Guess the weight ...

[StewRat]

No, not a summer fair competition, but a bit of help in getting me to the races.

I've spotted a potential trailer, and looking into that, towing, winches etc I realise it would be useful to know roughly what the weight of my car is.
I'm not going to have a chance to have it weighed before I need to commit to some of this stuff so it would be interesting to get a couple of informed guesses as to an approximate weight.
Wikipedia sez original weight would be 800-840Kg, so ...

(I think) '71 bug
Stripped out interior
One kirkey seat, cage, wheel, electric panel and dashpanel about all in the cabin
Lexan front side windows
Cookie cutter wheels
Std fuel tank
2276 engine with dual carbs
No tin
Rear end stripped out and panelled with no inner wings

It feels like a lot of weight would have been removed in stripping out interior and other metalwork, but the cage will have added a chunk back in. Indeed, everything seems to weigh a ton as I add it back in - most recently battery, wiring and today's weight shock when the safety harness arrived.

Best guess at likely weight?

Thanks

[leec]

670kg. You could get lighter by going to a lightweight race battery

[StewRat]

Thank you.

I'm quite keen to look at all the weight saving options, but do have to keep reminding myself that the biggest potential improvement is round my middle, and it seems wrong to be honeycombing parts of the car until I address that

[Neil Davies]

Stew, the new front end was repro, as were the wings, so they'll be lighter too. There's a decent chunk of cage in there so I reckon you'll be at about 720kg. The shell is a 1200 so small headliner and no crescent vents.

[StewRat]

My personal and very uninformed guess was c700 so not so far off.

Original question was based on possible buy of a nice length (shortish) trailer but that fell through.

Have now bought a bigger trailer. Towbar fitted this week. First outing at "Action" still suspect. Swings and roundabouts. Swamped at work this week+ so litte progress, then yesterday got wiring complete and completed full turning engine with valve geometry to be set.

Today, engine installed, then family emergency had taken me out of pocket. Away with work Mon/Tues. 

So near yet so far ....

Have never towed anything in my life. As if building an engine, auto electrics 101 etc werent enough

 

[Neil Davies]

Towing isn't too bad. Speak to a friendly caravan owner and borrow a nose weight gauge. Set the car on the trailer until you're happy when the gauge says the recommended reading. I always towed my car with the engine at the back but so many people told me I'd got it wrong. Set with the gauge and it was perfect. Had the header flange level with the back of the trailer so I know it was right every time. Allow a good half a day to play with trailer set up, with ratchet straps layout and so on.

[modnrod]

I put a set of bathroom scales under the jockey wheel (this would be AFTER it's on the trailer!  ) and just roll the car/bike/elephant/whatever back and forth a bit until the tongue weight is 5-10% of total.
Done.

Eg: drag Beetle at 600kg, 100kg of tools, light flat basic trailer 300kg, I'd use 80kg on the tongue.