Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

To complete the cage, forward bars have to be added.
They connect the main hoop with the A Pillars and forward floor/rocker panel.

First small plates have to be temporarily attached to their footings.
Porsche's have small indents in the forward rockers to facilitate an appropriate footing.
The plates sit almost flush because of this indent.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401392602.jpg

Here is the passenger side front plate fastened with screws.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401392838.jpg

After careful miter cutting of the tube it fits well.
It has to be slightly angled over so that the top has 1 inch clearance to the dash and 1/2 inch clearance to the A Pillar.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401392900.jpg

Driver's side.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401393009.jpg

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

The roll bar is secure however it does deflect 1/8 inch when grabbing the B Pillar and the hoop.
It needs the diagonal to fix this problem.

First we get the length very close to final and start to fit the tubes together.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401818644.jpg

Here is a closer view of the tube attachment.
The hand grinder shapes the diagonal tube to fit around the hoop tube.

You can see my writing in pencil on the bottom side of the tube to orient itself properly while fitting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401818668.jpg

I cut the other end that faces down at the correct angle to match the main hoop.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401818708.jpg

Now just tacked in at the bottom end.
Had to take the diagonal in and out of the car many times to make it fit with no pressure. Ended up with 1mm clearance.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401818814.jpg

With the diagonal installed there is no more deflection.
It is tight as a rock.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401818865.jpg

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

The diagonal needs a horizontal brace to be correct.
With the last piece of spare tubing, it was a quick addition to tack in. I used a level to make sure it will look right in the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401891650.jpg

Now all tacked up and ready to weld completely.
Much easier to do with the bars out of car. That is why it was temporarily fastened in the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401891741.jpg

Now ready for re-installing. Have to clean welds and primer them again first.
Next the forward bars.

Then after welding in tabs to connect the whole cage to the A and B Pillars, it will become part of the car's integrity and make the car very stiff.
We are ready for paint at that point and when the glass is installed the Targa to Coupe conversion will be complete.
You're all going to love the planned paint scheme, LOL.

Still need a wiring harness for a MFI car.
Will assemble a 2.4 motor soon from vintage parts found in the shed.
Lastly will have to find a good 915 gearbox with lmt. slip.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401891825.jpg

Thank you for this thread............

Good progress!
 

I was the guy with the old Turnbull Canyon Road Racing Society group out of Whittier and Hacienda Heights. SmileWavy When you get your car done, we will give you honorary membership on condition that you take a run! ;)

Thank you for that referral to the tube bending guy! I need a bender for my present build to do some real precise and fancy bending with 2 inch very thick wall chromoly. Using a bunch of tube connectors in the design.

Thus thanks for posting that guys number. He may be just what I need for the very difficult project I have designed.

So after two weeks of reading, I am done. I read every single one of the 6667 posts in this thread. I followed every link (that wasn't broken) and watched every video (that is still active) and looked at every picture (at least twice). What a journey!

I had a long post typed up and have decided that it was better to simply say...

Thank You! To all the "Usual Suspects" who made this the epic story and history lesson that it was.

Thank You!

Beautiful Cars
 

Glad to have been of help with the tubing bender. He did good work bending.

A Silver 930, early 911 RSR, and Guldstrand Corvette, what a cool combination.
It doesn't get better than that!
Also the aluminum (ZL1?) engine is awesome, love the intake with the raised intake risers. Horsepower time for sure, should spin the tires all the way to 80mph. I love it!

I will get back the Targa conversion soon, almost complete.
Always distracted by other projects in the making, (usually have around 10 projects going at once).
This along with the 10 cars sitting in the front motor court and garages keeps me from getting bored. LOL

We are doing a special Mulholland paint job on the "Targa" that I hope will be a real crowd pleaser.
Painting details will follow after the completion of the conversion.

Have just finished reading this thread, has taken me 6mths of lunch breaks and smokos and stolen time at work to get through every post, picture, link and video. Have absolutely loved it all! Growing up and living in the outskirts of Melbourne Australia the only real "organised" car culture was Illegal drag racing as the area I live is quite flat and unremarkable. The powers that be had put a stop to this long before I could legally drive anywhere so I envy you guys that got to hang out on the hill with like minded people.
My interest was always in circuit racing and tarmac rallies so the drag racing didn't appeal that much anyway. I got and apprenticeship as a mechanic when I finished school and that's when I was introduced to the leafy Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne and a piece of road called Kew Boulevard... whilst too populated and and patrolled to spend any extended time there it was a little slice of heaven in suburbia for 'quick' road tests and slight detours home. A mini Version of your 'Hill' so to speak.
My boss had a modified 930 Turbo and used to really shuffle through there, he had some factory go fast bits on the car that were gifted to him after volunteering his time and workplace to Porsche when they toured 'Moby Dick' here in Australia in the 80s.
That 930 plus some other customers cars cemented my Porsche addiction, of which I reminded my first boss of a couple of years ago when I bought my first Porsche a 1980 911sc.

Thank you to Pelican for all the help and support with my car so far and for providing this Forum for the people!
And Thank you to all the regulars for their stories, photos and other interesting pieces that have made this the best thing I have read in years!

Now to buy a book Mr Banning

P.S. could I be so selfish as to ask you to stop your project cars and finish the 2nd book...?:D

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

We will get to the second book soon Aussie, thanks for the reminder.

