from the front initial weight and adding the amount to the rear for the speaker box and amps ( the box weighs 36lbs, and the 3 amps and wiring are probably 14lbs). Then, I am adding the front and rear weights together for a new total weight. Finally, I am dividing the new front number by the new total number to get a decimal approximation which I then move out 2 places to get the percentage.

 

[R/T kota]

Do you have a truck inspection weigh scale near you?
Not sure how it works in the U.S. but up here, some weigh scales leave the scales on even though it is closed for inspections.
Just drive on the scale and read it.
I used one to weigh my camaro years ago. It had a digital read out that you could see even while sitting in the car so I could get the driver weight too.
I didn't do all four corners but did front and back with me in and out of the car along with full weight.

Don't remember the numbers anymore but was interesting to see the weight shift between front and back just by adjusting the seat.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, my car is not yet in a drivable state. I am doing the body right now so it is pretty stripped and would not be representative of what it really weighs. I will probably try something like that when I get it together. Right now, I am trying to figure out the engineering side of things while it is apart to see where the numbers are, and what can reasonably be changed to get it close to ideal.

 

[shotgun]

Here are a few things. I am kinda into the low weight thing.

My old stock 79 GP was 3400#,just for refrence.

On my GP race car here is how I got my starting numbers.

Measured the wheel base and put a piece of masking tape on my d/s sill plate at the 1/2 way point.On my car ended up being almost perfectly in the middle of the door.

Went to a public scale,told the guy on the scale to mark down 3 numbers.

I drove forward until the tape mark was equal to the edge of the scale.

At this point only the front tires are on the scale,he logs the number.

Next pull forward to the middle of the scale, all wheels on,log that number.

Last pull forward until the edge of the scale lines up with the tape line again.

This time the back tires are the only thing on the scale.

I have never had the 2 numbers,front and rear weights add up to the total weight,but that does not matter.

Find the ratio of your front to back and apply it to your total weight and now you have your front/rear bias.

example:
front weight got 1800 total 3500 rear 1400
1800 and 1400 only adds up to 3200,not 3500 but it does not matter.
Divide 1800 by 3200,you get approx. 56
So your front/rear bias is 56/44.
Now take your 3500 total weight times .56 , you get 1960.
Take 3500 times .44 , you get 1540.


So your car total weight is 3500#
front /rear weight bias is 56/44 or 1960#/1540#

Oh ,I brought the scale operator a cold Coke :wink: .

 

[HFX]

If I get a chance, I'll hit the truck stop near here and see if they will weigh my car for me. When I was doing the emissions test they listed the weight at 3800 which seemed high for a car whose curb weight was listed at 3280 with me only me and less then a half tank of gas in it. I wasn't even in the car for the test and they don't have a scale there to really weigh the whole car. Think maybe they are doing like the parts stores where Cutlass Supreme denotes the 4 door.


I can go grab the book from the glove compartment at lunch and give you all the weights for the 307 equipped olds in 1986.


Cutlass Brougham: You consider an LT1 or LS1 engine swap? Now would be the time to do it, and you can reduce about 150 lbs off the front end if I remember correctly.

 

[78MC-BBC]

here are a few weights for you

typical stock sbc engine 575 lbs complete from intake to pan, cast iron heads and intake. suntract 20 lbs for aluminum intake.

typical short deck big block chevy 685 lbs complete from intake to pan, cast iron heads and intake.

typical short deck big block chevy 585 lbs complete from intake to pan, aluminum heads and intake.

now why does everyone think big blocks are pigs for weight??