does anyone know the legal issues involving a cross brace in the main hoop? i'd like to install a 6 or 8 point cage in my car, but dont want the cross bar in there, so that i have access to the back seats, and carrying small passengers (read: kids). would it be possible to fabricate some sort of quick release, such as those used in door bar swingouts, to remove the bar in a street driving situation? also, what are the IHRA and NHRA rules on cages of this sort?

 

it'd definately be possible all the swing outs are are two quick release pins, two tabs with a hole in them, and a "U" looking peice that has hole drilled through it

as far as n/ihra rules....i have no idea if it's required or if the swing out idea is an option, the cross brace is smaller and i think it's purpose has more to do with attaching 5pts to more than anything else

 

in my custom 6 i didnt do it elcamino so no need for quick release but i see people with harness bar that have a quick release. its not as strong because if you get t boned it is more likely to collapse but i still use a quick release on my door bars. the chances arnt as likely that i will get hit hard enough to break the pins but it is possible.
are you fast enough that you warrant a cage or do you want it for looks.

 

as the car sits its not fast enough to warrant a cage. it doesnt even have SFCs on it yet. i just got it back a few days ago, and its still sitting at my cousins house. i'd like to go at least 11s with it in full street trim. i'm sorta thinking ahead, i'm interested in a girl who happens to have a kid. and i dont want to have to sell my car just because it has a cage in it, and the kid cant ride too. if that's the way i have to go, i guess that's what i have to do, but i'd liek to avoid the situation if at all possible. as for the harness mounts, i can just as easily use a y harness and figure out another way to mount it. we got extremely creative with a couple cars we put 5 points in.

 

When you say 6 point or 8 point cage I'm guessing you really mean roll bar (cage has halo and front a pillar bars).


Well swings out are ok. They're now certified. As for the removeable crossmember bar. That's kind of a no no. If you want the roll bar to be certified you need the true 8 point setup. With the crossmember bar Mig'd in or Tig'd (depending on chrome moly or mild steel). The crossmember bar is designed to add support to the main hoop and help prevent lateral collapse and also is a mounting point for the harnesses. Which like you stated you could mount them elsewhere. But the fact still remains a removeable crossmember bar won't be certified by tech inspection. So you will still get booted if you run a 11.99 or faster.


The swing out side bars are pretty strudy like jocww stated. In fact I don't even use my pins on the street. I don't see much point of using the pins since the tabs are Mig'd in and are pretty firm. I'm not sure what size the roll bar swing out pins are for sure but I looked them up on summitracing and the ones moroso makes the lowest double shear rating load was 8,200 lbs. That's a little bit of pressure.

 

I wouldn't suggest putting anyone in the back seat with a cross brace... if it swings or you make them climb in like a monkey. The rear seats in '86 only have a lap belt, no shoulder harness. That means the little ones can still smack their heads on it in an accident. Even with padding it wouldn't be pleasant. If both sides are pinned in then the tabs can cause trouble too, much less likely but still an issue.

 

you can alway put 4pt in the back seat

 

the idea was to make the cross bar totally pin in, so i would be able to pull both pins and remove it altogether. i swear my car has 3 points in the back seat, but i could be wrong. the tabs are a very good point, i never thought of that. i guess i'll build it up, then if i have to put a bar in it i will. if not, i'll keep my back seat.

 

my buddy has 5 points all around in his 74 Formula 400. when he bought the car it didnt have any seatbelts at all. it was cheaper for him to buy 4 5-point harnesses than it was to buy replacement seatbelts.

 

are you planning on doing alot of crusing in your 11 second car with the kid in it?

 

to bad you didnt give me dad that advice when i was a kid. although i did get to sit up front when he would smoke the hides to make me laugh

 

actually, yes, i do plan on cruising the car alot. just because its an 11 second car doesnt mean that it has to be driven like an 11 second car all the time. there's a time and place for everything. if i have a passenger, i'm way cooler than when i'm alone.

 

agreed

 

And thats called College

 

Do like I did, when I got married, I got 3 extra kids (4 now). I took the back seats out of the T/A, and bought a P.O.S. for a work car! Now the T/A comes out only in nice weather, and there is no room in the back for kids. That way the wife can't bitch about it either.

 

:yourock:

 

11 sec car wont get great gas mileage and will prob be pretty loud

 

I would just get a second beater car for when toting the kid around. Too much of a hassle delaing with getting people into the back seat of a roll cage equipped car. Also, even swing outs can be a bit of a pain... take it from the guy with a 6-point cage in his daily driver.

 

ya think?! gas milage isnt an issue here.

hey, maybe if things work out i can use this as an excuse the build a really bitchin Malibu wagon!

 

didn't hot rod have some cars (V-8s) awhile back (years) on their cover that ran 12s and still got 20 mpg?

 

dont alot of later model cars (V8s) have more then enough power to run 12s and still get over 20mpg

 

Now you're thinkin' like a true Hot Rodder!!

 

a true hot rodder eh? well, since i've taken on that title, i guess its time to share a few other ideas... amish buggy cab on a tube frame with a blown big block anyone?

 

only if it is a 540 with a 10-71 blower.

 

The ones I was talking about were actual oldies like 70s and 80s.

 

yeah? you think i'd really consider driving a front wheel drive piece of crap? just because it's wrong wheel drive doesnt mean its not cool though. i want a '68 Olds Toronado.

 

Actually I think these were actual sports cars I'll try to dig out the magazine if I can still find it sometime.

 

why 10 71 why not go all out with a 14 71