I got some questions for ya... I have an 88 Camaro. I am looking to get a roll cage here pretty soon. My car is a street car first and foremost, so keeping the interior intact is a concern for me. Here are a few of the questions that I have...

1. Will the rear seat be able to go back in after the cage is installed? I don't plan on having any back seat passengers, it will be strictly for cosmetic purposes.

2. Can the headliner be reinstalled after the cage is put in? Once again, cosmetic.

3. Will the A pillar bars of the roll cage clear an Autometer Triple gauge pillar pod, or will I have to use some sort of roll cage gauge cups to remount the gauges?

4. Does the dashboard/dash pad have to be cut and/or removed for the pillar bars or the dash bar to go in?

 

yes pad has to be cut, where else would the bars go through?

 

Well I wasn't completly sure. Looking at the pictures at both Spohn's site and S&W, the bars don't look like they travel all the way down through the dash. I am new to cages and stuff so I wasn't really sure. I was only assuming that by looking at the cage layout diagram here...


I don't mind that the pad has to be cut so much, but where does it need to be modified? I had read that it goes through the speaker holes or something like that. Not that I want to lose the front speakers but hey, safety first right? Any info on whether I will end up losing the other stuff?

P.S. I assume that you have a cage in your car. Would you happen to have any pics of the dash/headliner/backseat/pillar areas?

Thanks again for the quick reply.

 

Do you need a 10 pt? A 6pt fits much better in a street car.

 

Do I NEED a 10 point?? Probably not. With my car only having 419HP to the rear wheels, I don't see the need for a whole cage. Even if I spray a 200 shot of nitrous, I would only expect the car to get into the mid to highs 10's. So no, I don't NEED it but I will tell you this. On August 26 of 2008, me and a friend were driving to Chili's restaraunt on our lunch break. He had a Roush Mustang 5 speed. We were taking a gradual 45 degree right hand turn when he decided to floor it. He went full throttle all the way through 2nd and when he banged 3rd the *** end came out, he lost control and we hit a tree doing about 45-55 MPH. We hit the tree with the drivers side front fender, and the engine/transmission shifted towards the passenger side and back towards the firewall. As a matter of fact, the throttle body of the car was right smack up against the firewall sheet metal. Anyway, the impact was so bad that the actual dashboard broke, locked my left leg against the seat, and broke my femur in 3 places. My leg broke the shifter completly off the center console, and the radio display was pushed in 8 inches where my knee was. After being in the car, and seeing how it crumpled(it did what it was designed to do don't get me wrong) I decided that I wanted my car to be a little bit safer. Do I need the 10 point, nope. But the extra bracing from the bar that goes behind the dash plus the bars that run down to the floor boards in the front should help to alleviate anything from coming through the engine compartment into the passenger area. I also plan on getting some sort of racing seat for both driver and passenger sides and incorporating 5 point harnesses. I don't plan on doing anything stupid with anyone in the car, but if someone is riding with me and we get into an accident, I want them to be protected.

 

You don't "need" a full cage until you get into the 9 second zone. A basic 6 point bar is good down to 10.0 even if it has swingout door bars.

1. Maybe. For cosmetics, people usually just put carpet over the back where the seats were.

2. If installed properly, yes.

3. No rollbar/cage is a 100% direct fit. Trimming and modifying is always required. The A-pillar bar doesn't have to be that close to the A-pillar but moving it to either side to clear gauge pods will cause other problems such as trying to see out the windows.

4. Depends on the A-pillar bars. They don't "have" to go through the dash pad. I've seen many cars with the A-pillar bar behind the dash. Because of the deep third gen dash, this puts the A-pillar bar back a long way and even farther away from the A-pillar and gauge pod. The rules for bar locations are only designed to protect the driver's body. If the legs are out of the main cage area, the cage still passes. Getting in and out of the car with the A-pillar bar that far back will be difficult unless it's been custom bent to go around the dash then forward again to in front of the door.

Before you go putting a full cage into a street car "for safety", consult with your insurance company first. Many feel that once a roll cage is installed, it becomes a race car. I feel safer in my race car going down the track at 140+ mph than I do in my daily driver at 60 mph going down the highway.

 

A properly built 6 point will go a long way; however, a cage can hurt you in a crash. A "stock" car will crumple and the stock belts and seats will let you move around to survive in a crash like that. But with a cage, and racing seats, and seat belts. You can not move. Without a helmet if your head, or arm, or leg hits one of the bars you will be VERRY badly hurt. I would not put more that a 6 point in a street car, and get it very well padded. And keep ppl out of the back seat. It will become a death trap.

 

Well my main concern with this is safety for myself and passengers. I don't care about the weight so much. If you look at the diagram of the roll cage picture that I posted above you can see the *dash bar* meets up with the *windshield post runner* bars. By the way that they are connected, it looks like it would do a very good job and stopping an engine from coming through the firewall into the passenger compartment would you not agree? That is my main concern. A broken leg just plain sucks. It has been just over 4 months and I am just able to start walking around without the use of a walker/cane device. Before the accident, I would have had no issues with using the 6 or even an 8 point, but I don't want to take any chances. If I were to get into a frontal impact I think it would be the better choice. I do admit though, that a 6 or 8 point would be easier to install, have less effect on the interior, and would be easier to get in and out of not to mention cheaper to install. I just don't know what I should get. What is your opinion?

scribbles: I have thought about that as well. I did plan on using foam on every part of the cage where a body part could come in contact with. I also will not allow anyone to be in the back seat at all. The seat will only be there for asthectics.

 

Others would know more about this but could you do a 6pt, with the dash bar? That would stop a motor, help you in 99% of crashes, look reasonable, the only weakness would be flipping the car really severely, as you would not have a halo bar, and a pillar bars. Rolling the car would still be fine with the main hoop. Side impacts, would be covered, (third gen weakness) and front and back would be fine. And there would be much less to impact your head on witch without a helmet will kill you.

 

I like that idea, of adding the dash bar to a 6 point cage, that is if it will work. It might have to be mounted a little lower than what is shown in the above diagram, but it could be tucked sway behind the dash, run the width of the car, and tie into the floor bars and maybe even tack weld along the inside portion of the firewall itself. I might have to get in touch with S&W directly and see if this will be a feasable option. As long as the main install of the 6 point is done in accordance with NHRA specs, the addition of another brace/bar should not have any effect on regluations, right??

 

Like this

 

Hmm, I'm not sure. I see how it would work that way. I was planning on using the swing out kit on the door bars to help get in and out of the car easier. The way you have the tubing drawn out and the corresponding braces, the door bars would not be able to swing out. I am a rather large person, and I could forsee problem getting my large....uhh..mass up and over that section of bar every time.

 

It would work without the red braces, they would just take the suport of the missing a pillar bars, But they could be bent in a way to bring them in really low.

 

Hmm, maybe. Looks like I am just gonna have to call S&W tomorrow and ask them what they think would work. Thanks for all of your input, it is greatly appreciated!!

 

good luck.