Fiberglass Bumpers

[JeffMcKC]

Hey Bill, the bumpers on the Mustang are factory rubberish covers. Currently I still have all the factory impact stuff in place. On the Fairmont build,I would consider using fiberglass bumpers. Partially to save weight and for appearance as there are no decent bumpers left for those cars. As Jeff says, 10-20 lbs add up to 100 lbs and that a .1 of a second. I missed a jacket by a .010 second, So... On the Fairmont build I plan on leaving no stone unturned.

It can add up to wayyyyyyy more with a car that wont hook if weight is taken out of the right part of the car.

[mike343sharpstick]

I am not going to be running a fiberglass bumper either, I will fab new brackets and braces. Like said above tha bumpers on our cars are not real heavy, most of it is in the unibody on amcs.

That tarnsmission cross-member is a boat anchor too!
Point is, on most cars there is a pile of weight that can be removed before addressing stuff like fiberglass bumpers. The goal of my Javelin is to get it 2,999.9 pounds without driver.

[A/Fuel]

I can't answer the poll since I haven't done drag week, but the theory falls under the polar moment of inertia. Pick up a bar-bell with one hand and twist it back and forth, just like rotating mass, properly placed or removed from the critical areas, weight can make a difference. On a street driven car I can see where a few pounds hanging out infront could make a noticable difference in the way a car handles. Not to mention a launch on a drag strip. We often play with as little as 5lbs on the nose of a draster.
As far a total weight reduction, I like to look for 100 ways to take off one pound vs, one way to take off 100lbs. Things like wires that are too long, bolts that extend to far through a nut, extra layers of paint, excess fluids ect. are a good place to start.
If I could I would vote yes.

[milner351]

I can't answer the pole either - I know weight is a big deal - but the cost and hassle and visibility of the likely warped or will soon be or will be cracked 'glass bumpers, I'd say no.

[A/Fuel]

I have gathered a nice selection of titainium bolts and have used some on my camaro.....it's crazy, I know, but a 9/16" grade 8 weighs almost 3 times as much. I have to admit though I do it more for a cool factor than anything else. I'm a stickler for excess wire too. The last time I weighed my camaro it checked in a 2880, all steel. When I'm low on cash I remove weight.

[JeffMcKC]

You know when its getting close using TI bolts with 1/2 the head an TI 1/2 nuts........ On a dirt car LMAO

Seen it dont get it, but 22 lbs is what they saved overall

[79camaro]

No sure if this helps but I don't run any bumpers the car sits so low if I had bumpers they would go under yours. If has your car I would go glass. If you hit the wall or....... the bumper and fender is trashed anyways. Lighter the better.

[AdvAutoBob]

My car's still in process, but you can bet I'm going to run 'glass bumpers... on a big bumper Camaro, the front bumper weighs 98lbs, and the rear is 92lbs.. using 'glass bumpers and aluminum mounts, I think I'll still be able to save 150lbs or so once i'm done..

[JeffMcKC]

When I built mine, it was set up to be a Drag Radial car first, that did not cross any Drag Week lines.

[CDMBill]

It's that traction question that has me thinking about leaving the rear and changing out the front bumper? It's a fairly expensive price per pound, kinda like titanium and aluminum bolts. This coming from the guy with ARP stainless everywhere because I don't like rusty bolts. Like A/Fuel I try to keep the bolts exact length etc. All the electric stuff adds weight too although there is a theoretical power benefit.

[Beagle]

Bill, I was thinking about asking the same question about doors - since I've decided to build the car the way I want it and not to drag week specs, I'll be in DD or Unlimited. HA! Only if it will run better than 10.8 cuz I won't want to slow it down, so that's not really a concern. lol. Anyway, to hijack your thread for a minute if you don't mind terribly -

anybody running fiberglass doors besides the 'vette guys? How screwed would you be in a collision with a fat door bar / cage other than the obvious flying fiberglass crunchies? I fully intend to do the back deck in carbon or fiberglass because it's rusted up pretty good and weighs a ton. Doors aren't all that much $$ really, I thought about doing them too. I should start another thread on this but thought I might ask since I don't think a lot of guys on here are running FG panels. Thread Un-Jack...

I hear you on the leave the back, fiberglass the front. With your bumpers, you're screwed if you tag something anyway like has been said. If you hit it hard enough to jack the steel bumper, you have problems. If you screw up a fiberglass bumper, sawzall and still have potential problems. It didn't take a lot for pre-74 bumpers to bend. If you're going just for the weight difference, what about carbon fiber?

[MR P-BODY]

I vacuformed the bumpers on my old 69 Valiant years ago... did it in my shop/garage
with a torch and a vac pump... they turned out PERFECT and were WAY lighter than
the original steel.. I mounted the bumper up on a piece of plywood as a base then
put the bumper up on 2 pedestals.... warmed up the plastic sheet(.090 thick black)
and when it drooped enough taped all the edges to the plywood and turned on the
pump.... then SLOWLY heated the plastic ... when it warmed enough it started forming
to the bumper... I also made sure it formed around the back so I would end up with
a lip (1/2") and thats where I cut the extra material off... the lip adds alot of extra strength..
I'll look to see if I have pics(I'm pretty bad about taking pics of stuff I do... if it wasnt for
my wife I wouldnt have any pics)..... oh I kept them black so no painting

[CDMBill]

That is a neat trick. I can buy a fiberglass front bumper for far less that the time to make one would cost me. Still have to prep and paint it. Sorta like my half painted hood I suppose.

Fiberglass doors are a whole 'nother set of issues and I've found that having some degree of water resistance and window seal is a good thing to have on Drag Week or in any street driven vehicle that occasionally get out in the wet. That is hard to acheive with glass doors and plexi windows absent liberal use of duct tape when it rains. Same with working wipers, no longer required by the DW rules but nice to have anyway.

My car remains a dual purpose vehicle which sees street miles, True Street events, Drag Week etc. etc. Anything else I build will need to meet the same requirements as that's what I like them to be although lighter would help.

I say build what you like and see what works. I'll admit to keeping the car within the DW SR BB/NA rules as that's what we've been doing as our big event for five out of the last eight years.

[38P]

I've found that having some degree of water resistance and window seal is a good thing to have on Drag Week or in any street driven vehicle that occasionally get out in the wet. That is hard to acheive with glass doors and plexi windows absent liberal use of duct tape when it rains. Same with working wipers, no longer required by the DW rules but nice to have anyway.

Bill, you've obviously never enjoyed rainy-day motoring in a British roadster with sliding "plexi" side curtains. The rain dripping in helps reduce the "shock factor" of the walk home through the deluge after the Lucas "Prince-of-Darkness" electrics have failed . . . .

No wipers would have been quite a trick on the Thursday night/Friday morning leg of DW '12.

[38P]

Of course the steel doors apparently held up . . . .

If the safety standard is motorcycles and antique sports cars, then I say go for the fiberglass doors.

If not, then . . . .