10 pt on street? Finished Pics (aka more)

[Crazy68Dart]

I am trying to decide if I should go forward with the 10 pt for the Dart, or just stick with the 8 pt.  Knowing how much this car will be on the street about 99% of the time I am not sure I want to be bonking my head on the halo, and am not sure how safe it really is in a street car, i.e. head+halo in crash (heaven forbid) equals ouch.   

Whacha think?

[Ace]

What is the car going to ET or what are you wanting to ET out of it?  That would be my deciding factor.

[Crazy68Dart]

What is the car going to ET or what are you wanting to ET out of it?  That would be my deciding factor.

With the motor I am planning, 9s should be attainable.  That is if the chassis actually works.  I would be happy with mid 10s, which the 8 pt is okay.

[jamesdart]

  a stupid question, but why build the car to go 9s if its going to be 99% street?

[zpsull01]

I"ll be driving mine mostly on the street and I am planning on putting a 12 point in it with just a mildly built 440. I'm setting the chassis up to handle much more power now so if I upgrade the powertrain later it won't be a problem. Also I like the safety factor of it also. It just depends on what you want.

[rharveysr]

Think3205 is picking his car up today at the house where we did a 14 point cage. Just in time to start Rickey's car which is getting a 14 point..Both of these cars will be street driven and will see track time.

Rick

[rjsjea]

  a stupid question, but why build the car to go 9s if its going to be 99% street?

I kinda agree......probably same reason motors with 600hp are on the street.  Not saying that I am not guilty of the same

[4spdfury]

beacause he can

[Crazy68Dart]

  a stupid question, but why build the car to go 9s if its going to be 99% street?

James, what kind of question is that??   

[bigtimeauto]

  a stupid question, but why build the car to go 9s if its going to be 99% street?

James, what kind of question is that??

Its just misworded, street cars should run in the 8's put the good cage in it now so you don't have to revisit the interior when you build that better engine.

[bOb shingler]

i reckon your suppose to have padding on the halo and main hoop everywhere your head will touch/hit it.

[bigtimeauto]

just where you come in contact while you are belted in.

[oldkimmer]

.......Just remember it is better to safe than sorry.........that fast minimum 10 pt, my own has a 12 pt..........kim........

[7173Duster]

I would go with the 10 point, this hobby/disease gets the best of most of us and we suffer from the continual urge for just a little bit more.  From when we last talked you were planning to have a super clean car.  With that in mind, while everything is tore apart I would put everything in it now so you don't have to try and take out the windshield or get some weld splatter on new paint at a later time.  I watched an 11 second chevelle get upside down at 42 and the first part that hit when it landed was the center of the windshield at the roof.  The car folded down to the halo bar and then it quit crushing.  The driver got out and helped them load it on the flat bed.  That's why I have a 12 point in my car.  You can't be too safe. 

After seeing many of the "cage kits" for a bodies from different companies, for a street driven car I would have a competant local race shop bend the pipes for you so they are exactly on the pillars as far away from you as possible and so the halo bar is place high and as far forward as possible.  There is a shop in Massillon that can do it or several up by Medina and Hinkley.   

Good luck.  I used a Morrision kit and I'm not completely happy with the fit at the windshield.

[Crazy68Dart]

I decided to go ahead with the 10pt.  May do a few more things, we'll see how motivated I get.

Turning out pretty nice so far, will have some pics in a few days...

Thanks for the help everyone.

[johndart]

are you bending it yourself? or using a kit?
looking forward to the pictures.

[Crazy68Dart]

Front bars came out pretty good.  The goal was to conceal them as much as possible and get them as tight to the pillar as possible while still allowing me to fit the trim.  I also wanted to make sure the sides were symmetrical, it took a lot of tweaking to get them to look exactly the same.  The gaps are identical on both sides, woo.  With the trim, there is about 1/16" clearance.  I think it is cool that if you are standing outside of the car with the doors shut, you cannot even tell it is in there.   

Someone asked if I bent the bars myself, no I did not.  What I did, because I don't have a bender is mocked the bars with brake line, yes he said brake line, and took them to the local guy that has been helping me bend the stuff.  He bent them exactly to the lines, and things worked out really well.  I did the rear down bars that way, as well as the front pillar bars.

I got a little overzealous with the cut off wheel so I will be adding metal back to the dash to fill in the current large gaps, no biggie.   

Now onto the door bars, and to finally call the cage DONE.   

[rjsjea]

looks good....



--Rob

[mopowers]

It looks really nice.  I love the way the bar goes behind the dash!  I wish I would have done mine that way.  Only comment is - your track might not let you go very fast (quicker than 11.50) with the removable seat brace (main hoop mid bar).  Just a thought.  If you want to run quicker than 11.50, they may make you weld a solid brace in.

[Crazy68Dart]

I have talked to different people on the back brace.  I'm not worried about it.

