Main hoop back suggestions

[Bishop]

So, I'm thinking at some point this season I'll be able to put some protection in my car. I'm planning on welding it in and doing the work myself, I'm a capable welder so I am just hoping to get some suggestions from people on how to put a proper main hoop back in these cars...

I'm open to any and all suggestions or criticisms since this is new to me. Pics are welcome and appreciated. I just wanna see roughly what I should be putting together before I really look up specs or something. Like I said, just looking to do the main hoop back for now, weld-in, may or may not want to add to it and do the front half down the road. But for now, for a couple seasons probably, just need something that'll cut it for lapping days, PDX / HPDE / schools / and Time Trials. Not interested in club racing right now.

[KennyT]

If you are going to build a proper weld in cage, do it right the first time. Otherwise you will have to cut the roof off or pull glass to change it in the future.

[Bishop]

I can agree with that, but I'm very new to this topic and not really sure what would be proper for rear hoop back. Would it be outlandish to weld in a 4-pt copy of like the autopower bar, or something similar, just basic for now. Then be able to add to it later if I decide to cage the whole car?

[KennyT]

This is the main cage structure for Rally America, other sanctioning bodies have different suggested setups.



1. Grey bars must be 1.75"x.095" minimum
2. Green and Red bars must be 1.5"x.095" minimum.
3. Door bars may form an "X", in which case the center of the "X" must be gusseted.
4. If an "X" in the roof plane is used, the center of the "X" must be gusseted.

Variations of this cage usually have an X in the hoop to rear shock towers and X style door bars (for easier egress).

[Bishop]

Thats cool and all but more than I'd like to do for now. Since I'm not rallying the car or doing wheel to wheel, just a simple bar that I can add to is what I'm looking to achieve. Where did you find that image / specs. Is there anything similar for like a 4-pt or anything like that?

[KennyT]

For a 4 point just use the main hoop, the X, rear bars, and the rear x. That information is strait from the Rally-America.com website.

[Bishop]

I'll look into it some more. Where on that cage is there provisions for harness mounts?

[KennyT]

It is just a cage, the harness mounts are completely up to you. Some use the main hoop X, others put in a bar across the rear of the rear shock tower tubes.

[j0oftheworld]

There's lots of room in the E30 and w. the car being ran in all kinds of racing series' over the years plenty of designs. I've got a 4point bolt in now but have collected hundreds of pics over the last year in prep for my eventual cage.
My focus will be NASA-TT so the tubing doesn't have to be a big as the Rally rules above but it's never a bad idea.
Another area of focus outside of safety should be "stiffening" if your projected rule-set allows. These are sloppy 'ol girls! ;)

I found a treasure trove of pics on S14.net..
Edit:

http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3performance/tech_articles/cage_symposium/cage_symposium.htm

http://www.s14.net/forums/showthread.php?t=35480&highlight=cage

Enjoy! :D

[Bishop]

Alright. Thanks a ton kenny for your input, we'll see if anyone else has input and I'll do some more searching for pics installed in e30s

[Bimmerman325i]

Ben, don't do a weld-in roll bar unless you want to cut the roof off if you ever want to add to it. Weld yourself a bolt-in bar, or buy one, because a well-fitting weld-in half cage can't be added to down the line without cutting and rewelding the roof on. Same reason Clark's welding up a custom bolt-in bar for his E36, the same issue applies. Only other way around it is to scrap the original welded-in bar when doing a full cage, which seems dumb to me.

I'd either weld a full cage in, or weld up a bolt-in temp bar. Use mine as a guide.

Whatever you do, call Grant at SCR, he'd know if there's any way around the issue above.

[Bishop]

I don't see an issue with a weld in 4-pt... MIGHT the car MAYBE get a full cage down the road? Sure, if that happens, I have no problem cutting out the old one, re-using what I can and making a new cage, if that's absolutely necessary... BUT, I think a weld in bar will be fine for a few years / seasons. So... say, 5 season with a bolt in bar, that'd be peachy. Then, if I want and can afford to do club racing or something, I'll cut out the old and do a full cage.

I was thinking of copying yours, but weld in... And I thought about calling Grant, but then I'm not sure if that's cool or not... Like "Hey, I need some tips regarding what you do for a living so I can apply it to my own project and not pay you." lol

[Bimmerman325i]

I don't see an issue with a weld in 4-pt... MIGHT the car MAYBE get a full cage down the road? Sure, if that happens, I have no problem cutting out the old one, re-using what I can and making a new cage, if that's absolutely necessary... BUT, I think a weld in bar will be fine for a few years / seasons. So... say, 5 season with a bolt in bar, that'd be peachy. Then, if I want and can afford to do club racing or something, I'll cut out the old and do a full cage.

Ah, then yes, go for it. I think Clark's going his route because he anticipates a full cage sooner rather than later.

[Bishop]

If that's what he wants to do, great... I don't see any need for it for him, nor do I see any need for it for myself... Who knows if in 5 years I'll even want to do wheel to wheel.... If I can weld in a main hoop and back and run Time Trials and have a fun time, I'll do it... If i wanted to do some wheel to wheel, I'd pick something that there's an actual LOCAL scene for like spec miata or spec 944... AFAIK there's only 2 Spec e30s in our area...

[Bimmerman325i]

If that's what he wants to do, great... I don't see any need for it for him, nor do I see any need for it for myself... Who knows if in 5 years I'll even want to do wheel to wheel.... If I can weld in a main hoop and back and run Time Trials and have a fun time, I'll do it... If i wanted to do some wheel to wheel, I'd pick something that there's an actual LOCAL scene for like spec miata or spec 944... AFAIK there's only 2 Spec e30s in our area...

GTS2 is pretty well subscribed locally, but yea, I'm with you there. Pretty much just time trials.