I said a while back that I would post some photos of the cage in my S50 E30 so that you experts here could review it.

One question I have: Is is possible to make any changes to the cage? For instance, the a-pillar bars are in front of the dash as you can see, but I am curious about whether new bars can be put in that follow the contour of the a-pillar more closely and preferably go through the dash.

Don't mind the control panel hanging out, I had to replace the ignition switch and haven't had time to reinstall that panel.

Oh, and yes, I know, get rid of the pool noodles. I'm working on that :).

On with the pics:

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage01.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage02.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage03.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage04.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage05.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage06.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage07.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage08.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage09.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage10.jpg

http://www.chartersventures.com/car/bencoupe/e30cage/e30cage11.jpg

I'm certainly no expert at cage design, just some things I noticed:

The knee/dash bar looks WAY low. Get some real SFI/FIA padding(as you said...). I don't like the door bar as it's really only 1 bar. The harness bar looks to be one continuous piece, one of the diagonals should be continuous, not the harness bar. Is one of the A pillar bar bars bolted down when the other points are welded? A-pillar downtubes could be further forward(as you said...). I'm also not sure why you went with 1 leg protection bar as opposed to 2.

What diameter and thickness tubing was used? Will this ever be raced? Oh yea, tighten up those harnesses. The loop should be tight on the harness bar.

One things I'm not sure on is the diagonals on the main hoop. Should they be noded on to the main hoop, or a seperate mounting point as shown above? Seems like I've read conflicting stories on that.

No offense, but do you have a flame suit you can put on?

Hey, it's how I bought the car...I've got nothing to hide from. I want to know what I need to change to make it right.

Again:

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CAGE.

Imo cut the door bars out, knee basher bar, rear downtubes and cross braces in the main hoop out. The door bars are not designed properly, the knee bar well its just plain dangerous. The rear down tubes end wayyyy to far into the middle of the bar between the rear shock towers and the cross braces are welded to the floor when they should be attached to the hoop.

Cut the cage out and start from scratch, it'll be easier.

Base plates need to be redone, most of the bars are poorly placed, or in a dangerous location.

And as mentioned, ditch the pool tubing, and get some HD padding.

Were you planning to race this, or just DE?

Is there an inspection hole in the cage? If so, find out what thickness tubing it is.

It looks like a bolt in cage that was modified.

Help fund the re-cage by selling the radio & cd changer :)

Cut the cage out and start from scratch, it'll be easier.

Base plates need to be redone, most of the bars are poorly placed, or in a dangerous location.

And as mentioned, ditch the pool tubing, and get some HD padding.

Were you planning to race this, or just DE?

DE.

If its only for DE's, you can probably get away with just cutting out the knee-breakers bars, and door bars, and putting in straight door X braces.

If you don't want to redo the whole thing, you could also band aid the rear by putting a tubes from the middle of the vertical Bpillar back to the rear shock tower area.

IMO you should cut it all out, and have a proper cage installed that would be legal for racing. Would be easier in the long run, and raise the resale value of the car.

O.T.: The top rear sway bar reinforcements is installed wrong. There needs to be a metal plate on top of the sheet metal in the trunk.

-Serge

.... needs more padding ....

If it's just a de car cut the knee braker bar out, the odd bars on the door so you just have a single angled bar (it wasnt to long ago that you could race with a single bar) and cut the x in the main hoop out and add in a proper cross bar. Other then that you can work on the rear bars but they should be ok for de's

Hey, it's how I bought the car...I've got nothing to hide from. I want to know what I need to change to make it right.

Again:

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CAGE.

In that case then don't take offense but like Steve J. said, cut it out and start fresh. That cage is a mess, actually safety wise the car is a mess. If you're gonna have a cage don't have seats with recliners in that car. And I think Greg mentioned the harnesses need to be tightened up and looped back again as they're not locked the way the picture shows them.

On the other hand I dig the gauges! :D

Cheers,
Carlos.

Rip it out and start over!!!!!!!
What is the Quality of the welds?
did you look behind the pool floaties to see if they are a good quality weld.s

.... really, .. just had time to really look at the pics. Besides the scary cage design, I noted that the harness are also poorly installed. It's kinda a scary car and as it sits should never be allowed on a track and should not pass tech, even in DE.

Oh ... no to mention the two batteries jist sittin on the floor (so it looks)

A lot of the technical details have already been covered.

IMHO it come down to how long you want to keep the car. That cage isn't going to pass tech for any sanctioned series. Too many things wrong with it - but that doesn't make it "unsafe" for DE work. If you plan on keeping the car for years as a DE car, then just do the harness bar and take out the knee breaker and install SFI/FIA padding (which you already said you where going to do) - all of which ARE safety issues.

