Need some quick suggestions. I'm about done with the car (well, it will never be "done" but at least to the point of being "raceable") but need a few misc. items to finish her up for my first March event.

First, I need a battery cut-off switch, with the alternator cut-off. Do I really need to pay freakin $40-$60 for a switch?? The ones I've seen in the different race-part mags don't even look like they come with wire. It's just a switch right?? Ideas?

I also need a window net and mount, but just looking around http://www.racerwholesale.com and seeing all the different types of mounts, I'm not sure what is best for my application. The door-bar on my cage is at a semi angle, can I attach the bottom part of the window net to the door and mount the detachable part at the top of the cage?

I need a 2.5lbs Halon fire extinguisher, I've seen them for $125 - $175. Needs a metal mounting bracket. Is that too much to pay?

And lastly I need something to fill my sun-roof with. I heard that someone makes sun-roof-hole fillers, pre-made for different makes/models of cars. Anyone got a suggestion on this? Don't care if it looks real pretty, I can at least paint it.

Thanks guys, I'll post up a gallery of the car and all the work that has gone into it when I get it all done in the next week or 2.


attn race parts people: if I can buy most or all of this stuff above from you, please IM me, I need to order ASAP!

 

thats pretty much the cost of a switch. the $30 longacre 2 pole (4 terminal) switch is all you need, then youll need to get wiring of course. i used stereo amp monster cable, but a real cheap option is to buy a set of jumper cables and cut the clamps off. actually, i do recommend trying the 6pt Sytec switch so you can remove the key when youre not using the car. makes for a mild theft deterrent.

the autopower window kit from ioport comes with mounting tabs so you can kinda customize the mounting points to your rollcage. actually, i just checked the price on that "kit" and its not worth it. youre basically paying $35 for the small mounting tabs and not including the net. just have a welded weld in some tabs. however, i do suggest you also buy or fabricate from a junkyard the G-force GM style latch and bar so you can pass the NASA quick release requirement for safety nets.
http://www.racerwholesale.com/catimg/windownet/wm1.jpg

i heard theres going to be some change in the halon requirements sometime soon... anyone else want to comment? do you really need a halon system tho? especially if youre complaining about the cost of a battery cutoff switch, im not sure if a halon system is really in your budget and worth considering.

theres several ideas you could do. some just use the original sunroof and bolt it to the roof. or just cut a slab of sheetmetal and bond it over the hole. ive seen someone actually weld in a new plate, but rivets and sealer should be fine. or, replace the whole roof skin. personally, for the first year, i wouldnt be to concerned over the weight over the sunroof since you can just keep it all in there as stock and pass tech. once you become a better driver and looking for tenths, instead of seconds, then it will be worth taking out from my previous experience having raced half of last season with the stock assembly bolted in. then again, if you have a welded rollcage, i guess taking it out later isnt an option.


[Modified by Tyson, 2:24 PM 2/25/2003]


[Modified by Tyson, 2:34 PM 2/25/2003]

 

thanks for your post Tyson, always helpful!

cool thanks, where to get?


thanks again, I was looking at that one. So when you say customize, I can hook the net to any point? Like cage to door? Guess I need to look at my GCR, I'm such a lazy-***.

i'm just talking about an extinguisher can, is that what you're talking about? I'm not talking about some 300-400 "system" with remote nozzles and all that. The reason I said Halon is I guess I was told it was less messy or something. But if any small extinguisher will do, then I can probably get something cheaper?

So I don't HAVE to remove the sunroof? I guess I thought I had to because of the glass. I wasn't AS concerned about the weight really, like you said, I'm a novice so just making it around the track will be nice for now. But I have to "bolt" it down? And I do have a welded-in cage, but I think I will be able to slip it out the way the guy put it in. My cage is another point of questions, but I will post up another thread with some pics for that.

 

i just buy everything from ioportracing.com its local to me actually, but hes got a decent selection of stuff, wheras racewholesale.com is located in georgia but has much greater amount of stuff to buy. as for mounting the net, i dont think its legal to mount the net to the door, its gotta be mounted to the rollcage. the ioport kit has got little tabs that you mount to the rollcage by metal hoseclamps. it gets the job done i suppose. and apparently is legal enough as a quick release system if you rig it right. oh, and i forgot the 92+ civics had glass sunroofs. i guess you gotta yank em. also, for the extinguisher, i didnt know halon came in standalone bottles, but just get a regular dry 2.5 lbs bottle for $25 which is all youll need, unless you want a bigger one for a moveable ballast......(thats for you kirk )


[Modified by Tyson, 4:32 PM 2/25/2003]


[Modified by Tyson, 4:43 PM 2/25/2003]

 

gotchya

doh! well, that's what I thought.
and it's a 90 by the way

sweet, thanks again Tyson!


