I'd like to go 10's....and don't want a cage...lol.

 

10's in this car is highly unlikely. I know that there are a few doing it but it requires an ass load of hp and a great 60' time. I live very near the atlanta dragway and run on some friday nights without a cage. If you don't break the 10.99 mark a helmet and jeans are pretty much all that are required. I haven't broken into the 11's yet and I am laying down 400hp and 300 tq. I can't drive for shit but just imagine the hp it takes to get to the 10's

 

Well you should be getting kicked off the track for your soft top, i would like to run in the IFO events and I would like to build a car something like the Red Star Motoring s2k. With the inline pro rear end and some power be able to really launch this car there is no reason it wont run a good time. I think 10.99's with 500hp is very feasible.

 

I guess I'm making the assumption that if you go to a custom cage builder (who will weld it, not bolt it) then they will use the proper size/material, design. The place near me in MA created the first spec miata (at least they told me so) and I know they are the place to go in this area, so if I wanted to go cage, I would go through them and pay for their expertise and quality of work.

 

this may sound dumb but what if i bought a hardtop and put it on and a cusco 6 point, you think i could get away with that at the track?

 

If the track follows NHRA rules, the Cusco cage will be laughed at.

 

what about a hardtop though?

 

HT has no effect on the crushco cage. NHRA has different rules for when a convertible is required to have a cage/rollbar.

The cusco isn't close to meeting NHRA cage specs.

 

http://www.nhra.com/contacts/tech_faq.html

I didn't know any convertible that ran less then 13.49 seconds in the qurater required a roll bar. Makes sense I guess.

Its difficult to get a certified cage in our car because of the design, its only a 2 seater not alot behind the seats to go to.

From what I read it doesn't have to be welded it would nee 4 3/8" bolds in each plate though

 

A roll bar does NOT have to be welded in to be NHRA legal, but it does need to have specific bolts and certain size mounting plates/backing plates at the mounting surface. Even SCCA allows bolt in roll bars. You guys think everyone that gets an autopower bar gets it welded in?

Read the rules to find out what is legal and what isn't. Certain bars need to be in certain places and at specific angles to be legal. The rear diagonal bars must be straight and at a certain angle to the main hoop. I believe a convertible is supposed to have at least a driver's side door bar, making it a 5 point bar. Some tracks aren't super strict about it unless you are running crazy times or being dangerous. My local track was letting me run 12.5 in my convertible mustang without a roll bar, but there was nothing crazy or dangerous about my runs.

If you are just out to have fun, tell the track the factory roll hoops work for roll protection and you'll be ok. If you are really serious about drag racing and running pretty quick, I'm sure you could get by with the Hard Dog roll bar and most tracks would be fine with it, at least until you start running mid 11's. I think a 6 point cage at least is required after 11.5. Not many S2k's are running 11's out there, so they will look at your car much more when you get fast. An 11 second honda is going to get much more scrutiny by track officials than an 11 second mustang. This is the point where you go to a custom cage builder and have them fab you up a legal bar. Check out their previous work and make sure they know all the rules of whatever sanctioning body that you are running under.