Enjoy the car this summer, then have a proper cage put in next winter. In the long run, you'll be happier and safer in the car.

In that case then don't take offense but like Steve J. said, cut it out and start fresh. That cage is a mess, actually safety wise the car is a mess. If you're gonna have a cage don't have seats with recliners in that car. And I think Greg mentioned the harnesses need to be tightened up and looped back again as they're not locked the way the picture shows them.

On the other hand I dig the gauges! :D

Cheers,
Carlos.

Thanks Carlos. The seats are on their way out. I'm a Cobra Imola fan, so that's what is going in.

I'll fix the harnesses.

I'm tempted to ditch the main cluster that's in there in favor of a STACK display, just 'cause. First the cage and the rest of the stuff will be fixed, though.

If its only for DE's, you can probably get away with just cutting out the knee-breakers bars, and door bars, and putting in straight door X braces.

If you don't want to redo the whole thing, you could also band aid the rear by putting a tubes from the middle of the vertical Bpillar back to the rear shock tower area.

IMO you should cut it all out, and have a proper cage installed that would be legal for racing. Would be easier in the long run, and raise the resale value of the car.

I agree, I think in the long run it'll all have to be cut out and replaced with a proper cage.

.... really, .. just had time to really look at the pics. Besides the scary cage design, I noted that the harness are also poorly installed. It's kinda a scary car and as it sits should never be allowed on a track and should not pass tech, even in DE.

Oh ... no to mention the two batteries jist sittin on the floor (so it looks)

Yes, thanks for not understanding the thread :). The car came off the delivery truck and went into my garage, and this is how it sits. The new battery has to be put into the battery bracket, the harnesses need to be fixed, the fire system needs to be completed, etc.

A lot of the technical details have already been covered.

IMHO it come down to how long you want to keep the car. That cage isn't going to pass tech for any sanctioned series. Too many things wrong with it - but that doesn't make it "unsafe" for DE work. If you plan on keeping the car for years as a DE car, then just do the harness bar and take out the knee breaker and install SFI/FIA padding (which you already said you where going to do) - all of which ARE safety issues.

Enjoy the car this summer, then have a proper cage put in next winter. In the long run, you'll be happier and safer in the car.

See, I like your idea. Though to be fair, we don't really have "winter" here in California per se. We take time off in the middle of the summer when it's 120*F at the track.

So I think the best course of action at the moment is to have the knee bar removed. What is it you're saying about "do the harness bar"? I'm not sure I understand.

If I can make it "safe" for DE work at the moment then that's priority #1. I'll maybe have time for 2 or 3 trackdays in the next 6 months, then after that I will be busy nonstop for another 6 months with no time to track the car, so that will be the time to have a new cage done.


Thanks!

What is it you're saying about "do the harness bar"? I'm not sure I understand.

Thanks!

Ben,

I think he is referring to the horizontal bar being solid and the diagonal not being solid. I think the recomendation is to have one of the diagonals (from driver head to passenger floor be solid, then piece in the other diagonal and harness bars.

-Tom

Skip the stack and get an AIM MXL.

Don't forget about the rear swaybar reinforcement. All the kits I've ever seen use a small piece of alum or steel sheet to disperse the load better. It looks like all that's in there now is some small washers. Small compared to some of the other stuff I know but easy to fix too.

Skip the stack and get an AIM MXL.

OK. I hadn't heard about the AIM. Better product?

Ben,

I think he is referring to the horizontal bar being solid and the diagonal not being solid. I think the recomendation is to have one of the diagonals (from driver head to passenger floor be solid, then piece in the other diagonal and harness bars.

-Tom

OK, that makes sense.

Yes, for you MXL is definitely a better choice imo.

http://aimsports.com/products/mxl-chooser.html

What is it you're saying about "do the harness bar"? I'm not sure I understand.You'll need a bar that is level to just below and about 4-6 inches behind the harness holes on your chosen seats for wrapping the harness around. The one currently in the pics is too low for safe harness attachment.

Ride looks nice man..needs a couple changes..but its nothing big that you cant do..im digging the gauges too! get some Recaro seats in that baby! I think someone here in the forums was selling a rollcage..I cant remember who it was..ill look around...

Ride looks nice man..needs a couple changes..but its nothing big that you cant do..im digging the gauges too! get some Recaro seats in that baby! I think someone here in the forums was selling a rollcage..I cant remember who it was..ill look around...

Uh...?

Uh...?

Ya! Get some Recaro seats in that baby!!!

:stickoutt

Ya! Get some Recaro seats in that baby!!!

:stickoutt

Needs gauges too, maybe go with VDO?

:redspot
Carlos.

Sell me your cluster