Cars with cages
#1
Cars with cages
Anyone have pics of their cars with a cage and a dash pad?
I have a cage and that's the last piece to install.
Anyone ever use carpet or the VFN fiberglass dash pad?
http://vfnfiberglass.com/site.htm
I have a cage and that's the last piece to install.
Anyone ever use carpet or the VFN fiberglass dash pad?
http://vfnfiberglass.com/site.htm
#2
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Cars with cages
Depends which cage kit you use. If the A-pillar tubes run down the a-pillar to the firewall then you'll need to cut the pad. Not easy to get the pad in place once the tubes are in place.
The other option is to have the a-pillar tubes run on the outside of the dash. They run down the A-pillar from the halo tube until they're roughly even with the dash then run straight down past the dash. They can then be bent forward to join up to the floor under the dash.
Either way is acceptable but when I put my cage in, I have no stock dash and liked the cleaner look of having the A-pillar tubes running down the full length of the A-pillar. I made an aluminum dash to fit between the A-pillar tubes.
A-pillar tubes running down from the halo bar only need to extend forward enough to protect the driver's body. Your feet and legs can extend out of the protection area of the cage. The tubes just need to be forward enough to allow enough room to get in and out of the car.
The other option is to have the a-pillar tubes run on the outside of the dash. They run down the A-pillar from the halo tube until they're roughly even with the dash then run straight down past the dash. They can then be bent forward to join up to the floor under the dash.
Either way is acceptable but when I put my cage in, I have no stock dash and liked the cleaner look of having the A-pillar tubes running down the full length of the A-pillar. I made an aluminum dash to fit between the A-pillar tubes.
A-pillar tubes running down from the halo bar only need to extend forward enough to protect the driver's body. Your feet and legs can extend out of the protection area of the cage. The tubes just need to be forward enough to allow enough room to get in and out of the car.
#8
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Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 355, 10.34:1, 249/252 @.050", IK200
Transmission: TH-400, 3500 stall 9.5" converter
Axle/Gears: Ford 9", detroit locker, 3.89 gears
Re: Cars with cages
I have the bent A pillar bars that goes in front of dash.
#10
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Cars with cages
S&W makes the best kit short of having a chassis shop make a custom one.
#11
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Car: 86 iroc
Engine: Iron 408 LS3 combo
Transmission: Ram10 T56
Axle/Gears: 3.73 10 bolt :)
Re: Cars with cages
Yeah i see that now, i like the look of that kit and not having to hack my dash and a pillars, but how much do thos bends weaken it.. also not many ttop cars with cages.. any problems getting the ttops off? And lastly ill be hi tens on motor, 200 shot down the line, you think i need a 10 or can i get away with an 8 point
#12
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Cars with cages
The a-pillar tube bends to not weaken the cage. If you want a little more strength, you can install a knee/dash bar above or below the steering column between the 2 a-pillar bars to tie them together. While you're at it, you can also install a sill bar to tie the main hoop and a-pillar bars together down along the door sills. Just takes a little more 1-5/8" straight tubing to make the cage stronger although it's not required for cage minimum requirements but the extra bars all serve a purpose.
I can easily remove my t-tops if I have to. The only advantage to removing my t-tops is to let more light in and to give me a little more head room while I'm working inside the car. With the full cage, it's a tight fit to do anything inside the car.
I can easily remove my t-tops if I have to. The only advantage to removing my t-tops is to let more light in and to give me a little more head room while I'm working inside the car. With the full cage, it's a tight fit to do anything inside the car.
#15
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Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 355, 10.34:1, 249/252 @.050", IK200
Transmission: TH-400, 3500 stall 9.5" converter
Axle/Gears: Ford 9", detroit locker, 3.89 gears
#17
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Car: 86 iroc
Engine: Iron 408 LS3 combo
Transmission: Ram10 T56
Axle/Gears: 3.73 10 bolt :)
Re: Cars with cages
wow lots of pics, thanks guys this solves a lot of my ?'s by the way anyone else looking at s&w's... the 8 point is 1,3/4" and the 10 point is 1,5/8"
8 point is around 100lbs mild steel -20 for molly, 10 point is around 140lbs mild steel - almost 40lbs for molly...
