[Patrick]

:laughing:
I laugh now because I just got home and I had a couple cocktails. But man...

First, I'll say the rear (hoop, legs, harness bar, rear leg criss-cross) all looks bad ass. We've already have a good amount of time into it. Already wasted a WHOLE lot of chrome moly during the learning process ... but that's why 100 feet got ordered for a job that needed 32 feet. LOL. But we have the hang of the new pipe bender now.

But man, tonight we spent an hour brain storming how to do the bars above the side windows. I'm 6'3" ... and no matter where we did the pipe it was either too close to my head... or not ideal for rollover protection. Constant trade off. We damn near (and still might) c-notch the overhead of the b-pillar just a tad to run the side tubes higher from the rear hoop. So, we gave up on this for the moment and decided to work on the trick front hoop.

As usual it was all layed out in chalk on our grid done in white tape on AL's shop floor, so we know exactly what we were doing before we started bending pipe, after 500 measurements and remeasuring. Then after we bend we can lay it over our template to make sure it's perfect.

Well... on the last bend of a 3 hour effort on the front hoop ... we CREASED the pipe .... ruined it. It's junk. Clean up the shop, put the seats back in the car, drive home. Try again tomorrow night.

:bang

 

[Daksin]

That just plain SUCKS. You're a better man than me, that **** would keep me up at night.
~Rob:bang

 

[The Punisher]

Are you building a new cage or adding to the one you have already?

 

[ugeneallen]

I sat in mine vette last Vacation and they had the roll cage in it. I like the cage but I am a little taller than average at 6'1'' kinda barrel chested and I like room. The first thing i noticed was how low the front bar was and i was kinda pissed cause I though they welded it in wrong. I looked at it and studied it the top was off of it of course and I noticeed it has to be this low in the front to swing the latch for the roof, otherwise you would never get back in or out. the other thing was the placement of the upper section by the side of your head I can tell I will be bumping it when wearing a helmet. I might have to do what you are doing Patrick and custom build it!!! good luck with yours bending them is no fun..
what type of tubing bender are you using????

 

[Patrick]

Are you building a new cage or adding to the one you have already?

Custom, from scratch.:thumbsup:

 

[midnite902]

I learned a long time ago I was a much better shoe than wrench. I like to do my own brakes and other little things but I learned early that some people are wizards with the build.

I am exploring hoop braces rather than a cage for my car for appearance reasons. The steel hoop in the C6 can be made to comply for some racing orgainizations with diagonal bracing and I hope the SFRA will approve.

:cheers:

 

[iburke]

Can't wait to see that puppy...:thumbsup:

 

[C5-R JR]

Pictures, we need some pictures.:thumbsup:


Jr.

 

[Patrick]

I learned a long time ago I was a much better shoe than wrench. I like to do my own brakes and other little things but I learned early that some people are wizards with the build.

Oh, I am! I'm working with AL and his wizardry.... but I wanted to work on it too!

Why?

Because I had no idea how to do it and it seemed beyond my abilities. :laughing:

You only learn by trying, now I can bend chrome moly pipe, put down some welds, I understand the structure/frame of the car so much better. And, I can get away from the keyboard.

 

[Patrick]

Pictures, we need some pictures.:thumbsup:


Jr.

:laughing:

Pics soon...

Right now I just want it done or this suddenly might temporarily turn into a 6-pt setup as we are running out of time to get the car ready for Spring Mountain. We still have to replace the clutch, release bearing, fix the leaking axle shaft seals, adjust the coils and sways, new end links.... and install the new brake setup.... in 10 days.

Maybe in a month we could get back to it and finish the cage. I want a cage for the salt flats. I'm not going for any "approved" cage, it's being done for my needs, safety and rigidity. It looks awesome though!

 

[Kanon]

:laughing:

Pics soon...

Right now I just want it done or this suddenly might temporarily turn into a 6-pt setup as we are running out of time to get the car ready for Spring Mountain. We still have to replace the clutch, release bearing, fix the leaking axle shaft seals, adjust the coils and sways, new end links.... and install the new brake setup.... in 10 days.

axle or differential half shaft seals?

Maybe in a month we could get back to it and finish the cage. I want a cage for the salt flats. I'm not going for any "approved" cage, it's being done for my needs, safety and rigidity. It looks awesome though!

Cage sounds cool. Did you have to cut the dash?

 

[Patrick]

axle or differential half shaft seals?

Axle.

Cage sounds cool. Did you have to cut the dash?

After the conversation I just had, we'll be going thru the dash... which means we are turning the cage into a 6pt with doorbars, and holding off on turning it into a cage until after Spring Mountain some time.

It'll look finished, but not the final design.:thumbsup:

 

[El_Diablo]

im trying to design a cage for my malibu but the problem im running into is that in my effort to want to integrate everything into the frame (basically not the pillars and tuck the bars in halfway) im going to have to do some serious sheet metal work

might still just go with a simple 4 point system with harness bar and extensions to aid in stiffining up the car