Got one side done.  Swing out bar, clears arm rest by 1/16"  and is snug to seat depending on how the back is adjusted.

Almost there!      

[Ace]

Lookin' good!

The only reason I asked E/T's is I would only want to do the cage once.  Find out what's needed for the E/T you WANT to run, and build it.

[b569rr]

Looks great Andy. Lots of work.

After starting my kit yesterday I see why you put that swing out cross bar in there. The S and W pro street roof bars fit the roofline, window and into the speaker tray great. But getting the rear seat in there is going to be fun.

Can you tell me what the rules are in regards to swing out latch positions for the side bars?

Keep up the good work

Tom

[Crazy68Dart]

Thanks guys.  There is nothing really "fancy" about what I have done, but I did want to keep it as concealed and unobtrusive as possible.  I must say I love my Lincoln 175 MIG, it was awesome and didn't break a sweat on this project.  Tom, the back seat will be interesting to get in with that bar in the way.  I am sure with enough cussing you can force it in. 

Tom, it is a lot of work, but is fun work, at least I think.  Sort of like a full scale erector set... .  The swing out kits take more time to fit than just welding a solid bar in.  As far as the placement, I am not sure there is a specific rule on it.  I went by making sure the door bar followed between my shoulder and elbow.  It is on the low side, I think because my seats sit a fuzz higher than the factory ones did.  The door bars are both at 25 degrees.

I also leaned the main hoop back slightly, I think 7 degrees but I can check again to be sure, to line up with the break between the door and quarter glass.  If you stand perpendicular to the car at that point you cannot hardly see the main hoop due to the placement, pretty neat.  Also, the down bars into the trunk could have been angled differently to pass behind the speaker cut outs so that they would still be usable.  Since I didn't have a rear window when I put them in I didn't want to screw up and make them too close.

I am pretty happy with the way things turned out.  The door bars are nearly identical in length which shows all the measuring and precision grinding paid off.  All of the fish mouths were done with a grinder, and the front bars were set to get them tight caused some odd complex angles where they attach at the halo, but it all came together, finally... .

Also, cage is all done.  I got the pass side bar in yesterday.  I'll get some more pics of it all done with the seats in today and post if I get a chance.

[b569rr]

Thanks for the info Andy. If my back seat won't fit I'll cut it in half or modify my cross bar like yours. 

Speaking of leaning the hoop, I looked at your pics in the gallery and followed the rear B pillar window leading edge angle around 7 degrees.



And check out my poor boy notching tool. 



Cheap but nuts perfect.

Thanks for the pics in your gallery.

Tom

[Crazy68Dart]

Looking good Tom!   

[Crazy68Dart]

Here are the final pics.  Filled in the gaps in the dash, threw the seats in for some pics.  Too cool.

[rjsjea]

Looks good........

Did you put the gasket on your windshield and put it in just to see how it will fit with the forward bars??  Just asking because my forward bars are through the dash and it's close with the gasket

[Crazy68Dart]

Looks good........

Did you put the gasket on your windshield and put it in just to see how it will fit with the forward bars??  Just asking because my forward bars are through the dash and it's close with the gasket

No, no windshield quite yet.  I think I am okay, I did some measuring and some work with a straight edge and it looks like it will be okay.  Just curious, how much does the gasket lift the windshield?

[b569rr]

Follows the lines of the car perfectly. Great job. 

[4spdfury]

the side bar is supposed to be between(middle) your shoulder and your elbow.

[TAPOUT]

I am trying to decide if I should go forward with the 10 pt for the Dart, or just stick with the 8 pt.  Knowing how much this car will be on the street about 99% of the time I am not sure I want to be bonking my head on the halo, and am not sure how safe it really is in a street car, i.e. head+halo in crash (heaven forbid) equals ouch.   

Whacha think?

At the moment you are bonking your head on the bar, there are more problems than just that to worry about. The cage looks good, but I heard that your rear bars can't be bent to pass tech for anything except for NHRA tracks. I just finished the cage in my car and I did the rear bars straight, but I am also not putting a rear seat back in.

[bigtimeauto]

I am trying to decide if I should go forward with the 10 pt for the Dart, or just stick with the 8 pt. Knowing how much this car will be on the street about 99% of the time I am not sure I want to be bonking my head on the halo, and am not sure how safe it really is in a street car, i.e. head+halo in crash (heaven forbid) equals ouch.

Whacha think?

At the moment you are bonking your head on the bar, there are more problems than just that to worry about. The cage looks good, but I heard that your rear bars can't be bent to pass tech for anything except for NHRA tracks. I just finished the cage in my car and I did the rear bars straight, but I am also not putting a rear seat back in.

Not true, this car was just certed to 8.50:

[TAPOUT]

Not true, this car was just certed to 8.50:

That is good to know. I may be confused with the road racing SCCA stuff from my other car. I have too many things to keep track of.