I'm having a full SCCA roll cage installed on my track-only '05 so I can race SCCA STU/ITE. Phil at Pacific Throttle House near Monterey, CA is doing the work, applying his experience helping on krazik's Driving Ambition build (and other projects). He's suggesting we gut the A-pillars like Driving Ambition did to save ~80lbs and allow for more foot/ankle clearance in case of side impact (it will have NASCAR bars). I'm not having the cage extend to the front shock mounts.

I'm considering gutting the A-pillars but am wondering if chassis stiffness would suffer. That is a lot of heavy and high metal to remove from around the windshield, and while there will certainly be adequate rollover protection from the cage, I wonder if it would compromise chassis stiffness, especially in event of an off-track excursion. I'm keeping he windshield OEM.

Any thoughts, especially from those that have done this to their car?

FYI I'll be starting another thread once I get pics to post next week (seat fitting is Tues Jan 8).

 

do it!!!!
I will be doing this when I redo my cage.
the amount of stiffness your removing is replaced with the cage and dash bar.
which when welded into the car is way stronger than the stock setup in my opinion.
I am going to the most part copy Ry's/Shad's cage

 

just to add to that.
I know Shad and Tolle Fab had done their research and know neither one of them would have put out a sub-par product in that cage design
I would guess you will start seeing more cages built that way.
It will add to the cost of doing the cage but I think worth it in the long run
lots of weight from up high coming off thus lowering your center of gravity.

 

no chassis stiffness will not suffer. the cage is the worlds best brace!

Idk about 80 lbs, but it's a lot of weight up there and I'll cut it all out.

With a properly designed cage (which you'd get from phil) you could remove most of the car and it would still be stiffer than stock.

 

James and Rylan, thanks for your input. I'm gonna have Phil gut the A-pillars, I'm convinced. Brought home a box full of pieces 'n parts they've removed already, about 150 lbs before the A-pillars! I'll post pics as the gutting and fabbing commences.

 

Excellent.
I can't wait to see it.

 

How much did removing Apillars actually save you in weight and can you post pictures of what was removed?
Thnaks

 

Still a work in progress, A -pillar gutting hasn't happened yet. Stripping out is done ( including all the {}#%^*+ Dynamat) adjustable seat mount (slick!) installed, and landing notching commenced. Will send pics when the gutting and tube fitting starts over the next few weeks. Target completion is in time for an early April track day. Phil and Mike are also working to open their new performance shop (Pacific Throttle House in Sand City, near Monterey) where my build will be completed, so progress has been "measured" so far. Should pick up in the next week or so once the shop's fully tooled up.

 

Semi off topic but what seat did you end up going with? I remember you asking about one of the nice Racetech ones.

 

Went with OMP HTE. Racetech NA in Reno went out of business and didn't have stock, so I went to Wine Country Motorsports at Sonoma Raceway. Not as nice as the Racetech but it fit so I pulled the trigger.