AK vs AKL : weight difference ?

[French Frie]

AKLs are supposed to be 200 lbs lighter than AKs... where is that weight gained, apart from few parts deleted (heater, door bar,..) and the alloy heads ?

[REV]

There are quite a few small differences in the cars, but I suspect that the doors would be quite a large part of the 200lbs. The standard doors are MUCH heavier than the lightweights, which are similar to the original cars.
   
   Add to that things like radios, speakers, aerials, extra trim and these things add up.
   
   I said the other day that I no longer had pictures of AK1023's door conversion, but I came across a disk tonight which has some of the pictures on.
   
   The Red Car internal door is PH 39 which had previously been worked on by the same trimmer that worked on AK1023. He used this picture to try and replicate a similar style on my car.
   
   Firstly you will see that the door trims and locks are heavy weight items and secondly there is a very heavy strengthening bar through the door. Thirdly the heater and fan system which some do and some don't have.
   
   As has been mentioned previously all these cars vary greatly and so I suspect the 200lbs. was maybe a worse case scenario, or a figure thats plucked from the skies, but it is a considerable weight.
   
   I don't have a picture of the finished door and so I've put a picture of my lightweight door at the end. I've also included the jig pictures from which we formed the hinge.
   
   Finally you can see the speakers and carpets in the car which add considerably to weight. There is also leather trim around the cabin edges.
   
   Hopefully the pictures are fairly self explanatory.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I suspect there may be other odds and ends that contribute, but having owned both a standard and a lightweight these are the glaring differences that I cn easily point out.
   
   Finally I would add that the easiest way of shedding pounds from the car that I can see is to ditch the spare wheel and use a "Car Mobility Kit" as a tyre repair system. You would instantly save a major number of Lbs!
   
   [:)]

[Gus Meyjes]

Very nice job on the fabrication and end result! And who needs speakers in a Cobra anyway?
   
   Gus

[REV]

Thanks for that. The guy who now owns it has a nice car. When you also consider that all that welding was done whilst the door skin was submerged in water and that the door paint is still original it makes it an incredible job!
   
   I agree theres only one tune I want to hear whilst driving!
   
   :-)

[French Frie]

Many thanks for those pictures, Rev ! Fantastic job on doors, but I understand now why one prefers to do mkIII dashboard and keeps the doors as is [;)] !
   
   For the weight gain, I suspect that the difference is less than expected , even though we agree about useless parts ! Speakers are already out of Ak1113, since I never put the radio on in my toys, and I found that water was coming in the interior through the speakers holes ! I made some fiber to fill the holes... I assume that heater may follow the same path to a large wooden box...
   
   Thanks again for having found those pictures !

[SB7019]

I also agree that the best sterio sound is prided by a pair of 2 inch stainless steel speakers mounted just below the rear bumper!

[French Frie]

I can't find wherelse we were talking about MKiV weights, so I update my own thread ...
   
   At the French MOT, my car was weighted (with fluids, at least half fuel tank and a 75kg controller) at 1262 kgs, with a 586/676 repartition (46/54%)...

[SJ351]

The early Lightweights apparently had thinner walled main chassis tubing to save some weight, with a vertical gusset welded down the middle to reduce flex.

[C9OBY]

quote:Originally posted by French Frie
   
At the French MOT, my car was weighted (with fluids, at least half fuel tank and a 75kg controller) at 1262 kgs, with a 586/676 repartition (46/54%)...
   

   
   Hi Olivier, I've just had my car on scales and AK1222 is 1183 kgs with around 1/2 tank of fuel, which is 4 kg different to yours without the controller (assuming that you weighed your controller accurately!).  Pretty consistent!

[French Frie]

Hi Bruce,
   
   I didn't put the controller on scales, but he's a friend of mine, and I assume he didn't lie on his weight [}:)] ! cheers...