Roll Cage Installation
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 55
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Roll Cage Installation
Can a pre-bent (unwelded) 10 point roll cage be assembled/installed in a lightened 1978 C3 without lifting the body off? Any guidance would be very much appreciated. I was thinking of an Art Morrison cage, and planning to get into the high 8 second range in the quarter with a 638ci Dart block, a performance TH400 and a Ford 9 inch with a spool.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 297
Likes: 3
10 point roll cage
I am almost finished installing a 10 point roll cage in my 1980 C3, did the install with the body on the frame but all the interior is out of the car. It is a fairly easy job, just takes time and a little head scratching at times. I used a Harbor Freight tubing notcher to fit the weld joints, it worked really nice and is only about $45. Also used mig welder, and a Harbor Freight hydraulic tubing bender to fine tune the bends for a better fit. At all the points where the tubing is welded to the frame, I simply cut a hole in the body and welded a 1/4" plate on the frame and then welded the tubing to the plate. My car is going to have a race car type aluminum dash, so it was a little easier to install in the dash area, in other words I will fabricate the dash to fit around the roll cage. It was not a bad project, but someone that has installed these could have done it 10 times faster than I did. Hope this helps, good luck. PS I purchased my roll cage kit from Jegs.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Can a pre-bent (unwelded) 10 point roll cage be assembled/installed in a lightened 1978 C3 without lifting the body off? Any guidance would be very much appreciated. I was thinking of an Art Morrison cage, and planning to get into the high 8 second range in the quarter with a 638ci Dart block, a performance TH400 and a Ford 9 inch with a spool.
You can't make a heavy vette into a race car
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,720
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From: Seattle Washington
Once You have the car that far apart whats the big deal about lifting the body. I did my 4 point cage for my street car with full interior by lifting the body just enough to get in there and weld it, maybe 2" or so.