[Modified by uncleben, 6:48 PM 2/25/2003]

 

you got a glass sunroof in your EF? aftermarket dealer install?

oh yeah, and the extinguisher should come with a bracket that will mount to the rollcage with some hoseclamps.

 

heh, it's an Si baby!

 

since when do EF's come with glass sunroofs?

 

ummm... heh, if it's an <FONT COLOR="red">Si</FONT>, they all did as far as I know.

 

crx's didnt come with glass sunroofs.... no where have i seen a glass 88-91 civic sunroof... please show me.... im curious in my doubt. making a glass sunroof for a crx has been often pondered.

 

it's not a CRX...

here's one i found by going to https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=237599 on page 10, I'm sure there's more

 

Your MUST mount the window net to the roll cage. It is in the SCCA, NASA, Grand-Am..well you get the point rule books. Buy a thin peice of sheet metal cut it and rivet it to your roof..fast and cheap and complies with the rules. You are on par with your fire estig. but it does not have to be halon..matter of fact halon is gettting harder to find because some goddamn tree hugging,granola eating left winger says it hurts the ozone. There are plenty of other systems that comply with the rules and are much cheaper than halon.


[Modified by dz-racing, 10:35 PM 2/25/2003]

 

The cheaper ones tend to go bad quickly (or be bad from the start).

Just custom make something. You're cage guy should be able to fab something for fairly cheap. Nothing is more annoying than a window net that gets in the way or catches on your $900 Sparco driving suit.

[quit]I need a 2.5lbs Halon fire extinguisher, I've seen them for $125 - $175. Needs a metal mounting bracket. Is that too much to pay?[/quote]

Pony up and get a permanent plumbed system. Safecraft systems as $250 or so. I use a Safecraft LT and it was &lt;$275:
http://www.safecraft.com/motorsports_model_lt.htm

I believe the GCR calls for the replacement panel to be the same material as the rest of the roof, but check to be sure. I just bolted my sunroof in place (it's metal) and removed the stock rails/fasteners.

 

thanks again for the info guys

 

I bought the iport window nest mounting kit. It was not good enough ot the SFRegion SCCA head tech. I suggest getting a weld job done with the GM button style mountng kit.

I have a 94 CHB. IT and NASA Legal

 

From IOPort's website, for reference:



Window Net Mounting Kit – This is the only kit on the market that requires no welding. Everything is included to attach your window net to your roll cage. Window net is not included, see our selection above. Manufactured by Autopower.

 

More specifically, the techs (two different poeple) did not like the way the lower half of the net was mounted. The Chief of Tech commented that the hose clamps were not going to pass the amount of pounds they were going to press downward on the lower window net bar. The second tech, took my net and slid it forward and back. His expectation was that the lower window net bar did not slide out of the brackets. I fixed the lower half by having someone weld the brackets onto the roll cage. Also I had a small retaining pin intsalled on the forward section of the lower window net bar. The retaining pin was leashed so that I could quickly yank out the retaining pin and remove the lower window net bar.

To Pass NASA tech, I bought the GM button kit for the top half of the net and re did the whole thing.

 

I found this thread to be very helpfull with the pics. Although the cars are not the same you can see see potential solutions.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=405960


[Modified by ITACivic, 3:52 PM 2/26/2003]

 

Ben,
I had this kit in my old car. I still have the two end-loops I'll mail you if you want them. You'll have to source the rods and the net on your own, but if you want these to weld on, just let me know.

 

heh, NOW i see all these posts... I bought one from IO port just 2 hours ago. (also got a battery switch and extinguisher)

so can i just weld this kit on and it be satisfactory? I'm kind of confused because I called the first time and talked to a guy who was describing it with a spring-loaded latch and stuff. I don't remember anything about it just being this hose-clamp rigged thing... then i called back later to order and got someone else. But I only see one on their site, the autopower one

 

Glad to see your almost done with your COMMA car, unCLEben.

I've been thinking about doing the same thing.

 

those little tabs you see in the picture are hoseclamped onto the rollcage. you are free to weld them onto the cage. the kit will also come with a spring and some stoppers, should be simple to figure out how to put it all together once you see everything.

 

Being older, and not so sure I'll live forever, I'd say spend your money on the safety stuff before doing anything else. Don't try to just get by on the kill switch, fire system, window net, etc. Get the best you can. The car can always be replaced. You, however...

 

Ponyboy: you can DOOOOO it!

Tyson: gotchya, thanks again

Geezer: agreed. I just got a fire bottle for now, but I will put in a "system" when i have the funds, which should be soon. thanks for the advice/concern