The firebird was originally about 3500 lbs from the factory. 3000lbs should be doable fairly easily. The Cherokee’s lack of a frame will require support being added and they don’t have a whole lot to remove to offset the weight gain from the needed support. I’ve wheeled with some Cherokees and seen them get twisted from off camber stuff when they weren’t reinforced. I like both vehicles and would take either if it was offered. The Cherokee would be more unique but the Pontiac would be safer and easier to build. The Firebird would have a better resale value as well as the fact that if you kept it, there is no reason you would have to stop at 9s.
I know you want some room for suitcases, but a non-running 1st gen RX-7 with ratty paint will check a lot of your boxes. Lots of room for an LS in the engine bay. Stock tunnel is bigger than any 60's musclecar, it fits a T56 without mods. Subframe connectors from the factory. 16.4gal fuel tank on the '84-85 models, more if you add a sump. These cars come from the factory with a rubber bushed 4 link in the rear, I removed the upper links and built a torque arm for mine. Explorer 8.8 with two short side axles is exactly the right width to fit 275/60-15 drag radials on common 15x8 wheels with 5.5" backspace. I used brackets from the stock RX-7 rear on my 8.5 10 bolt. With a iron head sbc and iron 4spd, typically around 2500lbs. Mine weighs 2525 w/ 200lb driver, fiberglass hood, stock seats, factory glass. Mine has run 5.73 with a 1.30 60', stick shift on dead hooking radials. No roll bar or chassis reinforcements of any kind. Still no cracks or buckling in the body after 31 years of sbc power... Here's a link to more pics of engine compartment and under the car as it was back in 2008... https://grannys.tripod.com/20101.html Grant
I have a buddy who built a badass sleeper Fairmount with twin turbo LS. He sold it and now is building his second one. It's his drag racing toy and it is very competitive.
Uncle Tony is playing with XJs lately.... I think he called it Mission Improbable. I got his quite quick for what it is.
I just read through your whole build, and updates. I didn't know you are the Clutch-Tamer guy, that's rad! Any 2025 updates on the RX7?
1986 Jeep Cherokee Laredo Pictures & Mods 1/4 mile data 8.961 seconds 152.970 MPH trap speed Weighs 3580 w/driver https://www.dragtimes.com/Jeep-Cherokee-Timeslip-16242.html
I think that one wrecked. It's a race car, I'm looking to make a sort of fast, low buck street car. But it sure shows what you can do with one!
60's Jeepster Commando? Idk the weight, but the no engine or trans roller I have seems to be very light. Postal Jeep? Pretty short wb, they are fun but not sure I'd want to go 9's in one.
I looked at a few of those earlier jeeps before getting into the xj. They are pretty rough if you find a cheap one, though. And the most likely candidate was the Willys Wagon, late 40s-mid 60s. There are some around, but they also get pricey if they're complete and not trashed. There's a guy nearby who has a row of them at his place, wagons and pickups.
If you are going that early, the Mopar wagons of the early 50s are still cheap. Engine room isn't great, though. https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/d/placitas-1953-chrysler-new-yorker-with/7833195941.html
I decided I didn't want to deal with bringing another 60-70 year old car back to life. I've done enough of them already. I'm planning to get the XJ in a couple days.
Considering the effort on the 'vette, the Checker, the cuda, and others I missed, I get that! Good luck on the Jeep, and if you need a hand up here, just let me know.
That is definitely the truth They just vanished. I had one when I was 19 to 20, 302 c4, pretty low on the power numbers in stock form but it definitely took a beating that a 20-year-old guy that thought everything was a race car could give it and even with the stock drivetrain they had the potential to be fairly stout. I always wanted a two-door with the vinyl top and I wanted to set it really low and make it look like a late 1970s pro street car. When I was first getting into cars I used to read Rod and custom every month and there was an issue titled Dare to be different and I've always stuck to that motto so a Granada is a mainstream platform that nobody touches that I would imagine is fairly lightweight being a midsize from the gas crunch era. Anyways I was thinking the other day All the mundane cars from the '70s and '80s just kind of vanished I think there's more mundane cars from the '50s and '60s is still floating around then there are some '70s and '80s cars. As an example the other day I thought to myself for about a minute that it would be pretty cool to own a Chevy Monza from the mid '70s, you know the one with the body kit and the V8 (My friend have one it was called a Monza mirage I believe it was a 1977) and I looked in the classifieds and I only found a couple of them and if course they were race cars, I wanted one that said 1977 cool you know the over the top graphics, t-tops snd bright colored interior. It's very strange all that stuff just disappeared. I would do a Dodge Magnum from what was that about 1977 for a race car That might be kind of fun and you just don't see them.
You are correct but that's only 2 to 3 tenths of a second generally speaking And It would stand out I would imagine anybody under 40 probably don't even know what one is unless they are a serious gearhead.
The first couple of years of those cars they came with a 302 which means if you don't want to go crazy trying to modify a car to fit LS you could probably get a Ford Explorer 302 from around 2001 and I'd imagine it would drop right in with the right engine mounts. The only bad thing is with a Mustang everybody knows They have the potential to be fast... Although I guess that doesn't matter I'm thinking street racing where the goal is to dupe your competitor lol
I have pushed my fair share of Cherokees in my lifetime lol I mean obviously a lot of it has to do with tire choices but I got to say I'm pretty skeptical of them weighing in it 27 or 2,800 lb I would say 3400 maybe 36 is probably more accurate although I've never weighed one
from the 1988 Cherokee brochure. The 4wd stuff adds a few hundred pounds...I'm removing all that. Later ones were heavier, I expect it's the normal thing with adding sound deadening, and other features. Uncle Tony is often cited in this thread, he has a video where he compares a 98 2wd with a 98 4wd (both 4 doors) and says the 2wd is a bit over 3000, the 4 door is 300 lbs heavier. I intend to do a lot of weight removal, ie rear seat, sound deadener, hood, skinny front tires, etc.
This thing is putting in work with a stock 5.3, cam, S480 turbo, and a TH350 with a transbrake.... 6.50's in the 1/8 (Low 10's in the 1/4)
Can I at least send you the Wild Cherry seat covers? That passenger seat needs help! I want to be a contributor!!!
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