I'm looking for opinions on roll cage/bar for light autox and track use (DEs). I would prefer something IT-legal but if I find just a rear section that will be good enough for me for now.

Autopower looks to have the cheapest thing out there. I wasn't impressed with the one Prelude bolt-together cage I've seen. Can anyone recommend one, or is the Autopower bolt-in any better for the Civic? How about their welded one?

I would have a cage custom-done but I'm having a hard time justifying that for the price and what I will be using it for. I don't have a preference as to welded or bolted... I can get it welded cheaply (just not custom tubing bent cheaply).

Edit: this is for a EG coupe.

 

I would seriously get a rulebook for whatever organization you plan on particpating in the future. You can find out what's legal and what's not, and avoid headaches and wasted money...

 

Autopower, or Kirk make nice products. Both sell bolt in applications, which can be welded in at a later time, if you dont want to spring for a custom cage.

 

I'm not racing with any "organization." I understand if I were SCCA or NASA or IHRA I would need to follow their rules. I autox a lot with our local BMW and S2000 clubs as well as do DE's (track) with random local groups (with no cage requirements). I am interested in something SCCA IT legal only because if it's welded in it gives me more of a market to sell the car to. Not a requirement for me, now, though.

Thanks, Bryan, for the suggestions...

 

cheap and cage should really not be used in the same sentence.

 

have you eliminated getting a autopower or kirk rollbar because you think its too expensive, or just showing us you dont care to do your own thinking?

 

Try http://www.artmorrison.com for good cages, but I don't think they are SCCA approved.

 

i dunno yall... remix once had the autopower back half in it, i took it out, and i sure don't miss it at all. wanna know a secret? remix runs with out front and rear re-bars. shhh....

i must be nuts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
have you eliminated getting a autopower or kirk rollbar because you think its too expensive, or just showing us you dont care to do your own thinking?
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Are you referring to me? If so, do you care to do your own reading?

From my original post:

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Autopower looks to have the cheapest thing out there. I wasn't impressed with the one Prelude bolt-together cage I've seen. Can anyone recommend one, or is the Autopower bolt-in any better for the Civic? How about their welded one?
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The autopower looks like crap. I hadn't responded yet about Kirk, I know nothing about them yet.

My interest is in finding something better made than the Prelude Autopower one that I saw. If Kirk is it and it's in the same price range, that's cheap enough for me. I simply can't justify a $1500 custom cage done locally.

 

youre right about the thinking part. my apologies.

dude, for the price, an autopower is not going to give you any less than a competent rollbar. a cage doesnt suit your needs, and the rollbar is just a couple hundred. sure, fab one up yourself if you can but why bother.


Modified by Tyson at 10:47 AM 7/3/2003

 

Any bolt-in bar or cage is going to be a compromise. It not only has to be designed so it can be assembled in the car, but has to be able to fit cars with full interior still in place. While doing this, it has to remain strong, so it uses bigger tubing with less bends than a custom job.

That being said, an Auto-Power or Kirk 4-point bolt-in bar, with a diagonal brace and harness bar, would probably be your best bet for a street machine seeing some track duty. Full roll cages in street cars are dangerous unless you're wearing a full harness and helmet, which is usually illegal on the street.

I have an Auto-Power bar as described above in my EM1, and have found no downside besides not being able to use the back seat any more.

 

Your backhalf idea is a great way to go. You also might want to look for a local cage builder. Ask for the rear half cage to be built to IT SCCA standards. Then if you want to go full in IT racing, you can go back and have the front half done.

 

The car is gutted with Momo Corse seats and SABELT 5 point cam-locks (bolted to stock belt locations currently).

Upon consideration, I will probably go with a full cage. I'd like something that will take advantage of the removed interior.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll look into Kirk and if not them, probably Autopower. All the cages I have seen done locally were over $1k just for a back half, approaching $2k or more for a full one. This is for the Prelude, a Civic might be less if I can find someone that's done one before.

Does anyone know if Autopower's welded cages are different than the bolted ones with respect to interior (I know the bolted ones are designed for full interior).

I'm also aware of the dangers of a cage on the street w/o a helmet. It will only be on the street to/from events and using the harnesses.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SPiFF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">cheap and cage should really not be used in the same sentence.</TD></TR></TABLE>

my thoughts exactly. if you're willing to go cheap then you don't need it yet.

 

Cheap being Autopower-priced. The Autopower bolt-in cage is more than adequate structurally for any racing I would do.

How many people who whine about "cheap and cage" being in the same sentence have a fire system installed? Arm restraints? HANS? I'm looking to get the most for my money here, not for soemthing to win shows with or enter a NASCAR event with.

 

For what your life is worth to you-take a long hard look at KIRK. That is what I put into the CRX. Meets ALL SCCA and NASA requiremtns using DOM tubing as required in the rulebooks. You did say you want it IT legal-that means a real cage-not just the rear section. As for Art Morrison-he has been building bars for as long as I can remember and they will meet spec-if you tell them what it is for.
You should plan to spend around $500 minimum for a quality cage from any of the 3 builders. Also keep in mind that the required cross tube behind the seat is used for the harnesses as well as being a stiffener. Be very careful with your selection if this is a bolt-in. You will want to weld in in tight to the body for maximum protection.

 

who is kirk? i'm not familiar with him. i know about autopower but the one i had in my DA integra back in the day was really wack. i'm more into drag than road racing so i'm looking for a minimum weight/meets track requirement 10 sec cage. if anyone has contact info on kirk or any custom cage builders in so. ca. it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

http://www.kirkracing.com
They are located in Mt. Olive, Alabama (near Birmingham). Mark Stewart is a real pro as some of us have come to know. His workmanship is excellent. The Price for the cage in kit form will depend on the car, size of tubing, number of attach points and other options that you select. They advertise in GRM and Sports Car.
If weight is truly a concern you can always go with the minimum size tubing in ChromeMoly-but you will pay dearly for it. Using this tubing requirees that you find someone highly familiar with welding it whereas DOM is much easier to work with.

In case you do not have a rulebook-SCCA requires a 6-point cage and allows 2 additional points for Improved Touring. If you want NASCAR style door bars (optional for now) they can be included in the kit.

Good luck

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marcucci &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
How many people who whine about "cheap and cage" being in the same sentence have a fire system installed? Arm restraints? HANS? I'm looking to get the most for my money here, not for soemthing to win shows with or enter a NASCAR event with. </TD></TR></TABLE>

While I haven't whined yet, I do agree that safety equipment is the last thing to skimp on. Don't fool yourself into thinking just because you don't w2w the track isn't dangerous.

True custom cage work cost big $$'s for a reason. You can't get the best fit & quality when a cage is made as a mass produced product. If you buy a 'kit' cage, well, you get what you pay for.

BTW, I do have a fire system & a HANS.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marcucci &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Autopower bolt-in cage is more than adequate structurally for any racing I would do. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah... once.

I saw a car (CRX) at summit roll 3 times at the exit of summit's T10, which amounts to 85-90mph on race rubber/suspension. It was a violent impact and the driver walked away no injuries. The cage? Looked like it handnt been touched. No deformation anywhere from what i saw. Why? It was custom built by a very good cage builder. He only made one small mistake and went sideways into the gravel trap. Thats all it takes.

I'm not saying everyone needs to go custom weld-in. But its a choice you're going to have to make and a risk you're going to have to assume if you dont - thats all.

 

jc836 thanks a lot for the input and info, i really appreciate it. i'll contact him directly and get some more info from him as to what he thinks i should do.