3

 

4

 

5, Isn't this exciting? Notice all but the forward bars are directly over the frame rail. I will be adding gussetts to the body, and a brace that goes from rear strut tower to tower, and triangulates with the main hoop. Virtually all sanctioning bodies do not allow you to penetrate the firewall, so forward braces are out. i will be adding a dash bar, I screwed up the cope on the one with the kit. I have no idea how guys do this and maintain the interior...............

 

last one for now

 

Looks good. What's with the spiral pattern in the oxydation?

 

Since everyone has their cage pics up, here are mine. I just picked my car up from the shop on Saturday. I guess December is the month for cages. Low bandwith users beware.
www.bfimotorsports.com/matt/cagepics

-Matt

Edit: Resized pics to make things easier...

 

Matt - are you guys doing OTC this year?

 

Carl,

I'm pretty sure you can run braces thru the firewall in the class you're running

Looks good, have you tried mounting your seat where you need it? I'm concerned that the harness bar behind you isn't back far enough, in my case we had to [ the bar to give my seat enough room.

PaulC

 

Hi Paul, The cage was fitted with my seat in place. I did not have to change the Tranny tunnel either. I used the Kirkey road race intermediate(like the deluxe, but~400 complete), with Sparco FIA sliders, and a custom bracket welded to the stock mounting points. The set-up works with my 5'3" wife, and my 6'1" co-driver.Does your cage sit on the frame rail next to the bins, or on the floor? Mine is on the frame rails, and is farther back than the design that sits on the floor.
Matt, I noticed a number of your welds are not complete, were the pics prior to completion? I like your door bar set-up, mine is not as nice, but retains my electric windows. I was too lazy to retrofit rool-up windows.
Paul the general NASA CC&R says the cage shall not penetrate the firewall under any circumstances.
I think 'll be spending the winter making it all look pretty. Pual, will you be at the Enduro? freind of mine is coordinating the Spoon Racing Acura TSX effort(car was built for this race), as of yesterday the car was still in customs Another freind of mine/coworker will be w/the Fantasy Junction rotary powered Formula car.He may get to drive back-up. I am thinking I might drive up to watch for a while. The Spoon efffort is using some of Japans top drivers as hired guns. Later, Carl

 

christaylor,
Of course, we can't go the first two years and miss the third. However, they just upclassed us from 4 to 3. Things should be interesting and its going to be a fight to make it to the podium this year. We may not be competitive but we'll have fun. Anyone know a good source for full slicks?
Carl,
All the welds are complete. I'm not sure if its the flash, or dust, or something else but in person all the welds go all the way around and are pretty meaty.
-Matt
www.bfimotorsports.com

 

Damn Matt, that's what I call reinforced mounts. I love the rear shock towers. And the lower door bar welded directly to the chassis... gussets out the wa-zoo...
You should feel very safe in that car.

 

Eric, Tom, and I talked about getting as much side protection as possible into the cage. About two months ago a woman had her pelvis broken while driving a second gen at Thunderhill. The rocker panel folded and crushed the seat. Normal NASCAR bars did nothing as the car went under and into the rocker panel. Intrusion is something I really don't want. Not only is the third bar as low as possible but it is welded along its entire length to the rocker. Additionally, the front foot for the cage runs from the rocker panel, through a slit cut in the floor and directly to the frame rail. This triangulates the rocker and makes it even harder for it collapse.
-Matt
www.bfimotorsports.com

 

Damn! Did Tom weld all of that? Looks insane Matt.

This is why I wish I stoped by 7's only more often.

 

I think that Eric did most, if not all of the welding work. Tom seems to be handling most of the business side of things and leaving the fabrication work to Eric.
-Matt

 

Are you talking about Diane? If you are, her cage was a bolt-in, with no (that I'm aware of) well-pades welded under the cage. There's a reason I have ALL the pad the SCCA will allow... Seems to me that if you have enough 3/16" or 1/4" plate welded under the feet of the cage, the rocker panel will have a harder time crushing in.

Of course, I'm no mettalurgist. Nor do I have any experience (thankfully).