Ouch, but not suprising.

Beg, borrow, or steal the plasma cutter next time. Just make sure there isn't any other metal around, you may start getting strange thoughts like "I wonder what that S2000 would look like with some tear drop fender well openings" or "yeah, that looks like a great place for a skylight in the metal tool shed", you get the idea....

 

I did want to get one, but could not find one to beg for, steal, or borrow.

 

How much actual head room do you gain by hacking out the sunroof?

 

If I just weld in the plate for the hole, it will be a good two inches or more.

 

Got the car back at the shop after getting a cage at D and D Fabricating in Puyallup..Ken O brought it by..looks sweet...now I can get back at prepping it....

Here's the pics..
Later,
Tom

 

Hmm. Something familiar about that cage...

 

That doesn't exactly look legal for NASA and maybe PCA or SCCA.

 

I quickly googled nasa cage specs and the drawings from their spec book seem to match this cage fairly well.? I haven't delved into the nitty gritty details, but why do you think it won't work for NASA? The cage was designed for SCCA ITE racing..

Later,
Tom

 

The diagonal has to be with a certain distance of the bend near the driver's head. The hoop looks like it's bent more than 190* (IIRC, 180+/-10 is spec). Unless you are running an adapted cage ruleset (like GTS Challenge) you cannot run additional chassis stiffening like the forward braces to the firewall.

As a basic design recommendation, the lower rear tube should go to the same point as the upper rear down tube forming a triangle.

 

Hey Tom,

I just had a look at the PCA and SCCA cage specs. The PCA rules are in a PDF format here on Appendix "A" page 24.


The SCCA rules provide that if if the 190 degree bend rule cannot be met, the entire cage must be made of tubing size listed for the next heaviest category.
If your car weighs less then 3K lbs without fuel and driver, and your cage is constructed of 1.750 x .120 DOM seamless alloy, you're fine.

The link to the SCCA rule book in PDF format is here.
The above language is in appendix G pg 168 of 600.

Maybe Flying Dog could give the cite in the rule for his concerns. The PCA rules look to be pretty loose, I don't see where you're not in compliance.
I think your cage is made of the thicker tubing per the SCCA requirements for the additional bends, and in looking at the SCCA cage diagrams figure 16 through 20, it looks like all of the cages have bracing that comes forward of the front down tubes and goes either to or through the front firewall.

C'mon Dog, before giving Tom a cardiac for having just plunked down $1500 for a non-legal cage, give us the cite to the rule dude. If his cage is wrong, there are going to be at least 3 928's DQ'd before the season even starts.

 

I said maybe for SCCA and PCA....

NASA CCR: cages start on page 60 http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf

NASA has no allowance in the rules for over 190*
For the diagonal, I thought the spec was 6 or 8" but I was incorrect.and for the forward bracing

 

Diagonal needs to be withing 12" of the drivers head.
NASA rule book here page 75 of 142 sec 15.6.7 Diagonal Brace.

 

Sec. 15.6.19 Bending allowances.
If the maximum number of bends permitted for any one bar is exceeded, all required components shall be made from the tubing size listed for the next heavier category and must be approved by a NASA race tech shop or scrutineer.

 

Hey Matt,

Don't get the wrong impression here, not trying to dis' you or anything, just don't want Tom to get too worried about his latest expedenture, building race cars ain't cheap.

 

haha..no worries here..like Adam said...if my cage doesn't pass tech..then there are three others that will need to be modified....Plus the fact that after browsing D and D's shop, I suspect they know a little something about cage building LOL...

Later,
Tom