To be sure the front down tubes of the Roll Cage fit well, I set the dash pad in temporarily.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405608494.jpg

With the dash pad in, I could see that the mounting points for the bottom of the forward tubes was off.
As a solution I decided the best thing was to make platforms for both sides.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405608651.jpg

This allows for the tubing to sit straight and parallel with the frame of the car.

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

Now to complete the rear part of the Cage it has to be securely fastened.
The Back Tubes are now bolted to the rear firewall with large washers on the other side to prevent pull-thru.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405609044.jpg

Another view of how the back bars are fastened to the car.
We could have run them thru to the back of the engine compartment like the Carrera has but that is much more work intensive.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405609064.jpg

Conversion Cont.- Roll Cage
 

It is very important to integrate the Roll Cage into the body.
This further stiffens the chassis and effectively makes the Cage part of the frame.
Kind of like a tubular chassis that is incorporated into the car's structure.

So metal tabs are needed to make the A and B Pillars part of the Cage.

Here is the passenger side with the tab installed.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405609571.jpg

Driver's side detail.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405609615.jpg

The rear Roll Cage is now part of the car and it is remarkably stiffer now.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405609644.jpg

Now to complete the forward tubes and we are done and ready for paint.

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

Finally found some large (3/16x1/2") Stainless Steel Rivets for attaching bottom of main hoop.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405788545.jpg

These are tough little beggers and it takes all one's strength to squeeze the rivet gun with both hands.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405788740.jpg

Here is the driver's side with Stainless Rivets installed. The Roll Bar feels very solid in the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405788857.jpg

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

With the new platforms the down tubes can now be installed in a vertical manner. We re-located the base position 2" further in to do this.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405789303.jpg

The forward tubes can now be test-fitted for good placement.
In this position the dash pad can still be taken in and out of the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405789396.jpg

While I was holding the forward tube in the proper position, Ruben tacked the upper end in.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405789466.jpg

Then the front of the forward tube tacked in.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405789596.jpg

After I did some final checking of fitment, Ruben fully welded both ends and middle of the forward tubes.

Ruben leaves Tuesday to go back home to Stuttgart for a month.
He will have fun trying to convince his friends that we converted a Targa into a Coupe. ;)
Safe journey Ruben.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405789697.jpg

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

Metal tabs are also needed in the front to connect the forward tubes of the Cage to the A Pillars.
This really braces the car together. I used 1/8" x 4" metal strap.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405966360.jpg

Here is the driver's side. The Roll Cage is now connected to the body in 10 points. That was our goal.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1405966441.jpg

Two items remain.

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

Most Roll Cages will have a horizontal bar at the top between the down-tubes for strength and rigidity.
After checking fit I could see that this bar would be too low, obstructive, and too close to the head of the occupants.

To fix this the bar has to be raised somehow.
I looked in my pyle of discarded tubing pieces and found 2 of these.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056164.jpg

Using these short stubs as extensions, the bar was able to be brought up higher to the roof-line.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056511.jpg

It took a while to adjust the angles and lengths but it turned out perfectly.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056534.jpg

In this position, the bar is at or above the windshield and allows for head clearance.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056678.jpg

Conversion cont.- Roll Cage
 

Here is a view of the inside of the car showing the Cage surrounding the roof-line.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056915.jpg

Other side is symmetrical, both sides are even and balanced in weight and position.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406056983.jpg

The Cage is now done except for door bars.
Some consider then optional since 911 doors have a protective metal girder inside them.

However I believe every Roll Cage should have some type of side protection.
Besides it's was required by SCCA rules, and probably for a good reason.

They can't be too high either.
Radu had to have his door bars cut out at TRE because they were too big and they impaired getting in and out of the car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406057058.jpg

I will need to make one more run to Industrial Metal Supply to get tubing for the door bars.

As someone who literally grew up on Mulholland, I have to say that I have really enjoyed following this thread. I decided to order the book today as I know that not only will I find it interesting to read but so will my friend who also grew up there.

I am curious as to the reference you made about the new book and the section on the residents. Just who are you referring to?

Haven't been around chatting it up here in a while, but I'v been paying attention. Banning, just thought I'd show you my revised P-car so you know what to look for on Mul.
Sorry if I woke you up the other night SmileWavy

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406695068.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406695113.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406695152.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1406695190.jpg

Nice!

The Residents
 

Yes Rocky, I am working on a chapter called The Residents that has some of the folks who lived on Mul weighing in so to speak. I don't really have enough material to make this chapter yet. Still looking for more people to tell their stories of how the racing impacted their lives. Some were actually unhappy with the racing. ;)

I know some of my neighbors in my area (a fast part of Mul "West"), who got the crapp scared out of them by passing race cars during day and evening hours. Back then when we pulled out on Mulholland in any car at any time, we just started out at 10/10ths and went from there, lol. Definitely scary for passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers on the road. Not do-able today with the excessive cars on Mul.

Back then in the 70's it was a blast. We had our own Racecourse (we thought), they were good times.
And most of us when we lost it only hurt ourselves and our cars. I believe over 100 cars went down Carls turn alone, with no fatalities. The City would pull out 35 at a time when too many were visible in the narrow canyon below. There are still several cars there now, even a Porsche still lies below.

I will post progress on these new chapters as it becomes available.
I know it's taking more time to do a second book correctly. It will be worth it.
Still looking for more photos to add as I'd like 30 to 50 new images to compliment the next book.