260DET Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 There is a practical way to check whether any cage bar may get in the way of your head in an accident. That is to strap yourself in using the usual restraint and just see what you can contact by moving your head and shoulders around. On the first gen just about all of us will hit their head on the stock part that runs front/back above the top of the door. (Mr Fussy has put heavy closed cell foam along there under the trim). Which is why I would never drive a car fitted with the usual type of full roll cage without a helmet and the cage being padded where appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilRufusKay Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 zguy, Got any pics of your bar installed? It would be appreciated! Thanks, Rufus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 ahem I haven't heard anyone mention roll bar padding?...! It isn't legal to race without roll bar padding installed within 12 inches of your head anywhere, so why is anyone concerned about hitting your head on rollbar with padding versus the interior of the car? Anyway just an observation. I couldn't find a cage worth a hoot and they all take fabrication and welding of some kind or another so, I went the other route on roll bar. I got on EBAY and bought a $400 bender (delivered) and a $100 dollar tubing notcher with roller bearings (delivered) and $150 worth of 1-5/8" .120 wall pipe. I know that is alot of pipe at $1/ft, but I screwed up alot, but I still have 30+ feet left over. I'll take some pics and email them if anybody wants to see them, I tried hard not to interfere with driver comfort and I'm really close to the roofline. I'm 6'1" also and I fit fine. It did limit rear seat travel by 2 inches, but that's the way it goes. Had to remove windshield to finish welding HALO bar and had to remove rear quarter windows to weld main hoop to rear bars. Also had to build chairs on the floor next to the wheelwell behind the seat to attach to. Mine is more of a NHRA type 12 point cage that goes through the dash and down to the floor, but you could not go through the dash. I just wanted to be as close to the A pillar as possible to aid entry and EXIT from the car. You never know, you might want to get out rather sooner than later. Just an opinion and insight on why I went the way I did. And just so you know, it's really easy once you screw up a couple of times and figure out how to bend it right where it'll fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 260DET and TimZ, I'd be interested in seeing your designs for a half cage. I'm only 6 feet but most of that is in my torso, so my 240 is a really tight fit. I will hopefully find some shorter seats to help with head room, but I definitely don't need any new intrusions into my personal space.. DrHunt, I've not read of Snell approved roll bar padding. Does it exist? A nice round skull cracker in cheap foam would be deadly (but leave no open wounds for the undertaker to pretty up) I'm glad that you were able to create a cage that satisfies your needs, and trust that it will continue to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Yup, I bought it on the internet for my Monte SS race car, but can't remember where, meets SFI spec's and the whole nine yards. Stuff is way way way too expensive. I think it was $80 for a 6 foot piece. It doesn't wrap arount the roll bar either just attaches to it on one side, Bought that, went to NHRA tech inspection, they said I could of used the cheap stuff that everyone else uses. The stuff isn't very durable if you rub on it getting in and out like I do, starts coming apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zguy95135 Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 zguy' date=' Got any pics of your bar installed? It would be appreciated! Thanks, Rufus[/quote'] I only have a rollbar, but heres the pics http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/451000-451999/451234_4_full.jpg http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/451000-451999/451234_20_full.jpg I dont have any pics without the seats though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 DrHunt... Since the stuff is friable, wont the inspectors let you tape it in their presence, if no other way? It should be approved in your log book-- logically, the SCCA would want it protected. In my own mind, I find it hard to accept any bar padding as the equivalent of the crush resistance/ protection afforded by a helmet... and that is how it would be asked to act in a road car. I think the SCCA requires it just to avoid negating all the good a helmet does. Where a helmet's shape mimics the skull, a bar mimics a baseball bat, concentrating stresses at the point of contact, rather than spreading them around as a padded helmet would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 In this and previous threads on roll cages, the main reasons cited for installing a cage have been, in no particular order: 1. safety (real or perceived) on the street (principal interest seems to be side impact protection) 2. safety on the track (here the principal interest tends to be rollover protection) 3. just passing tech inspection in order to be allowed to race on the track 4. stiffening the chassis to reduce body flex in turns, thus improving handling 5. stiffening the chassis to reliably accept high horsepower/torque 6. “while I’m at it†chassis improvement when making extensive rust repairs 7. appearance/fashion/self-esteem Well, the perspective of most of the experienced roll cage builders on this site is rooted in #2 and #4. And just to reiterate the obvious, success in objective #2 does not necessarily imply success in #1, nor does a cage built to conform to objective #3 necessarily perform well in any of the others. Meanwhile, many (if not most) off the shelf kit-type roll cages fall in #7. Fine. But I would say that it’s perfectly OK to build a cage for objective #5 (often comes along with #6), and not in the least meeting objectives #1, #2 or #3. Provided that you’re aware of the risks and you (or the cage builder) know what you’re doing. With that in mind, I think there’s plenty of wisdom in a “cage†which dispenses with the roll bar, but includes X-bars in the doors, a dash bar, connections between the rocker panels and the rear struts, and between the rear struts and the sheet metal supporting the rear hatch hinges. Ain’t no way would this “cage†meet objective #3 in any venue where a roll cage is required. But sometimes that’s not the point. The design can fail in many of the above objectives, without necessarily being relegated to category #7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
580z Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 The autopower cages are quite good, I have installed several in cars other than Zs. I had one in one of my streetcars. Let me tell you, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. Not only did it keep me alive, but uninjured aswell (at least from impact, tiny shards of broken glass is a different story, safty glass is bullshit). I was however wearing a 4-point harness, but even with the stock restraints I could not contact the bar. All of my cars now have cages, and the Z is getting a custom cage this week! Tyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Here's a simple roll bar I built in a customer's car. Its a little farther away from the roof, sides, etc. then I would normally do because the customer wants to reinstall the complete interior without breaking any of the plastic panels. http://www.betamotorsports.com/services/cageandbars.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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