i am thinking about putting a roll cage in my car. withen the next year or so, i will need it to race legally with the new engine in.

i am upgrading the interior this winter, and i really want to get the cage put in now, i just dont want to look like an idiot with a roll cage, and only running 13's

the roll cage will be finished off really nice, leather wrapped, and bent really close to the interior.

what does everyone think?

 

well i've always been against cages in cars because of the annoying way they make things difficult and block views. however if it was done right i'm sure it would be fine. the fact your car isn't running anywhere close to needing one is my only question for wanting it. i think for overall design and if you really want one you should do it but....

i put mine in only because the car was twisting from the power which wasn't even all that much. i have yet to drive it on the road so i have no idea what effect it has had on the car which worries me.

it's a tough decision that you'll have to make up on your own.

 

put it in now and get it over with. who cares what other people think...chassis will be alot tighter and handling should be much improved...you can enjoy the benifits now while you get the motor done.

 

Put it in now, I went the other route and have gotten kicked off the track before for even running close to the magic 11.99! Nothing sucks worse than having to lift before the lights so you don't get kicked out. You will thank yourself later. As the above stated, being NHRA legal is not the only advantage.

 

i put my cage in a year before i did the rest of the car, get it in and done with......its always better to build from the bottom up anyways

chassis and driveline before engine

that way you break less parts, and buy less things twice

who cares what people think, its your car, you know what your doing

 

put it in now man who really cares what others think? aslong as you like it

 

Really, who cares about how fast the car is... I have a buddy with an older civic that he put a rollbar in, eveyone used to make fun of him because it ran high 16's Nobody laughed at him when he rolled his car and the bar saved his life! Just another way to look at it.


Jason

 

Put the cage in now... youll like the chasis reinforcement. Also why wait to reinforce your chasis? Our cars already flex like mo fo's. If your running 13s your car is enduring a lot of flex already... youll probably notice a little lower 60 ft's with the cage due to the rigidity of the chasis

 

I dont want to put the cage in the car at all, but to go as fast as i want, mid 11's, i will need one in the end. the only reason i want to put it in now is so i dont have to tear interior apart again later this year.

so far pretty much everyone says to get it put in now, just so its done. thats what im thinking to at this point in time.

anyone else?

 

Put it in now.

 

There is no sense in ripping apart the interior another time to install a roll cage.......just put it in now.....

 

i had full interior when mine was done....took a whole 1 min to take out the rear seat and 5 min to move the pieces that were necessary to put it in.

just a thought, it's not a necessity. if you want it fine, it should help with structure but don't worry about it being a pita down the road.

 

Do it now....Why??? Because when you actually GET the motor and you cant WAIT to run it at the track You will be SORRY when the chassis shop says "we are booked for the next 3 months" and you and your new motor have to wait...Plus if the interior is out already from you refinishing it...then its the perfect time...


When Provingout my last combo I made 12 sec passes with a cage and fire suit...No one ever said anything about it..

 

I am an idiot with a roll cage and only running 13's. But, it is a good item for now, it does help keep the car form twisting. I will pulll some more power from the motor shortly, that will justify the cage. But... I put the cage in 2 years ago, and then I was running a stock 305. Only put in the 350 a couple months ago.

BTW - if you want to live with it everyday, I suggest you get a swing out kit, and keep the sidebars removed until you need them, it makes it much easier for you, and especially your passenger (only one) to get in and out of the car. Also, the rear seats may be a bitch to get into, but I am told they are quite confortable once you get there.

 

JFC dude Id never let Anyone in my back seat with a cage...Lets see most thirdgens had LAP belts in the rear...fender bender...Face straight into a crossbar made of chromoly tubing...YIKES!!! that hurts even thinking about it..I like keeping all of my teeth as well as keeping my skull in tact...

 

keeping the rear seat is essential to me, as i do get a few times a month that i do have passengers that will ride back there. the cage will be custom bent, to be legal to race, but still be out of the way for everyday easy driving.

i am still undecided at this point. the motor only takes a weekend to install and tune. which might even be as early as late august. i just want to avoid getting the engine in, and then have to wait a week or more for the cage to be finished before i can go race.

i could just take the chance that the sfc will keep the car from twisting at the track and just forget the roll cage idea:lala:

 

seriously how much power is this motor going to put down....if you have the money and are that interested in the cage just do it. personally myself i wanted anything but a cage because i like having room in the car however because i noticed the car starting to flex and the new motor was definately going to need it i had too.

if you are going to need it or want it just put it in if you can. i myself wanted to wait until i had that one timeslip that kicked me off for not having one, but unfortunately the body couldn't wait.

 

What your reallyy talking about is a roll bar....I dont know if you could get an 11 SEC roll bar that would have soo much clearance that the Back seat would be SAFE.. Obviously you would have to go with a 6 point setup...Im not sure if Legally you HAVE to get a crossbar...That being the case it would be a little safer and easier to get in and out of...But then You have to figure out how to run 5 point harness system without that bar to weld into ... I suppose you could by the Tube chassis type and weld mounts to the floor and wrap them around the seat...But still...The Idea of building something that would run 11's and NEEDING it to be able to haul people is a scary proposition... Honestly if that what you want to do Id skip the cage...By some SFC's and IF you ever approach the point of running 11.99 or faster then you make the decision as to the future of the car...

Im sure someone will take issue with what Im saying but The thought of having passangers in the back seat with LAP belts and monkey bars right in front of their face scares me to death...Even with roll bar padding that would be a HARD BLOW to TAKE...

 

i agree....not the best idea pat. either your car is a "race/street" car that runs fast and is safe or it's a car that "could" run fast but you don't because you like to cruise... the lawsuit on you for having a passenger in your car that got hurt by your cage would not be good. while i'm sure many do it, just things to think about. not to mention i know i can't fit in the back and many of my friends can't either....if it's for the girls keep it limited to one as a passenger, more alone time anyhow.

 

I totally agree with you Kenwood. i wasnt going to put a cross bar right behind the front seats. does there have to be a cross bar to be legal? ever since i have started to build this car one year ago, i have always said that i would never mod the car so much that its a pain to drive on the streets. obviously the new engine im working on, and the idea of a cage is a very fine line between safely driven on the streets and a full out race car. im starting to think that the motor might have to be a little more mild, so i can keep the car running safely on the street



only if my rule book would come already, i could finally figure out whats legal and what not...instead of calling the shop everytime i have a question about legallity

 

well if your going to put the cage in you'll want a cross bar, not only is it's purpose functional and more sturdy but it works for the harness as well and if you do any track events you can hook up a camera there so that you can tape everything which is also an added bonus.

 

Im not really sure on the crossbar... ???I do not have my book either....

Honestly You could probably get by without it... If you dont plan to "RACE" chances are no one will ever look..On a T&T night they typically never get that involved...As long as you do the basics like wear a fire jacket and helmet..No one will be like GEE he just ran an 11.88 and a part of his bar is missing.... When I had my 6 point bar in mine I never one had a tech guy look at it during a T&T session.I took it to several different ones..They saw the harness and saw bars and left it at that... Plus if you go to IHRA tracks you dont need one untill 11.50's