Ok guys...I'm getting ready to install the cage in the 71 and was wanting to see if anyone has any pics of their front down bars? The bars I'm talking about are the ones running from the top halo, near the top of the windshield, and running down, somewhat in line with the windshield, to the floor. Not the door bars, and not the front "snout" bars that project into the engine compartment. I'm looking for ideas on how to run them. The ones in the cage of my 72 sort of follow the outline of the dash, with a little "s" type bend, which is fine...but I'd like something a little straighter if I can. Ideally, I'd take the windshield and dash out and just run them in line with the windshield pillar, but that's not really an option right now. Just looking for any ideas with pics if anyone has them. Will be bending up the tubes later this weekend or the first of next week, and would like a fresh perspective on this lol. Thanks in advance guys.
I "may" have a pic or two of mine. It's an old Pulley Engineering cage, that was supposedly designed to clear the stock dash. I don't run the stock dash but it clears the one I made great. I think it would clear the factory one, tight, but I think it'd work. Lemme see if I can dig up some pix. Might even be on here under "backhalf" in the search box.
Here is a couple of mine...................this cage has been cert'd by NHRA and was built for the B/SM class back in 1979.
Thanks for the pics. It looks like the bar blocks the headlight switch...is this the case, or is it just the angle? That's another one of my issues...I want to still have access to my dash switches. I think that's my whole problem...I want, want, want lol. Todd...your Pulley setup sounds like my other one, except mine is an S&W 12 point kit that I installed. This time around, I'm bending my own. I also searched the archives and didn't find any pics of those particular bars in the posts from your dad or yourself. Oh well...I think I'm going to go buy some cheap conduit and make some test bends and mess around until I come up with something I can live with before I start bending tubing. I want it to be tighter to the windshield pillar and dash than the S&W one was...but not sure that's going to work out the way I want. We'll see... Thanks for the replies guys...and if anyone else has anything to add...I'm still interested in seeing other setups to help fire up the ol imagination!
Ur gonna have to go behind ur dash if u want it nice and tight up against the car. Look at my pics u can see mine. Had to cut notches out of the dash and there's a bar u can't really see running behind the dash. But my cars all cut up
Yes, ideally, I could take the dash out, notch around the bars, and put the dash back in...and that's what I would prefer...but, with having to take the windshield out to remove the dash...that's not feasible right now. I'm just going to bend them and try to get what I want by going around the dash. Not my first preference...but it will have to do.
Yes, that's always the issue, "You can't have your cake and eat it too", yes all of the switches are functional............they had to be back in B/SM days.
Yep...I actually remember those days lol. I was just a kid...but I remember them . I'm just going to have to gt out there and see what I can live with. Trying to be as stealthy with bar placement as I can. I'm all about the sleeper look
So, is this going to be a "real" race car or just a street car? If you say both................I revert to original statement about "cake". I had a real deal protect-O plate 68 Z28 that was a street car, then a race car, then back to a street car(sold it overseas after ground up restoration in street condition). Back in the day you didn't need a roll cage, but when I sold the car to a gentelman in Sweden I sold it with the 5:13 gears.....................it was a blast to run on the street........except paying for the 100 octane Sunoco gas.........................
Nah...it's a race car that will keep full interior and maybe get driven to a couple of cruises at some point. I bracket race it weekly...and about once or twice a month, switch to the drag radials for the local "street car", heads-up races . It looks like it should be a 9-second 1/8th mile car...right up until it pulls the front wheels and rips off a high 6 second pass lol. This year, with the new bullet (details and pics coming very soon) it should run considerably stronger. I NEEDED the cage last year...but was able to slow it down and sneak by...but that's not going to happen this year. And it needs to be in there anyway! Stiffening it up should help a lot...I was 60'ing mid 1.40's...and didn't even have subframe connectors on it! I'm thinking of even adding nitrous to the setup, strictly for the heads up deals. This new setup will take it. Now...if I can just hide those pesky bars lol... I appreciate the input...and NICE Z28!!! I'll be taking and posting some pics very soon of the changes for this year...
Nice car. When I bought mine a couple of years ago the guy showed me some 6 teens 1/8 mile times and I think that was on Alcohol with 6:00 gears in the 9" and it was doing low 10's in the quarter(with throttle stop)............then last year I took the throttle stop off and went 9.801.............and the last time I raced it after going off the end of the strip. Now I've rebuilt the 408 and Powerlige, added disc brakes on all 4 corners and will have fixed the chute (shortly)...............buy I am getting old and don't need to go into the 9's because then I'd have to upgrade the rollcage and get my drivers license....can't understand why they won't let me use my SCCA National License..............something about going around in circles/turns...........vs just going straight. I just want to go out and have fun with this 33 year old race car...........Oh yes, I'm still waiting for an open spot on the dyno for the new motor..............................been drag racing for over 35+ years and still love it!!!!!
If it a race car just pull in the cage where it need to go to be the safest cage it can be dont worry about the swicthes they can be relocate, I just when thought a horriable crash last friday and the only reason i am still here is because the roll cage was pull in the right way. The car rolled 4 or 5 times then went over the wall and cartwheeled 3 or 4 times before landed on its roof. I walked away with some bruisers and a sore tail bone. The people whose was the crash were surprised to see me back at the track 3hrs after the crash. Matt
WOW! That looks like a really horrific crash and you coming out of it with just some minor issues is really a testiment to construction of cage....sorry for your lose............but the car can be replaced. What happened?
It looks like one of the top four link bar was cracked and on this pass it broke and the car drifted to the left and when I lifted the car went hard right then barrel rolled to the gaurd rail. After hitting it started to cart wheel end over end a couple of time before landing on the rear bumper then falling onto its roof
