So, I've been planning to do my cage sometime in the not so far distant future and am looking at cage plans.

Now, I think I may have found a Prepared class loophole to be able to install a Much better cage than is Commonly allowed. Reading the rules, Appendix A, 1.A There is a part that talks about FIA cages. "FIA-approved roll cages (not bolt-in) with a
manufacturer’s certificate of approval are allowed with any required
braces being added."


So the question is, if there is an FIA approved cage that has say 10-12 mounting points, including front strut towers, and attachment to the body along the roof, would it be legal????????????

The way I read it, based on the cage design I see, I would have to add the diagonal Main Hoop and harness bar, as it's an FIA approved cage, with the addition of the CCA required bars.

Thoughts????????????

where are you going to get the manufacturer's certificate of approval for said cage?

So, I've been planning to do my cage sometime in the not so far distant future and am looking at cage plans.

Now, I think I may have found a Prepared class loophole to be able to install a Much better cage than is Commonly allowed. Reading the rules, Appendix A, 1.A There is a part that talks about FIA cages. "FIA-approved roll cages (not bolt-in) with a
manufacturer’s certificate of approval are allowed with any required
braces being added."


So the question is, if there is an FIA approved cage that has say 10-12 mounting points, including front strut towers, and attachment to the body along the roof, would it be legal????????????

The way I read it, based on the cage design I see, I would have to add the diagonal Main Hoop and harness bar, as it's an FIA approved cage, with the addition of the CCA required bars.

Thoughts????????????

Don't FIA certifications expire every 5 years? If the former is true (I don't know of cages), that would make it tough to re-cert. the car 5 years from now I would think thus forcing a Mod classification from then on.

Hmmmm, good thought starter!

Cheers,
Chet

With the Purchase of the cage.

You need to read general rule #19 on page 12 of the rule book. In summary- specific rules trump general rules and each rule should be read in the context of all rules (if one interpretation of a rule conflicts with another rule that interpretation is not accepted).

Appendix A, rule 11 states 6,7 or 8 mounting points and the cage shall not go thru the firewall in Stock and Prepared.

A) If you can't buy the cage already welded into the car and attached to those points, it wouldn't be FIA approved to attach them to those points. The FIA doesn't just approve a design, let you go and build it on your own and then send you a certificate of approval. FIA approval deals with not only the design by the quality of the installation as well. You either buy a pre-assembled cage that bolts in or you have your car inspected by the FIA for approval.

B) Even if you could buy a FIA approved cage that attaches to those points and weld it into your car, it doesn't mean that you can suddenly use more attachment points than the rules already outline for a Prepared level cage or cut away sheet metal to attach to subframe mounts or shock towers that isn't allowed in Prepared rules (see gobuffs above)

C) Even if the rules did contain a loophole to allow a "FIA" cage that attaches at 10-12 points to the chassis to run in Prepared legally, since that was never the intent of the rule, that loophole would simply be closed at the next rules change period or immediately, if possible, through a rules clarification, leaving you with a "Prepared" car running in Mod. ;)

Like I said, I'm in the process of researching this. I do know of an FIA approved Roll Cage Kit that comes with an FIA Approval Certificate.

I'm looking into the price/availabilty, etc. Would it not make much more sense if this does turn out to be a viable inexpensive option for the CCA to allow it, thus reducing costs, of the most important part, which would allow more people to build/prep cars??

Like I said, I'm in the process of researching this. I do know of an FIA approved Roll Cage Kit that comes with an FIA Approval Certificate.

Got a link? Does it come pre-welded or is it bolt together?

I'm looking into the price/availabilty, etc. Would it not make much more sense if this does turn out to be a viable inexpensive option for the CCA to allow it, thus reducing costs, of the most important part, which would allow more people to build/prep cars??

CCA does allow it...whether you can run it in Stock or Prepared depends on how it attaches to the car. ;)

Like I said, I'm in the process of researching this. I do know of an FIA approved Roll Cage Kit that comes with an FIA Approval Certificate.

I'm looking into the price/availabilty, etc. Would it not make much more sense if this does turn out to be a viable inexpensive option for the CCA to allow it, thus reducing costs, of the most important part, which would allow more people to build/prep cars??
It doesn't really cost that much to get a cage put in anyway...

Got a link? Does it come pre-welded or is it bolt together?



CCA does allow it...whether you can run it in Stock or Prepared depends on how it attaches to the car. ;)


It is not a Pre-Welded cage, it's a U-Weld type kit, but is an FIA-Approved Cage, which in concequense if it removed the Non-Prepared legal parts would no longer be an FIA-Approved Cage. Now personally I would beleive that on a Major Safety Component if it's FIA approved, removal of parts would reduce the Intended safety compliance.

Here is a link to the Cert. http://www.ompracing.it/motore/rollbar/ab10618a.zip

That's a 14-year-old certificate, not exactly "current".

A more recent depiction of their cages & info can be found here:
http://www.ompracing.it/prodotti.html?categorycode=GROLLBARS&changelanguage=en
and
http://www.ompracing.it/pdf/en/rollbar.pdf

Note that the AB/106/18A cage appears different in the recent edition, and that in the recent PDF it is not FIA homologated.

My 2 cents,
Jim

So the cage mounts at more than the allowed 8-points for Prepared, making it perfectly Mod legal. If it mounted in 6-8 points as allowed in the Prepared rules, it would be Prepared legal with the addition of the harness bar and diagonal.

I had not seen the Rule #19 before, or not paid close enough attention to it.

I'm used to other rule sets where the First Rule is the Primary and it's meaning is the Important one. Which in this particular case would make this type of cage legal.

This is why I posted the question. But does make for an interesting question either way.

They don't import those cages anymore anyway. So it doesn't really matter.

Like I said, I'm in the process of researching this. I do know of an FIA approved Roll Cage Kit that comes with an FIA Approval Certificate.

I'm looking into the price/availabilty, etc. Would it not make much more sense if this does turn out to be a viable inexpensive option for the CCA to allow it, thus reducing costs, of the most important part, which would allow more people to build/prep cars??

Go for it and be prepared to be protested immediately into mod.

Besides all this good discussion, new rules were posted today for 2008. Time to read them.

Safety devices are fia cert. and can be brought into the country thru www.stableenergies.com but I dont see a point in doing this like it was said you would get protested