You should wait until you are ready to do the roll cage. You never know when some idiot is gonna T-bone you, and the weight savings is simply not worth the added risk of injury...
I agree with Jimbo 100%. Maybe I'm wrong but I also find it hard to believe that bar weighs 60 pounds. I guess I better take a closer look into the inside of some of my doors because I've never noticed that kind of weight difference in any of them.
Ray,, you beat me big time,, bringing the slicks to the Roundup this year. And yes, filling them with helium. I need every advantage I can find. Dan
I'm probably gonna wish I had some slicks since I'm changing over to a 4 speed right now. Maybe I can borrow a set. I hate to go buy some just for a once a year race...but then again, I might get hooked. Hey...reckon you can bring your helium tanks with you?
I knew there musta been a reason he was so far behind me. Dan, on second thought, I don't think I wanna try your helium. I really think Mavaholic would like a little bit though.
If I could drop another 10 lbs off my gut, THAT would be a help also! Actually, I don't know exactly what the weight of that bar is...I only know that I have to stick my head throught the window, rest the upper part on my shoulders, and HEAVE to pick up my yellow 74 doors. I can pick up the 73 non-reinforced door with one hand and a grunt, or two hands easily. This is comparing the full yellow door and the blue one without reinforcing bar, windows, and fabric inner panel. The windows and runners add a little weight, but not nearly as much as that bar. Really, I want to lose the weight not for racing (even though it wouldn't hurt!). I want to be able to gently close the door and not be forced to SLAMMM!!! it. The older door i have installed closes with a gentle nudge and doesn't have to be slammed hard enough to rock the car. The yellow 74 doors need to be seriously slammed, the car rocks, and it is GOT to be hard on other parts of the car. Maybe it leans (or at least up til recently) after years of doors being slammed and forcing the frame bent Really, it is the difference between closing a Honda Civic door and having to apply full body musclature to pull a Cadillac Coupe DeVille door closed.
What about finding someone with a plasma cutter? that would make quick work of the bar, witout having to do any major body work. I once ground a door skin off by grinding the edge with a grinder, we were only using the bottom, and it came off real easy, but had to be welded all the way around, and finished, took som time.
Scooper...the weight in the door will actually make it close easier providing everything is lined up properly. We replace doors all the time in my body shop due to getting wrecked. The first thing we do is paint the inside jambs of the door and then hang the bare door on the car for alignment. Once it is aligned properly, the body tech will then install the glass and all the remaining trim (all the weight). Anyway, before all the weight is added, you actually have to push the door harder to close it all the way because it is too light. Once the weight is added, it closes like it is supposed to. The same thing applies to the Maverick doors. It really sounds like you may have a hinge problem. If you open your door about 6 inches, try lifting up on the rear of the door. If you can feel movement up and down, you need to replace your hinge pins and bushings (or complete hinges). Believe me, the heavy door is not the problem.
Let me clarify...I don't have to slam the door to get it to close, it is just so heavy that people automatically put all their weight into it to close it. It actually closes pretty easily if you just pull it, but since it is so much heavier than "modern" doors, people tend to put all their might into it. The older/lighter door feels more modern and light, so there is less of a desire to put so much muscle into it, hence, no slamming. Your instict is to slowly pull it almost closed, then quickly pull the last 3 inches or so to make it latch. I guess, before I do any cutting on the heavy door, I will finish installing the windows, cranks, and panels in the lighter door, and see how it feels compared to the heavier door. It might not be so different when it is a complete door, and not just the shell. I might not feel like the extra work would be worth it. And, honestly, I don't mind that extra little bit of metal between me and that oncoming car...until I get a cage installed.
