As the title says I am curious how much lighter fox bodies really are than sn95's. Is a sn95 worth building as a budget drag car? Or is the Fox body the way to go.
Either car I build is going to have an aluminum headed 351w.
You're looking at about a 150-250lb difference at most between two comparable models. Most of which can be attributed to creature comforts, interior upgrade, larger 4-wheel disk brakes, etc. One is as good to build into a drag car as another. If it were me....personally I'd go with the SN95, as there have been several improvements made to the Fox4 chassis that improve over all stiffness and structural integrity over the original Fox.
my 89 coupe weighted 3150 without me in it...full interior, a/c, p/s, p/l, ect was all intact and this was with 15x3.5 and 15x8 draglites....and full tank of fuel.
My 95 gt with full interior (leather/vynal), a/c, p/s, ect weighted 3290 without me. That was with 15x3.5" prostars up front and stock waffle wheels on the back and 1/4tank of fuel.
so with that comparison gearbanger is pretty much deadnuts.
If your looking for EVERY possible lb. a fox is probably going to be the best bet...like a notch or an early 4eye. The fox got heavier as time went on and things were added. A buddy had a 82 with a 347 c4 alum. heads/intake. That thing was 28xxlbs manual windows and doors full interior with drag lights.
The thing is sometimes weight in the right area/way helps too. I know of many people who have gone faster adding weight...in the form of a 4-6pt as it helps the chassis hold the launch. I was talking to the guy who welded in my o2 bungs for my wideband. He did a well known LX fox 6pt and they figured it would slow him down a few 10ths...he picked up 2 or 3 instead.
People think the 94-95's are 400-500lbs heavier...I have always heard more like 200 or so. Put an avg. size adult in the fox and there is no weight benni. In fact I would say if anything the sn95 is more comfy and roomy to accept a passenger.
I lightened my car by removing a/c, fender weight, vert top motor, 4 heavy cats, dogbone, aluminum heads, smog, vert cross brace, abags..altogether that amounts to about 250#..add 50# for 414 with a starting weight of 3450 and you get about 3250#. It is a vert and I still could remove rear seats and spare to take it down to 3180# and there's still more but then you are getting into more of a track car than street.
I think the SN95s are a better chassis to build off from. The fox's are far less rigid as the SN95's. Both benefit from full length sub frames but over all I think the SN95 is a better platform also b/c of what was mentioned b/c of the brakes
I weighed mine a few years ago. I cant find the slip I wrote the weight down on but It was about 3,6XX with me in it, Im 200 and mines a 351W with Aluminum heads