Street Rod weights

[btrc]

I was talking to 40 last weekend and told him I'd send him the wieght of my '37 Ford sedan after I weighed it.  I thought since I've seen the subject here before I'd post it for anyone interested.  My car weighed 3280 lbs. which sort of surprized me, I thought it would be a little more.  It's a '37 ford sedan, MII susp, 351C, C6, T-bird IRS, and all the creature comforts.  The split was 1660 front, 1620 rear.

Bob

[Phat]

You did very good with a split like that.  Most times guys start getting into the 6o% on the front and they are not real balanced there.  I would say you did a great job.  I like to get them as close to 50/50 as i can.  I am probaly one of the only guys in my area that have scales and use them as i am buildin something.  Pick-ups are a real big deal most times getting them to 55/45 is pretty hard.  But every inch you move the motor or move and axle center line changes weight.  Good job!  That t-bird IRS looks good.  I have never gone that far with one but they work well.

[phat46]

I was talking to 40 last weekend and told him I'd send him the wieght of my '37 Ford sedan after I weighed it.  I thought since I've seen the subject here before I'd post it for anyone interested.  My car weighed 3280 lbs. which sort of surprized me, I thought it would be a little more.  It's a '37 ford sedan, MII susp, 351C, C6, T-bird IRS, and all the creature comforts.  The split was 1660 front, 1620 rear.

Bob

 Wow, that's amazing, my '46 Chevy coupe is nearly identical. when weighed at the Nats a couple years ago I got 3300#; 1670# front, 1630 rear.  350/350, Must II (using a stock Must II crossmember) Nova rear.

[Dirk35]

I couldnt imagine how to even get a pickup to weigh close to split.

On my 35, i dont have the bed on it yet, but I can carry the bed to and from the barn its stored in by myself, so Id guess it cannot weigh more than a few hundred pounds.

Far as the rear of the truck with rear end in, and empty fuel cell, I can still lift up each side to set the jack stand under or take them out w/o any kind of jack.

[Phat]

Yep  pick ups are are hard but not impossable.  Batt, fuel cell,  motor placement, wheel base it all adds up.  Another thing to think about is platform scales that big trucks use are not all that accurate for split weighing.   They are good for total weight but not real accurate at those light weights split weighing.  We used to us one when we were kids with our street stock.(at the truck stop)...man we were out in left field when we actualy put it on grain scales. If you can pick the back up still....oh boy!  I have added weight to some trucks to balance them.  If you remember the old econoline pickups ...some had ballast in them in the rear from the factory.  Dont hang it off the rear bumper but some place around the rear axle is good. Rather be a little heavy and balanced than light and a 65/35 car /truck.  Thats were aluimn rads and aluim water pumps and heads help out on the nose weight

[Bob K]

I had my 47 Chev weighed at the nat's a few years ago and had a  49/51 split. What surprised me was the total. 3975 lbs.

Just to ward off all of the smart comments,

THAT WAS WITHOUT ME IN IT.

B :oops:  B

[purplepickup]

I couldnt imagine how to even get a pickup to weigh close to split.

I've managed to get a pretty good split on my '31 pickup.  According to the scales that UPS sets up at the Nats in Louisville the front weighs 1630# and the rear weighs 1680#.  That's without me in it and a half tank of gas.  It surprised me that it weighed that much and the split was like it is but I weighed it two years in a row and got the same thing.  It does launch good when I put the posi pumpkin with low gears in.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Geez Bob, you need to get the lead out..... or something.

I used a set of 4 corner digital readout scaled on the track roadster pickup and have to be careful about adding much more in the box. If I remember right it was  49/51 but gets heavier in the back with me in it due to the rearward seating. I've got it all noted in the build book. I dig it out and post it. When the total weight comes in around 1700 pounds moving 250 pounds around makes a big difference in distribution. It will be interesting to see how it turns out after final assembly.

Charlie

[Ohio Blue Tip]

Geez Bob, you need to get the lead out..... or something.

I used a set of 4 corner digital readout scaled on the track roadster pickup and have to be careful about adding much more in the box. If I remember right it was  49/51 but gets heavier in the back with me in it due to the rearward seating. I've got it all noted in the build book. I dig it out and post it. When the total weight comes in around 1700 pounds moving 250 pounds around makes a big difference in distribution. It will be interesting to see how it turns out after final assembly.

Charlie

With chuck in me (ya we fit) in his roadster it should hook up real good!

[phat46]

A few guys on here have seen my brothers '34 ford p.u. He had it weighed at Looeyville, and he was actually rear heavy. i forget the weight, about 3100#. that's with a 289 ford, 4 speed, and 9" rear. Chopped cab, steel bed and hood, glass fenders. Runs like a scalded cat, simply spanks my '46....he's in for a surprise when i get my P.U. done.....heh heh...429, about 2500#  

[Pope Downunder]

I couldnt imagine how to even get a pickup to weigh close to split.

Snip.

My steel '32 P/UP weighs 2790lbs.  Are you sure yours weighs nearly 3300lbs; that sounds way too much?  You seem to have alloy heads and wheels, so why so heavy?

[Nick32Vic]

We weighed my dads 41 Ford Conv. at the Nats one year.

Total-3755
Front-1890
Rear-1865

We were suprised with how close it came out.

Nick

[purplepickup]

I have to admit I would think the pickup boy's truck would be about 300# lighter.... a little  under 3k pounds mayb .

that is a suprise

You're right, kind of.  I just went out to the shop to try to find the slip they gave me.  I couldn't find the original but found a piece of paper I wrote the weights on.  It is 1530 front/1580 rear.  I'm getting CRS I guess.  I'm not sure why it is that heavy.  Engine has aluminum heads and intake.  Fiberglass front & rear fenders and grille shell.  I did make the inner door panels out of 16 ga sheet, steel floor & body bracing, and have an overhead console made out of steel but most everything else is normal for a steel '31.  I dunno.

[flt-blk]

Model A pickup with a S2D motor, me and a couple gallons of gas.

total  - 2340
Front - 1240
Back -  1100

A buddy of mine owns a rock landscape yard, I run down there and
weight everything on his truck scales.
TZ

[Bob Paulin]

Just an FYI.....

From the Pro-Shocks Street Rod Catalog....


AVERAGE STREET ROD WEIGHTS

Year, Car, Front weight, Rear weight

'27, Ford Coupe, 1200, 1300
'28-'31, Ford Coupe, 1350, 1400
'32-'34, Ford Coupe, 1400, 1600
'35-'38, Ford Coupe, 1600, 1700
'39-'40, Ford Coupe, 1700, 1800
'41-'48, Ford Coupe, 1750, 1700
'32-'38, Chevrolet/Plymouth/Dodge Coupe, 1500, 1550
'39-'40, Chevrolet/Plymouth/Dodge Coupe, 1600, 1600
'40-'48, Chevrolet/Plymouth/Dodge Coupe, 1700, 1600


OPTIONS

Option, Front weight change, Rear weight change

Four-Door Sedan, 0, +125
Sedan Delivery, +50, +200
Roadster, -50, -50
Less Fenders, -100, -75
Air Conditioning, +75, +25
Big Block Engine, +175, +25
Ford/Chevrolet Small-block, +75, +25
A-Model w/side or Rear tanks, (blank), +125