Hey all. I'm new to the forum, just posted an introduction.
I picked up a 91 EF today with hopes of rallying it at my local track. The interior is now stripped.
​​​​The purpose of this car is to get a lot of seat time for cheap.
With that said, I plan to run it stock mostly but safety is a priority.

​​​I've got a budget of no more than $1,000 for all my safety gear.
I have three requirements:
-must have a passenger seat
-must be street legal as I plan to drive it to the track (1.5hr)
-must have a roll bar/cage (the track doesn't even require one but I won't feel safe without it)

I can get access to a welder through friends, but I do not have experience welding.
The amount of options for cages is overwhelming quite frankly. I'd like some advice.

Im thinking I could spend up to $500 on a pair of used racing seats/harnesses.
And I see jegs has a full cage kit for under $400 shipped - this looks like a lot of work for potentially sub par fitment.

TLDR: what's the best roll cage for someone with little welding experience and money?

 

Take it to a local cage fabricator. Won't be cheap and will blow your $1000 budget and then some. But it will be correct and most importantly safe.

 

autopower bolt in roll bar. 5 or 6 pt harness. fixed back seat. i also recommend a HANS.

dont weld it yourself. it takes skill and experience to make a SAFE roll bar or cage. youll just waste your time and money.

 

$1000+ really hurts to see.
Anything wrong with unassembled kits? (Assuming the installation is done well)

 

S&W cage and well in yourself

 

You can go with a mild steel cage to save money but sacrifice weight. A chromoly cage will be lighter but more expensive. If you ever want it to be certified down the road, make sure you follow the SFI rule book. Getting a weld-in cage installed (parts and labor) for under $1K is very unlikely unless you get someone to do the welding for free. It's a LOT of welding by the way, and a lot of it is 'out of position'.

 

Awesome advice. Thanks!
All the kits I've found are mild steel. Weights not my concern at the moment, but is it worth going for DOM steel instead of EWM? Any significant improvements?

 

DOM only. never ERW.

 

DOM only! Won't pass tech any other way.