convertible diet

Ted87GT · Oct 24, 2004

ive got an 87 gt convertible and i want to take some weight out of it while keeping it streetable (its my daily driver). anyone got ideas?

HISSIN50 · Oct 24, 2004

buy a notch.

i would do a lot of stiffening to improve it structurally (which adds weight). my point is that it can be done, but it is a bit more work than doing the same thing on a hard top. is this a whim or do you really want to drop some pounds?

good luck.

koss1000 · Oct 24, 2004

never again

This is why I am sellling my vert. I never had one and never will own one again. Reason is to heavy and way to much extra money to make it into a track car. If you like the bling crap and cruising its cool but hell Id rather buy a jeep with a soft top. Now I have a BA SVO and will never go back.

4dStang · Oct 24, 2004

I agree with all above. You wanna race, get lighter, buy a hard top. Convertables suck, I have two and plan to sell both. I won't buy a vert again.

CB

Ted87GT · Oct 24, 2004

yea trust me id much rather have a hard top but im only 16 and i dont have a job so i kinda have to make do with what ive got. I want to try and get it at least into the 13.5 second range and im thinking that trying to get some weight out of it would really help. i got some performance stuff in it (exhaust, shifter, k&n, intake manifold) and i plan on doing a lot more and working on the suspension this winter too. but anyways is there anyway i could lighten it up some without sacrificing too much driveability? Ive got pretty good mechanical skills and a lot of tools including a welder and a bunch of fabrication stuff so thats not really a problem. The main objects are cost and streetability. any ideas?

_jb_ · Oct 24, 2004

4dStang said:
I agree with all above. You wanna race, get lighter, buy a hard top. Convertables suck, I have two and plan to sell both. I won't buy a vert again.

CB

Yeah I won't buy another vert either. Maybe an 87 with T-Tops, but not a vert.

5.0Droptop · Oct 24, 2004

Ted87GT said:
yea trust me id much rather have a hard top but im only 16 and i dont have a job so i kinda have to make do with what ive got. I want to try and get it at least into the 13.5 second range and im thinking that trying to get some weight out of it would really help. i got some performance stuff in it (exhaust, shifter, k&n, intake manifold) and i plan on doing a lot more and working on the suspension this winter too. but anyways is there anyway i could lighten it up some without sacrificing too much driveability? Ive got pretty good mechanical skills and a lot of tools including a welder and a bunch of fabrication stuff so thats not really a problem. The main objects are cost and streetability. any ideas?

I ran my 87 vert 13.90@100 on street tires. That was with 125k stock bottom end with thumpers ported e7te heads. a tmoss ported lower, and a comp cams nx264hr cam, 24# injs. I could have ran mid 13's ON SLICKS. and this was done with no weight reduction and I had 35# of tools in the car and I weigh 255# the race weight was about 3850# total. So you can do it.

Euphoric306 · Oct 24, 2004

if u want to sacrifice a/c then rip that out. other than that theres not really too much weight you can lose. rear seats are like 2 pounds lol. u can switch to a manual steering rack but i dunno how much that shaves, smog pump u need for emissions.

bottom line... you're heavy and stayin that way, so just make it up with a couple extra ponies and youll be fine.

this is off topic (kinda) so sorry but does anyone know how fast or how much torque a vert can get before the lack of hardtop gets to be a really really big problem, like twisting the frame or something? or does traction stop you way before that? just some random thought that popped into my head and i thought id ponder aloud. thanks

85_SS_302_Coupe · Oct 24, 2004

Ya know there's an 8 second vert in Drag Radial right now....

Anyways, the crappy thing is, like stated above, in order to make a very race-ready is to stiffen the hell out of it, and that means adding weight. The only real way to get it done is to just gut the whole interior, trunk and get as much fiberglass into the body as possible, like the hood and the trunk lid. I believe there's a lot of sound deadening meterial in verts....maybe start there. Pull the whole interior out and get all that sound deadening out from behind the panels, get aluminum seats, ditch the back seats (not that anyone over 10 can really sit in them). Verts CAN be made fast, but it takes a lot more power, a lot more traction and a LOT more effort.

HISSIN50 · Oct 25, 2004

wow, no one likes verts (i love mine).

if anyone hates theirs enough to sell it cheap, PM me! (LOL J/K. kinda).

if one really wants a realistic DD vert, i would look at what Tom (TMoss) has done with his. he has a very streetable, yet quick vert.

like i said, quick verts are not the cheapest thing to do (compared to a notch, SN GTS, etc). but if you love verts, there is nothing like 'em.

