I just recently modified my dual exaust, I cut it in front of the rear axel.
Im running glasspacks for a little sound reduction. Well lets say it sounds
great, it sound like a lower tone more of a rumble. It feels more quick off
the line with less back pressure (no et's yet) I have to get it down to Pacific Raceway to test it out. Not only did I remove about 35 pounds,
but the stock exaust bends over the rear axel, then bends out twards the wheels, so now its straight from the engine all the way to the exaust exit.
I did this years ago on my 1972 big block caprice it loved it and so did I,
and it definatly is a improvment over the stock exaust on my current el camino. With a hack saw two new custom hangers I made, it takes an hour or more, but you get more power a deeper sound all for free! Too bad I could not dyno it first to see the changes at diffrent RPM's before and after the hack job. I know it is a small change in the power curve but when you start to reach your peak horse power a little more is alot in the race world, it only takes a tenth of a second to win. My car is close to 3000 pounds thats 700 less than stock my goal is to get it under 3000pounds, for ever hundred pounds its a tenth of a second faster!

"Free power". Is that an oxymoron?

Glad you got noticeable (sp?) improvements for such a small investment.

Just watch out for exhaust fumes getting back into the cab. When I was a kid, a young couple down the street from me killed themselves with a leaky exhaust emtying under the car.

Also, glaspacks eventually "wear out". When they do, you'll have a much noisier car. The cops will notice you more too. Then the "free power" won't seem quite so free.

Happy driving.

Free power means it had no dollar cost to gain more power, plain and simple. A oxymoron would be (example): I had to sit down to get going.
When I removed the two bends on the rear dual exaust, it decreased back pressure, that increases the exiting air flow of my engine, thus creates free power. When the power of your engine is increased, and you dont have to by any parts, there's no other way to call it but FREE POWER!
On the note of my glass packs wearing out that probaly happened years ago, they are very very loud and I love it, it was loud befor I cut off the extra bends to get my now current straight exuast, but then again my sound systm will shake windows, bet the cops dont like that. A cop in a charger pulled me over the other day for speeding, after he gave me the ticket I reved it up so loud Im shure it rattled his brain, there is nothing they can do its washington state the dont inforce sound ordinance for auto's. I been right next to cops many times with my stereo turned up and shaking the rear view mirror, they dont care, think about the motor cycles there a lot louder because the rpm range.

dont think you gained no more than 15whp with this mod. I think a real free mod would be stripping the cars guts and removing excess metal and then eventually going to fiberglass which in the end still isnt free. Dont think you can do much w/out throwing a buck here and there and of course throwing many wrenchs.

-Snaggle

My car wieghs 3100 (checked at two different local dumps weigh stations) without driver, front wheel wells have been removed replaced with plastic ones. The floor pans also have been replaced with plastic, it came this way, there molded and fit great. I have aluminum rims wich are light, a/c has been removed, and the radiator for it, the heater unit has been removed the wind shield fluide unit is removed, aluminum intake and carb nice and light. There is no carpet in it except some foot pads, oh ya & 30 or more pounds gone from cutting the exaust down, oh ya I paid no extra money for it being lighter. I can get it a little more light by removing passenger seat, and get aluminum heads, or heck aluminum block. Every 100 pounds is a tenth of a second at the track they say.

I want it around 2800 pounds, but thats 300 pounds to get rid of then when you add in my own body at 180 pounds its480 pounds to get rid of, what would be the cheapest way to get down to this weight including new engines options? I have looked lots of engine options, and light high horse power engines are very pricey, I see them starting at 10k and go up. I would love to put a 13k LS7 in my ride but never could afford it, but would'nt be nice 505hp with around 28mpg thats what a ZO6 gets.
Nice to dream.

aluminum driveshafts are light, but not cheap. manual transmissions weight less. If you want a lighter engine, you can get an gen III or IV. How bout an LS2 (aluminum) block with a stroker crank? 408CI. then you could use a T56. (although you can use a t56 with a gen I SBC as well.)

IDK how much weight difference there is, but a Ford 9" with an aluminum 3rd member can't be heavier than the cast iron GM corporate rear.

fiberglass parts save weight. The most effective way to lose weight is to get rid of the bumpers.

racing seats are lighter than sock seats, but I can tell you now, I dont care much for mine. I'll probably just get F-body manual seats. decent compromise.

I'm sure you already know about the rare, hard to find G-body aluminum core support and Slim Fast products? I prefer increasing horsepower as a means to go faster, not removing items...especially if it decreases structural integrity to the point where safety is a concern. I think the aluminum core support weighs like 11 pounds and if you use enough Slim Fast...you'd probably lose about 1/4 of that 480 lbs your looking to drop...throw in an occasional box of Exlax and you can probably squeeze out a few more pounds...maybe.

Just do what they used to do on the old A/FX cars. Have the body panels acid dipped! Then add a mountain motor and go!:cool:

I'm puttin a wind mill generator in the bed of my elky, free power :lol:

The only example of free power I can imagine is if an ugly wife ran off with another man. He'd then be free and more powerful. :evil:

Maybe "H" or "Y" pipes can be considered free power. Parts other folks buy for you? Free pizza?

Take care.