I think im going with the 10 point with the bent bars for the dash, ill post up pics of the intall when I do. need to replace drivers floor pan first.. buffalo problems
8 point is around 100lbs mild steel -20 for molly, 10 point is around 140lbs mild steel - almost 40lbs for molly...
I think im going with the 10 point with the bent bars for the dash, ill post up pics of the intall when I do. need to replace drivers floor pan first.. buffalo problems
#18
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Cars with cages
The 8 point is actually a roll bar which has added tubes to make it a 10 point. Roll bars are made from 1-3/4" tubing. You can start will a roll bar and make it into a full cage eventually but you would still have the oversized tubing from the original roll bar.
A full cage built from the ground up and not an extension of a roll bar, is made from 1-5/8" tubing or at least all the main components of it are. Not every tube needs to be the maximum diameter. I have 1-5/8", 1-1/2" and 1-1/4" tubing in my car and it passes a chassis certification except for the tube running behind the seat. The wall thickness is too thin and I need to change or modify it but I still got a certification with it in.
Nothing wrong with using mild steel. My entire cage is made from mild steel. Moly is nice but needs to be welded with TIG while mild steel can also be welded with MIG. Moly can also become brittle over the years of abuse and can crack. MS is more forgiving.
I have far more tubes in my cage than what you'll be putting in and my cage is right around 200 pounds of extra weight.
A full cage built from the ground up and not an extension of a roll bar, is made from 1-5/8" tubing or at least all the main components of it are. Not every tube needs to be the maximum diameter. I have 1-5/8", 1-1/2" and 1-1/4" tubing in my car and it passes a chassis certification except for the tube running behind the seat. The wall thickness is too thin and I need to change or modify it but I still got a certification with it in.
Nothing wrong with using mild steel. My entire cage is made from mild steel. Moly is nice but needs to be welded with TIG while mild steel can also be welded with MIG. Moly can also become brittle over the years of abuse and can crack. MS is more forgiving.
I have far more tubes in my cage than what you'll be putting in and my cage is right around 200 pounds of extra weight.
#19
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Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 355, 10.34:1, 249/252 @.050", IK200
Transmission: TH-400, 3500 stall 9.5" converter
Axle/Gears: Ford 9", detroit locker, 3.89 gears
Re: Cars with cages
Moly is nice but unless you are a high end pro racer I don't see it being worth the price and trouble.
Like Alky posted, CM must be tig welded, where MS can be mig welded.
Here is the weight break down on my 10 pt. MS S&W kit.
170# 10 point cage, extra clearanced door bars, 6 plates, cardboard, steel band straps and other shipping stuff
-24# 2 straight door bars
-3# cardboard, steel band straps and other shipping stuff
+4# 2 swing out side bar kits
-5# scrap from bars, ends I cut off.
+3# 2 extra 6"x6"x1/8" plates
+4# welding wire used
Total 149 pounds added to car's weight
Like Alky posted, CM must be tig welded, where MS can be mig welded.
Here is the weight break down on my 10 pt. MS S&W kit.
170# 10 point cage, extra clearanced door bars, 6 plates, cardboard, steel band straps and other shipping stuff
-24# 2 straight door bars
-3# cardboard, steel band straps and other shipping stuff
+4# 2 swing out side bar kits
-5# scrap from bars, ends I cut off.
+3# 2 extra 6"x6"x1/8" plates
+4# welding wire used
Total 149 pounds added to car's weight
#21
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Car: 86 iroc
Engine: Iron 408 LS3 combo
Transmission: Ram10 T56
Axle/Gears: 3.73 10 bolt :)
Re: Cars with cages
and the weight numbers I posted were from s&w.. 10lbs lighter than yours with the extra stuff... unless he gave me a heavy number
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