Rockin302 · Oct 25, 2004

I own both a convertible and a hard top and believe me, it makes a difference. My vert feels sluggish compared to my notchback. I think the difference is also attributed to the fact that my notch is a 5-speed and the vert has an AOD. I still like the vert for just cruising around and the notch for some late night activity.

blackstangt · Oct 25, 2004

Fiberglass hood, fenders, drop unnecessary crap from front of car, keep all weight towards the back. If a gt, drop the support in the front bumper on the bottom for races, also, aluminum heads, aluminum parts, emissions crap, including heavy smog pump, and a/c because it's a convert, i dont think you need it so badly, all together, hood fenders, ac, emissions, and some other little crap, you could easily drop like 120 lbs from the front end and aluminum heads is like another 20, but thats expensive. keep in mind the convertible has added structural support underneath, so it's not as strong as a hardtop, but i would think it's stronger than t-tops.

Dark Knight · Oct 25, 2004

hmm... with me in it, my vert weighs 3375.. all stock..

I know of a few other quick verts..

if you dont mind putting the top up and down by hand, you can pull all the hydraulics, get a glass hood.. tubular k-member etc..

Michael Yount · Oct 25, 2004

Relocate the battery to the trunk. Put a set of long tube headers and a free-er flowing exhaust system on it. Replace the intake with a used GT40 intake. Replace the big one wire starter with a mini-starter. Put 3.73 gears in the car. Put a set of GT40Y303 aluminum heads on the car. Have a roll bar with the rear supports (not a cage - just a bar) welded (not bolted) in for a bit of extra structural support. Remove the silencer from the air cleaner and add a flat panel K&N filter. Bump the timing to 14 degrees btdc. I think the verts already have them - but if they don't add sub-frame connectors.

Those changes will add 60-75HP/ft-lbs of torque, will drop 50 lbs. of weight off the car, will remove 110 lbs. of weight off the front of the car, and will make a difference you can really feel - the gears will be especially helpful.

"how much torque a vert can get before the lack of hardtop gets to be a really really big problem, like twisting the frame or something? " The stock Stangs (fox)(notches and coupes) have VERY flexible unibodies - it's worse with the convertible. At stock power levels there's not enough torsional rigidity in the body/chassis. And it's even worse in the vert. Ideally, they need a well constructed roll cage to stiffen everything up if you're serious about increasing power/torque and having the car handle reasonably well.

Michael Yount · Oct 25, 2004

blackstngt - aluminum heads are 25lbs. A PIECE lighter than the cast iron units - you'll knock a total of 50lbs. off the car with aluminum heads.

Michael Yount · Oct 25, 2004

Ted87GT - by the way, the performance changes I suggested will affect drivability. You will gain power and torque throughout the rev range - and with the gears, you'll have extra torque multiplication everywhere. They will make drivability BETTER. Fuel mileage will likely be the same or slightly better IF you can keep your foot out of it.

Blakthorn · Oct 25, 2004

wow, lots of vert bashing, truthfully there is nothing like a well tuned, good looking vert, just to sexy

GT Trooper · Oct 25, 2004

I have an 87Vert and I love it. My first time at Milan I got a 13.94 with a 2.25 60ft at 100MPH. I'm expecting better times when I get a good cumputer tune and a few more mods. So don't hate on the Verts it's all in what you like. They might be a little heavy but there is nothing like a vert on a summer night cruising with the tunes.

tjm73 · Oct 25, 2004

Ted87GT said:
ive got an 87 gt convertible and i want to take some weight out of it while keeping it streetable (its my daily driver). anyone got ideas?

A tubular K-Member will drop some much needed weight off the nose of the car.

At 3600 lbs, my car ran 13.8's without breaking a sweat on regular radials with 2.15 60' times.

Sad to see so many 'vert haters in here. I love my drop top, and some times I take it to the track. But it's no race car. Almost all of us spend 90% or more of our time on the street. You have to decide what you want more....a race car that's streetable, or a street car that runs at the racetrack from time to time.

tjm73 · Oct 25, 2004

GT Trooper said:
They might be a little heavy but there is nothing like a vert on a summer night cruising with the tunes.

Amen brother !! Testify!!!

convertible diet

Ted87GT

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

koss1000

New Member

4dStang

Banned

Ted87GT

_jb_

New Member

5.0Droptop

...all those nights we shared, and you're a dude??

Euphoric306

New Member

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

Rockin302

blackstangt

Member

Dark Knight

Michael Yount

Mustang Master

Michael Yount

Mustang Master

Michael Yount

Mustang Master

Blakthorn

Member

GT Trooper

Member

tjm73

tjm73

Similar threads

convertible diet

"How long does it take to get help in here?

New Member

Banned

New Member

...all those nights we shared, and you're a dude??

New Member

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

"How long does it take to get help in here?

Member

Mustang Master

Mustang Master

Mustang Master

Member

Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency