Anyone built their own cage?
Discussion
Well?
I keep thinking that I need to build a cage for my car whilst I have it stripped to it's shell, but the hassle of building one is really putting me off.
Before anyone mentions a chassis builder I can't afford to pay someone else to do it, and my welding skills are quite good enough thank you.
Has anyone done it and has tips they'd like to pass on? Notching in particular has me worried about wasting lots of tube. I'm told of a program that prints ot a template to grind to, but can't find it. Can anyone help?
Current state of the car:
Going by some Swedish cars of similar spec (lower, in fact), I'm expecting the car to run 10's once everything's dialled in. I won't be competing in it though.
I keep thinking that I need to build a cage for my car whilst I have it stripped to it's shell, but the hassle of building one is really putting me off.
Before anyone mentions a chassis builder I can't afford to pay someone else to do it, and my welding skills are quite good enough thank you.
Has anyone done it and has tips they'd like to pass on? Notching in particular has me worried about wasting lots of tube. I'm told of a program that prints ot a template to grind to, but can't find it. Can anyone help?
Current state of the car:
Going by some Swedish cars of similar spec (lower, in fact), I'm expecting the car to run 10's once everything's dialled in. I won't be competing in it though.
BB-Q said:
I'm expecting the car to run 10's once everything's dialled in. I won't be competing in it though.
Out of curiosity... why not? If you've got a 10 second car, then its rightful place is on a racetrack, and you won't find a track in better condition than at a national event. Plus, of course, the competing in itself is fun, and Pro-ET is a great class.Tet said:
BB-Q said:
I'm expecting the car to run 10's once everything's dialled in. I won't be competing in it though.
Out of curiosity... why not? If you've got a 10 second car, then its rightful place is on a racetrack, and you won't find a track in better condition than at a national event. Plus, of course, the competing in itself is fun, and Pro-ET is a great class.Then there's the cost of getting to the strip, paying the entry fees, paying for slicks, etc. plus getting my employer (RAC) to allow me to have those weekends off.
It's a theoretical possibility once the rest of the kids have left home and I'm just left with the little one, but that won't happen for a few years yet.
Also, location. I'm in Blackpool. A round trip to the Pod is around 380 miles, Shakey not much less
Edited by BB-Q on Wednesday 19th September 07:41
You can buy proper jig fishmouth cutters now that work with a standard drill and hole cutter, I'll see if I can find a link.
Tube benders are easily hired, so as long as you can weld, job done.
Quick google found this.....
http://www.rollcentre.co.uk/rollcentre/html/rollca...
Tube benders are easily hired, so as long as you can weld, job done.
Quick google found this.....
http://www.rollcentre.co.uk/rollcentre/html/rollca...
Edited by Furyous on Wednesday 19th September 11:33
Years ago (like 1992 or 1993) there was a really good article in Custom Car about cage building...
1/.. Whether you intend to compete or not, build the cage compliant with the rules and material specs given in rule book. If you unload the car later on at least the cage is worth something rather than being extra cosmetic weight.
2/.. Make sure you read the rules for drag racing cages as they vary from the roundy-roundy ones.
3/.. Take the time to check out teched cars at the strip; York is nearer to you than SPR or SCR, take photos, ask questions and make notes.
3/.. Buy cheap shit ERW tubing and mock the difficult bits up before you start messing with the more expensive seamless drawn over mandrel stuff thats given in the rule book.
4/.. Don't rush it, make cardboard templates, measure twice, cut and bend once !
5/.. The Joint Jigger shown in the post earlier is great, I borrowed one once and would say it was worth it's weight in fivers.
6/.. Maybe DNAC might weigh in here with advice about material selection as rule book states CDS Seamless type tubing; but does that mean CFS3BK (tube specification) or something different these days ???? You'd want to find out before shelling out.
1/.. Whether you intend to compete or not, build the cage compliant with the rules and material specs given in rule book. If you unload the car later on at least the cage is worth something rather than being extra cosmetic weight.
2/.. Make sure you read the rules for drag racing cages as they vary from the roundy-roundy ones.
3/.. Take the time to check out teched cars at the strip; York is nearer to you than SPR or SCR, take photos, ask questions and make notes.
3/.. Buy cheap shit ERW tubing and mock the difficult bits up before you start messing with the more expensive seamless drawn over mandrel stuff thats given in the rule book.
4/.. Don't rush it, make cardboard templates, measure twice, cut and bend once !
5/.. The Joint Jigger shown in the post earlier is great, I borrowed one once and would say it was worth it's weight in fivers.
