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Another NHRA roll cage question

8K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  techinspector1 
#1 ·
I just took a sawzall to my brand new 6 point roll bar. The guy that put it in decided to cut the main hoop in half and sleeve it and weld it back together. Nice, huh? He used a generic kit that didn't fit the car well to begin with... nothing a sawzall and grinder couldn't make disappear. To bad I can't get a refund. Apparently I didn't specify "NHRA legal".

Here's the question: I am making my own cage and I am sticking with the 6 point layout. The bars that attach from the main hoop to the rear have to be within 5" from the top. I simply can't get this to work in the 34 coupe due to the roofline, and I refuse to have the bars sticking out the back like all of the pickups have to do. What are my options here? It looks like 10" or so down is my closest option for connecting the bars.

I know I am not the first person to run an old coupe down an NHRA track... but pics seem to be hard to locate on the 'net. I appreciate any help.
 
#2 ·
Send a PM to Techinspector1 here at Hotrodders, he is a tech man for Firebird in Arizona, he should be able to clarify for you.

The sleeved main hoop was legal if it was done per NHRA specs for cage repair, you may have cut it out for no reason.

I could be wrong but I think a funny car style driver cage is the only way to get around the rear down bar rule, and it as a lot more than it sounds like you want.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies... I really don't want to have to go with a funny car style cage. It is a street car, and I'd like to be able to have a passenger.

Cutting the roll bar out did let me do 2 things... go with chromoly tubing to save a little weight, and get some much needed room inside the car. The guy that did mine had the bars a good 3-4" away from the sides and there was just not enough room for the seats.

I'll send techinspector1 a pm, but it looks like I'll not be running on any NHRA tracks with the car. At least it'll be safer than no roll bar (when SUV driving soccer mom is too busy texting....). Thanks again!
 
#5 ·
cobalt327 said:
From HERE:

This is overkill, being certified for (likely) quicker passes than you are considering. But it gives some ideas.
But in any event, mandrel bends are going to be your friend.
Cobalt, just so you know. This looks like a pickup truck install. If it is, it is a long ways from being legal. The Funny cage needs a full peripheral cage to be legal. Reason being, picture the roof all caved in around the Funny cage with the truck on fire and the driver unconscious. Survival? I doubt it. A full peripheral cage would have prevented the cab from being caved in around the Funny cage and we could probably have gotten the driver out.

This truck would not pass technical inspection at Firebird.
 
#6 ·
Just so we're all on the same page, I'll share what I said to this young man on PM...

Chris, the person with the final say-so will be the race director at the drag strip where you want to race. He/She will tell you what they will or won't accept. Contact the track and talk to the owner or race director.

I can see your dilemma because of the long trunk and short top. Those are beautiful cars, though. You could do it with a Funny cage. First, you would build a peripheral cage (4-point with side bars). Then build a Funny cage inside the peripheral cage. There are a couple of pickup trucks that I have seen at National Events that are done like this. But I can certainly understand if you don't want to go to such an extreme just for a once in a while blast.

Another way I could see to do it would be to bring the C bars (the down bars that you weld to the main hoop and come back to the back of the car with) off the main hoop and back to the curve at the rear/top of the roof. Cut an opening in the roof at that point and terminate the connection with two square plates, one on each side. These square plates would be flush with the back of the cab. The C bars would be removeable and would bolt into the square pad at the back of the cab and into two more square receptacles in the trunk floor. Of course, this would still require two holes in the trunk lid. I'm just trying to help you get there without having the car look like a dedicated drag race car. I think that is your intention also, is it not?
Richard
 
#7 ·
techinspector1 said:
Cobalt, just so you know. This looks like a pickup truck install. If it is, it is a long ways from being legal. The Funny cage needs a full peripheral cage to be legal. Reason being, picture the roof all caved in around the Funny cage with the truck on fire and the driver unconscious. Survival? I doubt it. A full peripheral cage would have prevented the cab from being caved in around the Funny cage and we could probably have gotten the driver out.

This truck would not pass technical inspection at Firebird.
Not a truck.



From HERE:

Description
1934 Ford Coupe for sale. Car is set up for superpro bracket racing. Car is legal to run in the classic gasser (B-Gasser). Car runs 5.80-90's 1/8mi. 406ci SBC on Alcohol(Flying Toilet). 4link rear, dana60 (5.36 ring gear). PwrGlide with brake. 124"wheel base.All electronics(MSD, MSD TWO STEP, Dedenbear delay box with cross-over,air shifter). Car is ready to race. Call for more details.NHRA CERT EXP. 2010 Cert. is good up to 7.50et.(1/4mi).
 
#8 ·
Thanks Cobalt. Having been around race cars for as long as I have, I would bet that someone certed the cage before they thought about the roof of the car coming in on the driver. It's not that different from a truck and I would have my doubts that it would re-certify. Depends on how the chassis cert tech looks at it. What do I know? This could be a glass car that is designed a special way and they have an agreement with a sanctioning body. The tech can either put a tag on it or not, at his discretion. At any rate, I would not buy a car that didn't have a fresh tag in it. Thanks, didn't mean to go off on a tangent.
 
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