Tackling my first cage.

[bastarddsm]

The main hoop needs to go on the floor like he has it. But it needs to be on 6x6 .125 plates. The down bars don't have to goto the strut tower.

 

[bastarddsm]

If you run those down bars I would put forward bars and a halo in too. You got a kid now dude...

 

[renovatdkitchen]

Tom, depending on how soon you want it done, I could send you pictures once my cage is built. I'm not sure as to when it will be though as I'm waiting on the fabricator to be ready for me to bring the car to him.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Looks good so far. Do you plan t put the top back in afterward, and if so, how would you manage that with the cage in the way of the bracing you removed?

 

[crash89]

Would some kind of long gusset maybe be alright? Just a thought. The main hoop is welded to a 6x6x.125" plate at the rocker. No they dont necessarily have to go to the strut towers but isnt it more structurally sound if they do? I really have thought about continuing to the full 8pt. Before i did that i wanted to make sure i was comfortable with making this portion first.

Renovatdkitchen, i plan to have the car back on the road late march/early april when the weather breaks and has gotten the salt off the streets.

Spyderdrifter i do plan to put the top back in. It needs to be replaced since its ripped and hasnumerous holes. I saw this as another kick to actually replace it instead of just leaving in another season. Im unsure of the second question? The bracing i removed so far was only for the rear seat back and seat belts. The top still functions as required.

 

[renovatdkitchen]

I should be going to see him on Sunday, so I'll let you know what he says.

 

[spyderdrifter]

The bracing i removed so far was only for the rear seat back and seat belts. The top still functions as required.

That was the bracing I was thinking. Very tired right now and called it by the wrong thing. But glad to see you're still going for a functional top.

 

[bastarddsm]

You could probably do a couple down bars to a 6x6 plate from the rear struts.

 

[snowborder714]

Here's a couple of pictures of Andrew's first cage. It has drastically changed since he started doing WTAC.

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[crash89]

Thank you for those Brian!! Now heres another question, what if i went x bars like i have now but going straight where the bend starts, then x braces to the strut plates? Theyre already welded in might as well use them, right!? So basically plates would be almost identicle to Andrews but at a little wider loction..

 

[crash89]

Just read through the NHRA stuff again, it says nothing about having bends in the rear braces. It doest say to have a minimum if 30* from verticle but nothing about bends. Which i didnt understand anyways, ive see. MANY certified cages with bends in the rear bars. I may need to have another gusset or brace in place for thise bars but for a drag racing cert it seens that these will pass. I do more drag racing than road racing so i could probably get by. I doubt ill ever be im a points season for road racing anyways so being certified for that im not sure ill need.

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[crash89]

Couple more small updates. Harness bar, both tunnel plates formed and one tunnel bar.

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[gofer]

Any progress is good progress.

I've got to ask, Tom, have you been test fitting your seats as you go? If that front seat doesn't recline you'll be sitting so far upright it'll look like you've got a stick up your ass?

 

[crash89]

Thanks Corey! Ive been fitting the stock 2g spyder seat but i do plan to go with a kirkey seat when i get the funds. Also im going to modify the stock sliders to fit the kirkey seats. Seats are just an extra ~500$ i dont have at the moment. But yes i did keep them in mind while making this. Im sure if the stock seats clear the kirkies will be ok.

 

[Stone5000]

The pure safety fact aside. I have noticed that the biggest difference when I had a full cage in my 93 Talon was the amount of stiffness that the cage causes on the chassis. It was a very big improvement in handling and launching off the line. There was absolutely no give and was sometimes jaw jarring. Props on building your own man that's awesome.

 

[crash89]

The pure safety fact aside. I have noticed that the biggest difference when I had a full cage in my 93 Talon was the amount of stiffness that the cage causes on the chassis. It was a very big improvement in handling and launching off the line. There was absolutely no give and was sometimes jaw jarring. Props on building your own man that's awesome.

Thanks man! I cant wait to see how much different it feels! Maybe itll make me actually tune the coilovers to perform up to the cars potential.

 

[jmackisback]

I am impressed, well done!

 

[Stone5000]

Actually yes you will have to tune them. My first few test drives the car wanted to hop sideways off the line. So I softened the settings and it improved a lot.
Another thing I had to do was go back to the original motor mounts in the front and back because the launching was way to hard on the car do to the poly mounts.

 

[crash89]

I've got to ask, Tom, have you been test fitting your seats as you go? If that front seat doesn't recline you'll be sitting so far upright it'll look like you've got a stick up your ass?

Heres a couple pics from today with the stock seats. With the tunnel bars in place there isnt a whole lot of leg room in the passenger side. Good thing i dont have a ton of really tall people that sit in that side. My side, i fit just fine, although im 5'4".. Haha i might have to think about a removable steering wheel if i go with door bars.

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As of now, im ready to have it fully welded. A buddy i work with is going to help me there so hopefully sometime this week or next weekend i can get the car over to his shop!

STONE: im sure ill have to i have the dampening set pretty tight because im so low. Ill figure it out!

 

[crash89]

Got my seat and kind of started fitting it. Also it it running and pulled it out and turned around. Tomorrow im loading it up and taking it to my buddies to be welded!

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[Archer Fabrications]

The main hoop needs to go on the floor like he has it. But it needs to be on 6x6 .125 plates. The down bars don't have to goto the strut tower.

I believe you can have it miunted to the sill rail thingy with 6x6 plates, or even tge edge of thr back seats. They dont HAVE to fo to the floor as long as it's on the frame rail. I believe gofer or 99gstracer did it like that and i will too, we is tall.

 

[gofer]

...wasn't me or Paul, neither of us have/had cages installed. Yet.

 

[crash89]

Welded up today!! Fitting the seat and interior panels going back in as soon as i get some more time! After a couple rains she'll be back on the road!!

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[renovatdkitchen]

Looks awesome!

When you gonna make it into a 10pt?

 

[crash89]

I started to run out of time this year, i did want to run door bars this year. Next winter im thinking i will. We will see. With how short i am its going to be a pain in the ass to get in and out with door bars without running a quick release steering wheel. Some more things to think about too. But for now this will suffice!!