I'm toying with the idea of buying a shell off the gold coast. I just want to take my 1/2 ton pick up out to get it without the trailer. I know I can build a rack over the box rails that will support it. But how much does one weigh?

A totally stripped tub ready to be acid dipped weighs around 500lbs.

Cool thanks!

Good God. I knew these things were light, but Damn.

I think a bare tub for the cars I'm used to working on (neon) is like 1100lbs.

brad and i carried one out of the shop and onto the trailer. so it can't be that heavy

once one end was sitting on the trailer, i lifted up the other end and slid it right onto the trailer ...

so, 500lbs is probably about right ...
Andy


PS: all you need is one finger and a goofy face!

When the Banana was stripped of anything of value me and the boys lifted it onto the trailer with no trouble at all.

So would it be reasonable to assume that a bare rolling shell (complete with suspension, brakes, steering, and wheels) weighs 800-850lbs? Hasn't anybody actually weighed this?



EDIT: A quick search turned up the following...





Wow... 989lbs seems pretty heavy to me, what do you guys think?

Most of the suspension is solid steel parts...so the weight starts to add up fast.

well I would have to say that sounds about right....1000 lbs +(-) as the drive train is 500-600 right? (6cyl w/axles etc) I mean a bare bone ride will be 1900 or so right? Geez I have to get mine up to the truck scales to see what it wieghs...It'll be as bare as one can get with all the FG and lack of interior.

I know that when you take off the bumpers, trunk lids, windscreen, fuel tank, wheels and then support the vehicle on axle stands located in the jacking points it will be really unstable. Should you climb into the rear trunk to work on the engine the front will lift up in the air and the exhaust will touch the floor.

It might also take you a while to work out what is happening, how the axle stands haven't collapsed, nor have the jacking points collapsed. But once you step out the front will drop back down again.

Not that I would ever do this of course. Its just something I somehow know.

Steve

With the engine and tranny removed mine is light enough in the back that I can just lift it up and slide it sideways a few inches at a time. I can't like lift it up and carry it around, but I can get it up enough to move it sideways. With the drivetrain out there's nothing back there but a breather, an oil cooler, and some LED brake lights.

Havent we moved on from this random thought....onto the trike...or the woody...or the merc...or the 928 motor....

Oh, didnt you buy more land on the lake? Start building....

Rich

My 1973 914-4 weighed in at 1,591 pounds with:

-Both steel lids
-Engine lid, headlight lids and trims
-Doors less glass and 60 percent of mechanisms
-Suspension/brakes/steering/etc
-Steel wheels
-Engine/transmission
-Shift linkage + shifter
-SSIs and Abarth muffler
-Optima battery
-Radio head unit
-Heat system (complete)
-Fresh air system
-Gas tank with 1/2 tank or less
-Headlight motors, etc.
-Dashtop (but not bottom pad)
-Windshield
-Back window

And without:

-Bumpers
-Valances
-Rubber trim/seals
-Seal mounts (aluminum), etc.
-Door handles/windows
-Lighting (all)
-Interior (save dashpad)
-Seats
-Top

Basically, it was a running, driving car. All it needed was for a seat to be bolted in and you could operate it (illegally!).

All that said, the 500-lb number for the tub itself is very impressive given how many bulkheads and the all-steel nature of the 914.

pete

That's why I'm making a full TI suspension. A-arms, rear control arms etc. Should only cost about $30k

I've actually got a TI windshield wiper rack here at the office. I'm told it'll be about $6-8k to make another one.

pete

All that said, one wonders what the ERP front suspension and a blade-type trailing arm might drop in weight?

How about with lightweight calipers (986 or Wilwood -- but bummer about the dust seals on the latter)?

pete

Blade type trailing arms? do tell..

Get Alpha to help. I bet he can source it cheaper.

Check the width. If I remember a 914 will fit in the back of a Chevy pickup. On top of the wheel humps. No need to build a rack.

I just measured my truck and my car... the car is about 6" too wide to fit in the bed.

So nobody else thinks that 989lbs is too much for a rolling tub?

I recall reading that the 914 has an unsprung weight in the vicinity of 270-300lbs, so 700+ lbs for a bare tub sounds excessive, no?

Done deal... how'd you know??

Simply in pragmatic terms... no.

1k tub
.5k engine etc.
.5k interior misc.
= 2k 914

I would agree.

500 lbs for the tub. (I guess thats right)
a trailing arm, all fitted up is better than 100 lbs...or I am getting weaker.
Front a-arms, rack, struts etc...at least 200 lbs..

So adding another 4-500 is simple.

Rich

Unsprung weight is not the entire weight of the suspension. Brakes, wheels, tires, etc. are unsprung. Trailing arms, shocks, drive axles, springs, etc. are partially unsprung.