Anyone done one? Looking to put one in our Vert so we can do some ORR races next season

 

anyone? Anyone at all :scratch:

 

one more try

 

I would be interested also. Or alternatively, a cosmetically attractive cage since most of my driving is for pleasure - not racing. My car is way to fast for the drag races without some roll over protection. They are tough on convertibles.

 

I was trying to come up with a removable design just this week. There's a place near me that I need to check with that does custom bars. I've seen one vert that they did that probably could have been removed without a huge ordeal. Not a 10 minute job though.

Let us know if you come up with anything and I'll do the same.

 

I just picked up the metal today to build one for my vert. No one makes one that works for me. I'm 6'4" and the ones I've seen are too close to the driver's headrest and with most you lose about 2" in backward seat adjustment. I'd lose leg room plus my head would be hitting the rollbar.

So I've determined that I need one that sits farther back and slightly higher. Problem is that then it interferes with both the hatch and top movement.

Sooooooo . . . I've come up with a design that allows the rollbar to sit farther back and higher, but be easily pivoted forward out of the way, and then with the pivot of a lever and a locking pin, it's securely locked back in place once the hatch is down and the top is up. It will be mounted (welded) to the ridge just behind the seats, but still totally removeable (leaving only the mounting bases). It will also be anchored to the seat belt mounts for extra stability, and will have a removable frontward brace (from center of rollbar down to the floor area of the pasenger's side of the car) for track days. Not a full cage, but enough to get out on most drag strips and track events. I'm runnng about 500 hp with 345/30-19 Pilot Sports on the rear, so should be able to break 11.5 in the 1/4 mile, but have never had the opportunity.

And I plan to leave the rollabr in (less the front brace) for street use. Just seems like a good safety measure, and it should be asthetically appealing, at least for my tastes. And should only add maybe less than a minute to top lowering/raising.

This weekend's project. I'll let you know how it works out.

Dave

 

Depending on how hard they look, do what we do...register as a hardtop. Here is ours.

 

Paul (xtreme1) has one is his convertible that is very well made, and removable. Nicely engineered and fabricated piece of work. He should chime in soon.
Bruce

 

CL,
Have you done any ORR's yet? If not we will be glad to have more Vettes involved. If have run before glad to see you are moving up in class. There is another ORR driver in Huntington, Rick Doria. He is a great source of info and really knows how to make Vettes go fast.
Jeffy'

 

Next year will be my first. I've been friends w/ Roland Roth (black RUF owner) and he's been trying to get me out for some time. He finally nugged me long enough

 

Good luck - you may wish to check the tech regulation of the race orginzations you wish to race with.

NHRA, NASA, SCCA or whomever. Just because you build it does not mean it will pass technical inspections for safety.

in most cases 2" diamerter mild steel, not chrome moly, ( i forgt the diameter the tubing needs to be- but strong enough to hold a 3500 lbs car upside down. Plates welded to the frame, then the roll bar either welded or bolted to the plates.

4 down tubes, 1 cross tube and 1 diaganal tube in the main hoop. in most cases swing out door bars are not advisable as they realy dont give any protection from side impact.

High enough to clear your helmet, 2" rule broom stick rule for NASA and SCCA.
For the tall guys something else that may help is changing your seats. Lower seats ( race seats) will help with the clearance issue.

Lots of spec Miatas and Porsche Boxters use the removable hard tops WITH the roll bars.
Be safe and have fun

 

thanks AU, i'm aware of what the racing I'm planning to do requires



Now, does anyone in So Cal know were I can get a cage built?

 

Lived in So. Cal. for a long time and we build race cars, but not in Calif. any longer. My suggestion is to try Hansen Race Cars in Chino. Gary Hansen is the owner. First class operation that does quality work. Tell him that Jack & Steve Matukas told you to call. Good Luck.