where to get a roll cage

[NightWulf]

in the SAC area wheres the best place to get a roll cage. Either have one built? or go to summit and buy a kit? and can anyone refer me to a catalog for good seats? i have no clue what i want. thanks

Andy

[Guest]

I'd just do an internet search. The cheapest way to go would probably be an Autopower roll cage and a Kirkey road race seat. That's the route I'm going. I don't have a garage, so gutting the doors for NASCAR bars isn't an option right now. Don't go cheap on the safety items! The autopower cage is fully SCCA/NASA legal, and is a bolt-in design.

[Keith]

Where is your car located and how far are you willing to travel? I know of a very good shop in Pittsburgh will extremely low prices, but this may be too far for you...

[alexands]

Be careful of the ones from Summit as they are not legal for CMC. Needs to be 1.75 x .120. The Competition Engineering cages sold by Summit are 1 5/8 x .134. The prioce is good, but it won't work. The Autopower weld-in kit is the way I plan to go.

[King Matt1548534716]

If SAC is Sacramento and you decide to have a custom cage built, which I would suggest, I'd recommend Maier Racing in Hayward near SF. Mike Maier did a fantastic job on the rollcage in my Mustang and the price was very reasonable considering the quality of the job.

[Lady in Nomex]

If you have a 4th gen then the Autopower bolt-in does not fit well, just ask Brad Simpson #36. I have heard this complaint from a lot of folks. If you are looking for a great custom cage then http://www.blainefabrication.com/ . I am on my second cage from Alan Blaine. He knows how to build you a safe, functional cage. I suggest you put your $ there in the safety dept. first and then on modifications. It is your butt. My 4th gen is there right now getting a cage, go down there and see it.

Alan is located in Sunnyvale.

[Snakin]

Another good cage builder is the folks at Sevens Only at Buttonwillow Raceway.

 

http://www.sevensonly.com 661 764 5456

 

Ask for Tom.

[NightWulf]

thanks for all the info everyone. Well I have a good place to start now. I finally got the dirtybird gutted enough to start building something into it. Any other advice on where to get saftey gear and where to get them built and or made at or installed (well things that i can't do myself) would be great. I hope to get this car done soon enough to start getting my license before too long. I hate being a newbie at stuff. Also kinda of the wrong spot to ask this, but if anyone is looking for a telecom specialised employee, E-mail me. Still looking for a job.

Andy

[Lady in Nomex]

Hey Andy,

 

What year is your dirtybird? I have a third gen 'bird I am racing until about mid-season then I'll have a 4th gen 'bird.

 

For safety supplies and a nice Kirkey seat go to http://www.ioportracing.com Tell the owner Ken I sent you. Ken has great deals on cases of Redline too.

[NightWulf]

the TURDbird is a 91. I have alot of work ahead of me though. I need to take out the 6 and get my short blocked 8 in there. then buy all the OTHER engine parts that goes on there. After that I gotta find a tranny to swap with the auto. heheheh lots of work ahead of me.

[Richard Pryor1548534703]

Julie, I just couldn't let your post go by unanswered regarding Autopower cage kits for the 4th gen. F bodies. As someone who has actually installed 8 of them to date I can unequivocably state that they fit perfectly and are absolutely hassle free to install. Here's how to do it the Bubba way. Remove all the interior junk from the car, put in the rear main cage component, work forward on both sides using the slip joints to anchor the upper and lower door bars, install the top of windshield cross bar last, always using the slip bars to position the pieces in proper placement. Once the cage is complete in the car (takes about 30 minutes for two people to do it slowly) you just move the cage around to make sure it is centered on the body pad points....proceed to weld in..whole process takes around three hours and no hassle. With Autopower cages the fit is perfect with these jig built kits and you can add extra door bars ala NASCAR, under dash cross bars and cage to firewall bars at your choice. Autopower cages are cheap even with the recent price increase at around $750 retail and around $250 if you need someone to fit and weld them in (actually easier than bolting them in unless you have a titanium 3/8 drill bit and big biceps). Having seen Camaros test their safety rating in crashes (including me once) they are as safe as you need for CMC racing unless you have the nitrous option for over 150 mph.

[bsim]

To clarify my complaint - it's because I'm 6'4" 200#.

 

My complaint is the driver's side upper bar going from the main hoop forward. I'd like another 2-3" of width there so I can drive the race with my head straight up. Ever try to race with your head crooked?

 

The fit, finish, and ease of install is REALLY good on these cages. Heck, you can even leave your carpet and interior pieces in and it will fit nicely.

 

Like I said, I'd lust like a little more room up top for comfort. That's to be coming soon.

[Lady in Nomex]

IMHO there was too much of a gap between the roof and the main hoop. That does not mean it would not go inside with problems.

[King Matt1548534716]

they are as safe as you need for CMC racing

Richard, are you saying that the safety requirements are or should be lower in CMC than in a class like AI since the terminal speeds are lower? Are we less likely to get T-boned in the driver's door, hit a wall, or have a rollover just because we are going slower than 150 mph? Very interesting, especially since most of the really serious injuries I have seen rarely occurred flat-out on a straightaway.

 

I have nothing against Autopower, but most of their cages are designed to be installed in street cars with full interior trim so the bars are necessarily closer to the driver in some of the critical areas. The main thing I didn't like about the one I had in my Mustang was that the plates for the main hoop mounted to a very weak section of the floorpan. I also didn't like that the front downbars and mounting plates didn't extend far enough forward to protect the drivers footwell area in the event of an impact that crushed the front section of the rocker panel.

[Richard Pryor1548534703]

Matt, nope to your misinterpreting my views on roll cage safety. All CMC cars must meet the minimum standards set by the sanctioning body which by definition must be a safe cage. Now, you are perfectly free to improve on any design within the parameters of the rules regarding roll cages. If you wish to remove the stock door panels and side impact bars you must use NASCAR style bars in their place. It's up to the individual drivers to assess what they consider a reasonable safety standard and if they want to go beyond, say, the basic Autopower cage. For me it's just fine. For someone else, they may want to add bars. Individual option but in no event should competitor safety be compromised and that's why the sanctioning bodies, NASA and SCCA, among others, based upon their decades of safety experience set standards for competition safety gear from roll cages, belts, sets, fire systems, etc. Personally I've used Autopower cages for years and found them to be well designed and they give me peace of mind in my racing, having seen others "test" their crashworthiness and an unfortunate incident of my own in the carosel at Sears Point when a front hub broke and put me into the wall at about 90mph totallying the Camaro. I walked away just fine (though some may argue that since that date my personality and brain functions are a bit off...but, heck, they were saying that before the crash). My official view on safety...meet or exceed the requirements to your own comfort level. Richard "Chitwood" Pryor..ps...just put your seat on the floor, Brad, and you'll really get the seat of the pants feel.