BlueBarchetta

Make sure he gets the cage as tight as possible to the roof directly over your head area. You want as much relief there as you can get, and the roofline doesnt help. The side slopes inward. This is the place you're most likely to contact, in a lateral barrier impact or rollover. Having the seat on the floor helps too.

nissanfanatic

I would make sure he doesn't go crazy with bracing in unnecessary places. It adds a lot of weight.

PaddyMcP

Cage builders are usually about $50 a bar. They don't just start slapping extra bars in for fun. They run it by you, then send you the bigger bill!

Are you trying to make a min weight?

nissanfanatic

It is pretty easy to convince most people that braces are needed in many areas where they really serve no purpose. It is also very easy to convince people that they need much larger bars than what the class requires. All you have to do is use the magic word "Safety".

Considering the crossover for tubing is at 2500lbs for NASA, I would do whatever it takes to get under that if at all possible, unless you are running Honda Challenge with F22. Then, you're screwed into running the heavier cage materials.

I would always try and build the car as light as possible and add weight back where desired to meet minimum weight.

josserman

My goal is car with cage no fluid or driver to weight in at 2400lbs or 2600 with me and fluid, I'll drop hp down to 325 then. Cars mostly going to be a TT2 car. I may do a few w2w races just to maintain a license but not looking to compete and may just rent a car for that.

I'll mention the too part.

I've also sent him kraziks link

It's a small shop, the guy has been in the business for many yrs, he was the head mechanic and cage builder for a well known porsche shop in the area, where he built hundreds of cages. Now he has this company where on his own he's built a ton of cages and cars. Among many other things he's also the bimmerworld teams lead tire management engineer. A very smart guy with many yrs working strictly with race cars.

Greg W

Here's a couple pics of my gutted A-pillar build (by Phil Munoz) showing some key areas that made a big difference. A few more pics in my gallery. Cage is excellent, there's more footwell space then stock, and no bar to bust an ankle in a T-bone.

Gutted A-pillar.



Gutted A-pillar bars being fit.


Rear hoop (passenger side) landing on a curved section of floor that was cut-away and reinforced.


Cage done, being painted.


Hope this helps...

will010100

Thanks Greg,

I'm speaking to a cage builder this weekend. Your photos are very helpful.

I looked at my A-Pillars without removing the dash. The reinforcement appears to be two pieces of heavy sheet metal tacked together every few inches and the whole assembly is screwed/bolted to the body. Or am I over-optimistic and the reinforcement is tacked to the frame every few inches? In short, how hard is it to gut the pillars?

whatset

I have a simular thread here that was quite helpful - lotsa great info in the community.

If interested PM me and I will send you a link to my photos - 8pt cage, gutted A pillars, etc

Greg W

Take a look at my gallery for some pics if the a-pillar partially gutted, plus the pile of bones from what was cut out.

CKit

Gut the tranny tunnel for sure. Adds extra space for the seat as well.