i am contemplating installing a roll cage along with some other mods this winter. i am going to get a daily driver because i don't want to drive the S in the snow after all the paint chipping from last year. while it was really fun with the proper snow tires i also don't want to put so many miles on it.

being that i am going to be getting a DD i am going to take the S off the road for some of the winter to install a several items including some suspension parts, r200 diff swap, some kind of sticky tires and upping the boost along with a retune and possibly race gas. i would only be driving the S on really nice days and weekends while driving the DD most of the time.

my question is, with these mods would it be necessary to install a roll cage of some sort? whether it be a bolt in or a custom cage. are the bolt on cages just for looks, or do they actually have some merit to them? should i get a half cage or full cage? would it be feasible to install a bolt in cage then have it welded in? i know of a local shop that fabricates cages and i have heard and seen nothing but good things about them. i guess thats all i have to say for now. any inputs or suggestions are welcome. thanks in advance.

 

Unless you are ONLY bringing the car to a track, a cage is probably not worth the time and effort. You will also NEED to ALWAYS wear a helmet while in a caged car.

If you MUST get one, however, the best would be a fully welded roll bar (rather then bolt in). Due to expense, a bolt in is the more logical of the two. If done properly, both can be very strong and just might save your life in that 1 out of 1,000,000 chance of getting into an accident severe enough to warrant one.

The car stock is very strong and holds well during an impact. A turbo install is not going to affect the integrity of the safety systems.

 

With all of those mods on the plan I think you should get at least a 4 points roll bar. A 4 points roll bar will complement the car nicely and will not cause any extra bodily harm during a roll over. It's a piece of metnal reassurance. There is no need to get a full cage unless it's a full track car IMHO too.

I have a 4 points roll bar and it helps the rigidity of the car. I have similar mods to your plan and use the car sparingly too. I've seen rolled cars and they don't look too good without a roll bar. The s2k has excellent roll hoops and they work well but have you seen what they are made of. I would hate to roll the car but would hate it even further if I don't spend the extra money on safety. The roll bar also allows u to use the 4 points harness properly.

 

I know when my uncle swapped the 427 in his porsche he had to get a cage to keep the car together. There was literally too much torque and power that the car was coming apart at the seams. Although this is true, I dont think it would be much of a problem with the S, due to improved technology and materials. However, I do agree with the above poster, might as well do it for added saftey.

 

cages and rollbars are only good if you are wearing a helmet. If you are not wearing a helmet, you will splat your head on the cage if you get in an accident.

The stock roll hoops are covered with plastic, so they are more appropriate for a daily driven car.

aka I agree with what I quoted from mr spec_ops2087