6/.. Maybe DNAC might weigh in here with advice about material selection as rule book states CDS Seamless type tubing; but does that mean CFS3BK (tube specification) or something different these days ???? You'd want to find out before shelling out.
It's fixable... said:
Don't rush it, make cardboard templates, measure twice, cut and bend once
Absolutely. A perfect illustration of this can be found on Anders Envall's always entertaining site:http://www.blackout.nu/TECH/ROLLBAR_dummies.htm
Wow. Those tow articles are certainly very inspiring! I am now seriously considering "back halving" my car once it has a fresh set of sills on it- as it may be easier in the long run.
Problem is, at what point does it stop being a Volvo?!
That said, the more I look at it, the easier it would be to put a cross member in at the back of the front chassis legs and just make new from there on back. Anyone want to buy some Volvo 140 floor repair panels?
Problem is, at what point does it stop being a Volvo?!
That said, the more I look at it, the easier it would be to put a cross member in at the back of the front chassis legs and just make new from there on back. Anyone want to buy some Volvo 140 floor repair panels?
When buying your cage material ask the supplier for the material mill certificates and keep the invoices.
These can be used as provenance at scrutineering to show that you did use the correct material to build your cage, or as provenance to a buyer for the same purpose..
Where the material comes with factory painted on information, you might want to make sure that when you weld it into the cage / chassis structure it can be clearly seen by scrutineers and is protected so it doesn't wear off.
The above can save some hassle !
These can be used as provenance at scrutineering to show that you did use the correct material to build your cage, or as provenance to a buyer for the same purpose..
Where the material comes with factory painted on information, you might want to make sure that when you weld it into the cage / chassis structure it can be clearly seen by scrutineers and is protected so it doesn't wear off.
The above can save some hassle !
By the way -The www.blackout.nu web site above is brilliant,they are a really wacky/friendly bunch and let my son sit in their Impala at the Pod,he was well impressed and still wears the T-Shirt he bought off them.
revolvor said:
By the way -The www.blackout.nu web site above is brilliant,they are a really wacky/friendly bunch and let my son sit in their Impala at the Pod,he was well impressed and still wears the T-Shirt he bought off them.
Anders has recently joined PH too, keep an eye out for Bostic.. moparmick said:
The guy who's just bought my other car, came and raced at the mopar euronats all the way from Ireland.
Point being, just rwyb for fun and timing tickets, you wont have to meet all the safety legislation and the added cost that comes with that
JMHO Mike
Agreed, but there's two schools of thought on that: firstly, a 10 second 40 year old car really needs some protection. After all, drag slicks aren't the most stable of tyres once your direction veers from straight ahead.Point being, just rwyb for fun and timing tickets, you wont have to meet all the safety legislation and the added cost that comes with that
JMHO Mike
I know what I'm like, and enough is never enough. It's completely plausible that the car may be raced once the kids have left home and I've got two pennies to rub together. Better to do the tech stuff now than have to tear the car down again to rebuild it to meet scrutineering.
I didn't mean the car should be a death trap, any fast car should have a cage, a proper chassis and a harness but it doesn't mean it will need more than a 6 point.
My car has got a six point mild steel cage, chassis connectors and a harness. The cage and connectors despite the extra weight, took 3 tenths off the et.
There are a lot of serious runners on this site and i applaud their vehicles, dedication and sucess but there is also a hell of a lot of people running for fun every other weekend and some are going pretty quick.
Good luck in whatever you do.
Mike
My car has got a six point mild steel cage, chassis connectors and a harness. The cage and connectors despite the extra weight, took 3 tenths off the et.
There are a lot of serious runners on this site and i applaud their vehicles, dedication and sucess but there is also a hell of a lot of people running for fun every other weekend and some are going pretty quick.
Good luck in whatever you do.
Mike
I've been looking through the various website, etc. and noticed that on Andy Robinson's site he makes feet for his cages to provide a secure and level footing to mount them on. Whilst this is an excellent idea as it allows the cage to be dropped down for final welding before final fitting, I was wondering if the feet are made from 3mm steel as would be a reinforcing plate on the end of the tube? I don't want to phone the guy and ask him as it just takes up his time and I'm sure he gets enough phone calls in a day that don't earn him any money without adding mine to the list. Also, i haven't reproduced any images here as I'm not sure about copyright issues.
The only thing I'm not convinced about is whether one of these feet would create a cookie cutter efect in the event of a roll over? I'm assuming that the foot has no plate at the bottom, of course, but just the top and the four sides.
The only thing I'm not convinced about is whether one of these feet would create a cookie cutter efect in the event of a roll over? I'm assuming that the foot has no plate at the bottom, of course, but just the top and the four sides.
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