Has anybody ever...

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CanoeSniffer

Original Poster:

927 posts

87 months

Monday 9th March 2020
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Put an MSUK-compliant cage in a Griff/Chim which is removable to get the pram hood up? Wondering if the future of my Chim would be a bit brighter if I could race it. Keep the standard roof with some sort of tonneau cover for racing with a cage fitted, then remove cage (or at least rear roll hoop) to make roof usable on the road again.

I’m going to bury myself in the blue book to see if it’s possible, til then I’m wondering if anyone has seen it done.

I’m aware of the Mat Smith style hardtops which clear a cage and theyre a nice solution, but a bit too much compromise on the road car side.

I understand race cars make ste road cars, and road cars make ste race cars, but I’m not looking for a prize winning racer here, just something I have the option of racing.

mat205125

17,790 posts

213 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
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Why would the future be brighter if you were racing it?

If your Chimera is a nice example of a road standard car, then maybe keep it that way, and with the money you were going to spend on modding it to race, buy an MX5 which is already race ready, and more expendable in the long term.

LucyP

1,698 posts

59 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
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Won't rule 1.3.1 make your proposal impossible?

1.3.1. Main, Front and Lateral Rollbars. These frames or hoops must be made in one piece without joints.


CanoeSniffer

Original Poster:

927 posts

87 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
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Mat, it’s not a very nice example! It needs more time and money putting into it to make it a good road car than is really justified by the final product. But- it drives spot on, already has brake and suspension upgrades etc. that put it right at home on the track. I’m installing a battery cut off and plumbed in extinguisher just as a matter of course whilst interior is out etc. and it’s just the cage I was musing about. I already have a race car but would like to race a TVR, probably couldn’t justify the expense of a fully prepped one but have a decent candidate sat on the drive. I’m buying another toy car which supersedes the old Chim in pretty much every aspect so having it race legal would boost its usage potential.

LucyP- that may be the killer line. Thank you for looking it up.

geeks

9,184 posts

139 months

Friday 13th March 2020
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LucyP said:
Won't rule 1.3.1 make your proposal impossible?

1.3.1. Main, Front and Lateral Rollbars. These frames or hoops must be made in one piece without joints.
In short, no!

Bolt in roll cages are exactly that, bolt in. You could unbolt to allow access and then bolt back in. Its a faff but doable!

Olas

911 posts

57 months

Friday 13th March 2020
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Have a cage made that allows the roof to go up and down - its just measuring and bending.

CanoeSniffer

Original Poster:

927 posts

87 months

Friday 13th March 2020
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Geeks, the problem here is that something a bit over and above a bolt in roll cage as we know it would be desirable- full cage removal from mounting legs would be a nightmare!

Olas, I’m not convinced it can be done in a TVR due to regs regarding height above drivers head/from ‘base of drivers spine’. I seem to recall the Tuscan Challenge cars required a modification to the roll cage to comply with this, and every Griff/Chim MSUK rollbar I’ve seen has been the same, with the roll hoop too high for use of the roof.

itsallyellow

3,662 posts

220 months

Saturday 14th March 2020
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I think you could get a cage made to work with the roof up.

May just need to lower the seat mounting? In the Cerbera the seat is bolted to a frame below the floor. I’m 6ft 3

Mike

Graham

16,368 posts

284 months

Friday 17th April 2020
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IIRC both andy race's original griff racer was still a road car with full msa cage and the tms car too so it can be done, probably needs lowered seat rails and something like a tillet seat which is very low. or a kirkey if uk racing only

G

Geoff391

105 posts

58 months

Wednesday 29th April 2020
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Bolt in cage but too high for standard roof and would be a hell of a job to take out just to put the roof up :-)