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How to drop 22 pounds off the front of your thirdgen

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Old 06-19-2002 | 09:58 PM
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Guido's Avatar
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Car: 2000 Trans Am
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
How to drop 22 pounds off the front of your thirdgen

I made this tonight to replace my factory bumper. Since I am putting my intercooler on the front of the car, I wanted to offset the weight of it being there. I made this using 3/4" 16 ga. steel tubing. TIG welded it myself. Not bad for a beginner. The bumper cover fits just fine over it too.




Old 06-20-2002 | 08:17 AM
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Dude your car is absolutely ridiculous and I sincerely mean that in the best way possible. Are you still going to drive that on the street, because all will be forced to bow down. :hail:
Old 06-20-2002 | 04:00 PM
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From: Valley Center,Kansas
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That is a sweet set-up. A couple ?? for ya. Who makes that radiator? Is it a direct bolt in or are there some mods to be done? Also are you using the stock cooling fan arrangement. Thanks, and keep on fabricating
Old 06-20-2002 | 07:28 PM
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Car: 2000 Trans Am
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C & R does a large percentage of NASCAR radiators and they are almost local to me. I got the radiator for $250.

I DID send it back as it was too tall and wouldnt fit in the area for it. I dont have the AC compressor obviously so I dont know how it would fit with that in there.

Other than that, I have a thin 16" fan. When I had a vortech supercharger on the car, the crank pulley was deep and hit the fan so I changed. Dont know how stock pulley arrangement would fit with it but I bet it would clear fine.
Old 06-22-2002 | 04:51 PM
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Scratch that, try dropping 60 pounds off the front, with an aftermarket K-member!
Old 06-22-2002 | 06:31 PM
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Car: '91 Camaro RS
Scratch that, try dropping 60 pounds off the front, with an aftermarket K-member
Guido has already done that. Besides that, every little bit helps. I am having one built for my car also. Bad thing about it is, when you rely on someone else, it takes for ever and a day. The guy has had my sample I made out of brake tubing for 3 months and still hasn't gotten around to bending the tubing. A job that won't take 30 mins. and he has had it forever. That really sucks. Guido, car is looking good. What size radiator is that? I need to do the same thing. My engine compartment is running out of room.
Old 06-23-2002 | 05:45 PM
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Guido, that piece you removed is usually referred to as the "re-bar" (short for "reinforcement-bar").
A lot of people that have removed it (myself included) have noticed additional flex in the chassis. Without the cap on the end of the front sub-frame, often too much flex is allowed.
I understand that you've done a bunch of things to stiffen up the chassis, but you may want to look towards the lack of re-bar if you start to notice dimpled quarter panels, or wrinkled floor pans.
Old 06-24-2002 | 04:13 PM
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Car: 2000 Trans Am
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Good point. I will look out for that.

The radiator is 28" x 16" x 3"
Old 07-03-2002 | 11:02 PM
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From: So-cal.
Re: How to drop 22 pounds off the front of your thirdgen

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Guido


Guido

How much did your stock rebar weigh.

Thanks for the help.

Jerry
Old 07-04-2002 | 01:06 AM
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From: So-cal.
Guido

The stock aluminum Z28 re-bar is 11.9 lbs.
The steel re-bar must be very heavy to drop 22 lbs.

Jerry
Attached Thumbnails How to drop 22 pounds off the front of your thirdgen-mvc-010f.jpg  
Old 07-13-2002 | 07:41 PM
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Car: 86 Camaro Iroc-z, 86 Corvette
Engine: 350 TPI Camaro, 350 tpi Corvette
Transmission: 700R4
Hmm wouldent a fiberglass bumber lose the weight to:lala: :lala:
Old 07-25-2002 | 12:52 PM
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Car: 2000 Trans Am
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Think you can make a glass bumper support that weighs less than 5 pounds? If so Ill put it on.
Old 07-25-2002 | 02:56 PM
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From: Third-Gen Land
hey Guido does anyone make a turbo kit for thirdgens?? just kidding
I will start building a turbo 355(talk to Jimmy) what comapny would be good to use?
-Mark
Old 08-04-2002 | 05:08 PM
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From: Tampa, FL, USA
Car: 93 240SX
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Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.54 R200 IRS
Whered that aluminum inner come from ? Can those be purchased ?
Old 08-15-2002 | 01:15 PM
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Car: 2000 Trans Am
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Originally posted by Z28racer
Whered that aluminum inner come from ? Can those be purchased ?
i think the 82-84 cars had them. Just heresay though. Dont have any facts to back that up.
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