Re:- Ringside Seat : to cage or not to cage?

[Daniel1]

Nurburgsingh said:

Cage + comp seat +harness+hans+helmet

Every track, every time... I'll confess to wearing a fireproof top under my shirt and I wear nomex boots as well.


I'd rather look like a for a day than look like a vegetable forever

+1

[Fireblade69]

If going for a Weichers though I'd look at floor strengthening to prevent punch through as the cage for e36 has a fairly poor foot print by the B pillar unless they've redesigned it in the last 6 months.

[vx220]

As said, if the Car is for road use as well, i'd want a half cage to avoid headbutting it in a road crash
BUT...
Make sure it's behind your head (some seem to wrap round over your head)
Make sure it doesn't have the brackets welded on to connect to a full cage! This puts sheet metal edges right above or beside your head!!!

times i've seen this at track days and car shows

I bet those brackets would go through your helmet (not a euphemism)

[fentuz]

I just this in classified... I laughed...

[DanGPR]

I was at the ring last weekend, the majority (all?) of the quick cars were caged. For a dedicated track car, cost aside , I would say it's a no brainer.

I would much prefer to be encased in steel in the event of a roll over, after seeing what happened to the 306 I was in when it went rubber side up.

For a daily driver, it's not such an easy decision, and I think I would struggle to justify it.

[sisu]

Using the wrong tool for the job.

There is no argument against the strength of a cage compared to a standard car. However the cage is more dangerous in a car unless you wear a helmet as it protects you against the hard metal parts. You need to then run a Hans device or neck brace as the added weight of the helmet increased your chance of neck injury. You need a 5 point harness and a enclosed bucket, incl the flaps on the side to restrain your helmet and you from the cage. You need to be mounted low and towards the centre of the car, which means you can't move to see at a junction or some controls. But a race track you have none of that as there are marshalls and everyone is going around in a circle.
A race car is desgined to do just this job and nothing else. When you lap the ring or your local race track you have time and the environment to use all the equipement correctly. The problem you will have is that you are not going to use all the safety equipment all the time. In just the same way that people will rattle off stories of 'how a cage saved my friends life' on a race track there are just as many of people being injured on the road as they weren't using the fitted equipment correctly. Such as this guy in the Watford Nurburgring road.
But the reality is that I don't think you will get injured or die on a race track, it will be any other time as no one is ever going to wear all of the safety equipment at any other time and who would?

[marlons69]

'Range Rover Discoveries'?

Seriously? I'd expect someone writing for Pistonheads to at least get the names of cars right.

Poor Effort.

F-

[garypotter]

[quote=don logan]
I wear Dainese armour when snowboarding, not because I`m a Ninja but because I`m a bit st and go a bit too fast sometimes!


He he he, bloody good stuff that Dainese Armour

[Captain Muppet]

Lordbenny said:

How many people with after market cages in their tin-tops tell their insurance companies because getting cover on a road car is VERY hard in my experience!

Telephone REIS, buy cover, job done. It's easy.

[ZesPak]

BBS-LM said:

After seeing this crash it does make you question the idea of safety.

Honda CRV Rollover Crash in The Nürburgring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpW7DEI2ISI

Well, seems like the car was more sensible than the owner, clearly aware that it didn't belong there .

Call your insurer to tow you away, and when they say: that's the 'ring, it isn't covered in your police, make sure to point them out what side of the barrier you're on .

[DiscoColin]

fentuz said:

I just this in classified... I laughed...

In fairness - it is a bolt it. It could be temporarily removed for the short term installation of short term passengers