Trying to get an apples to apples comparison when it comes to light cars. For some time I have considered getting a lighter, carbon fiber car and transferring my quick 16 small block engine combo into it.

My current car is a mark williams design, 235" 4 link. Aluminum body

The Spitzer I have looked at is 247" if I remember correctly, with carbon body and it's a hard tail with the adjustable sliders for arching.

My question is, how much lighter is one over the other? I'm not entirely sure how much faster the Spitzer would be. I don't know how practical the switch would be for the kind of time change I would be looking at. It's a high 6 second car as it sits. There is always more boost, but I am trying to keep a handle on that to keep parts together.

Anyone with some experience?

Bucky,
Who built your dragster? Does your car have aluminum levers on the rocker arm shaft or steel?

Local shop, Layne Auto and Speed. Aluminum.

What does yours weight

Unless you have a Comp type chassis built/purpose built car, chassis builder to chassis builder weights are very similar no matter who builds them, it's what you add on that contributes to the over all car weight! FYI a typical AL body to CF one can save around 20 to 30 pounds. Pipe is relatively light compare to the rest of the stuff that goes on a race car!

quote:

Originally posted by Top355x:
What does yours weight

Right around 1800-1825 with this combo.

Want light call Frank Parks. He can lighten car and if want ultri lite he can do it for car and wallet. His sons 225" FED with all iron sbc weighed 1375 or 1385 on starting line from mu understanding.

quote:

Originally posted by wideopen231:
Want light call Frank Parks. He can lighten car and if want ultri lite he can do it for car and wallet. His sons 225" FED with all iron sbc weighed 1375 or 1385 on starting line from mu understanding.

I don't need an uber expensive car that is perhaps not practical for bracket racing. I have dealt with those guys though and they are awesome IMO.
I have had some tell me going from a soft tail to a hard tail is less fun on race day particularly on return roads. Point taken.

There are a lot of ways to go faster, changing out the chassis probably wont be the most economical. And for a bracket car, do you really want to lose the suspension?

I understand the novelty of a fast small block but I agree with others that unless you’re going to have Advanced or Parks build you a comp car which is not practical. And certainly you’d be doing it for yourself because no one will even notice from the stands. We ran a 427 sbc in a Haas that ran 5.4Os and .50s in 1990 and our biggest mistake was aligning the rear of the motor to where the BBC set. We didn’t know what we know now about front struts either. Sorry off topic. Good luck

an actual light comp elim style car compared to a bracket swing-arm is 100-150# less.

quote:

Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
There are a lot of ways to go faster, changing out the chassis probably wont be the most economical. And for a bracket car, do you really want to lose the suspension?

He'll regret that on a short runway, when the back tires get to bouncing off the ground.

Going faster, all runways become little shorter.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:

quote:

Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
There are a lot of ways to go faster, changing out the chassis probably wont be the most economical. And for a bracket car, do you really want to lose the suspension?

He'll regret that on a short runway, when the back tires get to bouncing off the ground.

Going faster, all runways become little shorter.

I don't miss those days.

quote:

Originally posted by sammy christian:
an actual light comp elim style car compared to a bracket swing-arm is 100-150# less.

That tells me the potential.