Would you cut it out?

}{arlequin · }{arlequin's Garage

I've got this beautiful cage, custom made, plenty of triangles. It's well done, mostly unintrusive, except for the door bars. I've been putting up with the "Daisy Dukes" ingress for almost a year. I just didn't have the heart to cut it. I'm mulling it over now b/c it is a pain to get in and out. It's an every-other-day-daily-driver and I wouldn't mind making it more "accessible" for me and my passengers. I track the car plenty but I don't race it. My thinking is that plenty of other people use a single door bar so it can't be that bad.

Porschekid962 · Porschekid962's Garage

instead of cutting out the section that you want to cut, you could reweld it but at a lower angle starting from where it ties in in the back. you could probably lower it a good 3-4 inches. you could also raise the point in which the bar ties into the rear and that would make it possible to lower the front more easily. however, you lose those triangles though.

Jack Olsen · 11:00 PM

Removeable steering wheel?

My bigger concern would be cracking your head on those bars. That nerf padding isn't going to do a thing for you in an accident. You need to get the denser, SFI padding.

If you've got steel doors with the impact bar in them (which a 73.5 should have, I think), then I wouldn't sweat losing the extra bar. But I'm no cage expert.

Eric Mckenna · 02-13-2004, 05:02 AM

Nice car dave..

dickster · 02-13-2004, 05:14 AM

i'm alsp no expert, but how about making them removable?

}{arlequin · }{arlequin's Garage

Thanks Eric.

Quote:

how about making them removable?

well, that's just the thing, the plan is to probably take those pieces out and enjoy the "streetability" of it some more, then when I hit the track, put them back in with slightly larger sleeves/through-bolts.

What kept me from doing it is the quality and workmanship of it all. Just didn't seem right to butcher it up, but then I look at other cars (Jack, now Chuck as well) and I see that they are not so concerned with the side protection and they've got more speed in those cars than I do. It's a pain to ask your guests to "hop in", unless there's a skirt involved. I'm slowly bringing myself towards the operation...

Jack,
the wheel isn't removable, yet, but it never got in the way. The biggest obstacle was the fact that you feel like you have to kick the light switch everytime you get in/out.
I know it's not the best padding. I am still looking for something high-tech. Can't tell from the pic (I'll find a better one later) but the PO put some "hard" smooth impact padding on the knee-bar. It feels hard but when you really push it, then you realize that it will give in a big impact. There is a brand on it, I just can't seem to find who carries it. Never seen/heard of it before.
As far as the head area, I'm ab. 5'10" but the seat is set pretty low, so I don't reach the bar. Maybe with a helmet. I only have 5-point restraints which helps, then again in street rollover anything could happen. Now I feel like running to double check...

andycook · andycook's Garage

If you check with some of the better chassis bulders, Alston, Berry, etc, they manufacture door bar swing kits that allow you to keep the bars, but have easier entry and exit from the vehicle. Just my two cents.... BTW, Nice care. Love the color!

Graham Archer · 02-13-2004, 07:36 AM

I would think that the bar in question not only helps in side impacts, but also provides support for the horizontal bar that runs under the dash. Nice cage.

I would not cut it. But then again, I teach structural engineering (buildings and bridges) and don't know all that much about automotive crash dynamics.

krichard · krichard's Garage

If you want accessibility and want to keep the cage for racing you should consider something like this:

it's in this car:

This was done by Moorespeed in Austin. I checked out this car up close and it is very well done.

Wil Ferch · 02-13-2004, 09:12 AM

How 'bout only cutting out the forward/top of the "X".

I know it's a compromise....

Yeppers...get some "real" padding in there !!!

---Wil Ferch

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

It's a shame having to hack up the cage after somone did what appears to be good job putting it together. But while intuitively it looks a lot weaker, let's keep in mind that all of the strength of the stock chassis still exists, and is even improved upon by the other parts of the cage -- so it's not like the car is about to fold up or anything.

As far as the padding is concerned, you want the stuff that's listed at the bottom of this page from the Pegasus catalog. Ideally you'd want the SFI stuff in the critical areas such as the cage hoop behind, next to and in front of the occupent's heads, as well as the "knee bar", if not everywhere. You can also check True Choice or Essex since they will carry the same or similar material.

Chuck Moreland · 02-13-2004, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by }{arlequin
Just didn't seem right to butcher it up, but then I look at other cars (Jack, now Chuck as well) and I see that they are not so concerned with the side protection and they've got more speed in those cars than I do. It's a pain to ask your guests to "hop in", unless there's a skirt involved. I'm slowly bringing myself towards the operation...

I'd go the removable route too. Just do a good job with the changes and you won't feel bad about messing up the existing (quality) work.

What you have provides a lot of safety and rigidity. But short of a dedicted race car, it's overkill.

For me, those doors would get very tiresome when used on an every-other-day basis. Enough to discourage using the car. I'd get a lot more enjoyment from a car that isn't such a hassle.

And if you can find a skirt willing to climb over those door bars more than once, she's a keeper. Not many will.