You really need to gut the hardtop to get the side bars as far away from your head as you can. By the looks of The driving ambitions build, gutting the A pillars and starting them from inside the side panel will help get you additional spare and close the gap on the A-pillars. Where the Windshield meets the hardtop, that corner is a limiting factor up front and the rear is limited by how close you can get the main hoop corner to the hardtop.

 

bsyeth - I'd love to see some pictures - I can shoot you my email if you want. I do sometimes bonk the bar with my helmet in our shared car - its annoying. I'll make sure to head clearance is addressed. Need seat and wheel...still working on that.


Stratocaster - I got the Rockstar FRP hardtop with the hard mounting brackets. It arrives tomorrow. I'm thinking it will be pretty clearance oriented, it was an inexpensive answer and really IMO it's job is just aerodynamics. It will set some of the restraints to build the cage too - that was actually one of the first things I did.

Main takeaway from both of these is head clearance - I'm sticking it right next to foot box on my ransom sheet

 

Technically if you read the NASA CCR cage rules very closely, mounting the main hoop on top of the shelf is questionably legal. Even if you say that the shelf is still the 'floor' of the car (NASA specs floor as the location for mounting points), you are still using two extra mounting points where you attach the bottom door bars to the car instead of the main hoop. This exceed the number of mounting points you are allowed per the CCR, unless superseded by class rules. For example, for NASA TT you can have them, but would have to take an additional 4 classification points because of the two extra mounting points.

 

You can gain headroom by floor mounting the seat or seat rail. I'm 6'2" with a tall sitting height and do not hit my head on the outside window bar because my seat is so low.

 

Well let me see if these Pics will work... My cage is not perfect, it turned out like I wanted, but if I do it over, that bar by my head will change, and I would have the front glass removed to get the a pillars closer and the top windshield bars closer.

The bar by my head will touch my helmet when I hit things hard. I should have bent it farther out and gutted the factory hard top.




The main hoop on the ledge, and the base plate continues down the front where nascar bars attach


notice the ignition switch moved so I dont hit my knee on it any more.
and custom window glass brackets to hold glass in when not in use.

 

Thank you bsyeth! Want to tell me about your quick release (steering wheel) setup?


Also, for anyone interested in this thread, I was PM'd a nice link to an awesome looking cage. A pillar integration is tight as is the kicker pannel area. Also looks like it could withstand WW3.
Nice Cage Build
Best news (to me) is that the fabricator who is doing mine is on the thread - so he is familiar with some of the trickness.

 

It does look like the integrated A-pillar cage violates the max number of attachment points limit for competition.

 

??? sometimes trying to understand that thing is like trying to interpret IRS Code. Figure at this point it passed tech by the Nasa Regional PT director, should be good.


NRG short hub with a NRG 2.5 quick release (puts wheel location in stock location. Momo model78 330mm sued steering wheel (stock size is 350mm).
I saw that cage build, looks awsome, but wasnt looking spend crazy money on the race car cage. Mine was done by the best builder in my area for 1800.

and most peoples max number of dollar bills for the labor.

 

Speaking of rules, I highly suggest anyone having a cage installed read through both the NASA and SCCA rules on cage requirements. It's easy to build one that is legal in both clubs but verify what size and thickness your builder plans to use and compare it to your car's expected weight for rules compliance. You have some choice on tube size and thickness and larger tubes look cool but they reduce hip and head room. Attachment points to the frame are normally limited in number because each attachment point stiffens the frame. You may also be restricted from running tubes through the firewall to the front shock towers which is great for handling.

 

Haha, yeah it can be quite vague at times. I certainly wouldn't protest you or anybody on it. That said, might be something you want to check with the TT/PT boss about before nats, just in case.