Why such a weight difference?

OK, I'm looking for GVWRs & found this:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1973-1977-chevrolet-chevelle6.htm

In 1976 the Laguns S-3 weighed 200 lbs MORE than a v8 Malibu. Then jump to 1977 & the Malibu loses 100 lbs? But the real kicker is that the lightest year is 1973 which weighed in at 3,500 lbs for a V8 coupe. I guess I can understand the 73 being lighter since it was the first year & more smog equipment kept getting added through the years, but can anyone answer these 3 questions?

1. What makes a Laguna 200 lbs heavier than a similar equipped Malibu? Surely the nose & side louvers don't weigh that much.
2. How/why does the 77 wiegh about 100 lbs less than every similar equipped 74-76?
3. Quickest/cheapest way to go on a diet?

I want the 76 to weigh in at around 3,400-3,500 lbs. I know there's a way to cut the inner structure from the bumpers, & something about an inner door structure. Smog junk should cut me 20-30 lbs. Anything else? No gutting the interior either, that's cheating.

1. The Laguna noses literally weigh about 200 lbs. They are a solid rubber design with what is pretty much a steel beam running through the middle of them, and the rubber itself is molded to be about 4 inches thick.
2. I have no idea why. They may have started using more plastic parts...
3. Buy fiberglass bumpers, fenders, and a hood. The doors do have some pretty hefty crash bars running through them as well, although I don't know how well the doors would stay together without the structural junk in them.

I didn't know they weighed so much! Is the 80 lb front bumper still under there too? Or does this take the place of it? Never got under a Laguna to inspect it.

I might go fiberglass on the 73, but I don't want to risk it on my DD. Pretty much looking for inconspicous stuff even if it only saves me 10 lbs here & there. Anyone know for sure about removing the crash bar?

On Lagunas, that big ol' rubber schnoz replaced the entire front end of the car. It was so thick and heavy because GM wanted the car to be able to survive low-speed collisions without taking too much damage.

I also wouldn't wanna run fiberglass on a DD either. All you really can do to lighten up a stock style Chevelle is take out the inner structures from both bumpers and get all the smog and safety junk out of them. These cars are just heavy by design or something!

indy my 74 laguna snout with the shocks and grill installed are only 161 pounds. I know this because i weighed it. the malibus front bumper from 73, 74 weighs in at 95 pounds with the shocks, 75 76 77 were considerably lighter.

And then you ad the 15 pounds a side for the fender ext (with the headlights installed) the the 18 pound pot metal grille, 18 pounds for the misc brackets and center piece for the grille. and other lil misc items bolts and such needed add another 10 pounds. we are looking at the laguna nose coming in at the same amount of the malibu front !!!

IndyG3 wrote:molded to be about 4 inches thick.

4" thick no way mine isnt even close to 2" thick

and to answer the questions why so much heavier.............

1. the sway bars are larger in diameter front and rear (prob adds about 30 pounds compared to stock)

2. the laguna's have larger diameter rear drums as well

3. most came with dual exhaust (hence the heavy duty cross member needed)

4. add the 4 barrel carb and the 4 barrel cast iron manifold, and added weight of the dual exhaust theres your weight difference


and from my resto pack from GM this guy is using the shipping weight not the actual weight

actual weight for the 74 chevelle is 3719 and laguna is 3951 for a difference of 232 pounds leaning towards the malibu classic

I stand corected.

i built a 79 camaro drag car and removed the door beams......
i havent looked at the laguna but on canaro you could see spot welds beside latch so i cut aprox. 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 rectangular hole...
the other end inside door was flat and welded beetween skin and frame ...i cut it with torch close to the end and slid it out hole by latch...wieghed about 45 lbs (no wonder they sag).....Also before anyone says thats unsafe on street look inside a pickup door!!!!

you could probally lose 50 pounds in the laguna door (if not more) if you remove all that inners and the glass and i know what you mean badbis these cars have a very long door would hate to get t-boned in one OOOOOUUUUCCCCCHHHHHHHH

the 73 malibu that you got now, weighed in at 3900lbs without driver. it had the iron headed alum intake 454 and th400 trans with the 9" convertor. No windows or regulators in the doors. Interior was bench seat, back seat and dash only. nothing in the trunk and all AC stuff removed. they are heavy cars. we probably removed 50lbs when we gutted that bumper and sunk it in!

BlackChevelleSS wrote:the 73 malibu that you got now, weighed in at 3900lbs without driver. it had the iron headed alum intake 454 and th400 trans with the 9" convertor. No windows or regulators in the doors. Interior was bench seat, back seat and dash only. nothing in the trunk and all AC stuff removed. they are heavy cars. we probably removed 50lbs when we gutted that bumper and sunk it in!

Wow.................

I guess a small block & buckets should knock it down some, but WOW!

actually the buckets will add weight the swivels put them on a scale and find out how much they really weigh YOU WILL BE surprised, and take the seats them selves wow .................now compare just to springs and the outers braces for the bench and it will come in weighing much less (unless you go all out race seats) you will adding weight with the swivels buckets

Not swivel buckets, I got some from one of my old Eclipses. When I put them in my Cutlass they weighed about half of what the old bench did that I took out.

my build sheet says 4995lbs
not anymore though

coreys73chevelle wrote:my build sheet says 4995lbs
not anymore though

That's the vehicle weight rating with maximum occupancy at 250 lbs/ person & a loaded trunk.