Weight Watchers for Your GS

by Rick Martinez

marti4@prodigy.net

 

The easiest ingredient to have quicker quarter mile times is to shake those unsightly pounds. So let's put your GS on a performance diet. The following illustrates the various weights of factory and some aftermarket equipment. Always keep in mind, for every 100 pounds taken off, you gain about a tenth and 1 mph. That's free HP! All weights in pounds.

Fact. 1970 GS Hood   85      Glass Hinged GS hood 35 
Frt Bumper           27      Glass Front Bumper    3 
Rear Bumper          34      Glass rear bumper     3 
Fact. frt buckets(2) 90      Plastic high back buckets 23  
Bumper Brackets (4)  24      Trimmed bumper brackets 12 
Rear Seat, top/btm   40      Remove rear seat     00 
Front Disc Brakes    60      Frt Al. man.drum     47 
Brake Booster        10      Remove brake booster 00
Inside door braces (2) 26    Remove inside braces 00
Power Steering       30      Manual Steering      00
Buick Mags&tires     90      Weld Wheels/frt drag tires 24
Buick Mags&rr tires  94      Weld Wheels/MT tires 44 
Spare tire           45      Remove Spare         00
Deadening material   35      Remove material      00

Total Weight        690      Total weight        192

By doing the above (which I have done) would take
approximately 498 pounds off your Buick. This will 
increase your 1/4 mile times up to 5 tenths and five mph!
Of course your weight may vary depending on the type of 
scale you use. Now, if you really look hard enough there
are many more places to shave the pounds. One thing to 
keep in mind, is that the more weight you take off the 
less streetable and original your Buick becomes. You
should store away any original equipment in case you 
get the urge to restore your Buick down the road. So 
be smart about it. It only takes a few ounces that add 
to a pound and 1600 ounces to 100 pounds. My '70 GS 
weighs 3000 on the nose though I did have it back halfed
with 14 x 32 tires, which also cut another 200 pounds off
the car. As for the drum brakes, I am doing 135 in the 
1/4 and I'm running aluminum manual drum brakes all around.