First pictures of my standoffs for the roll cage

[norvalwilhelm]

I have decide to put a roll cage in my car to stiffen the frame and at the same time help protect me in case of an accident.
I started with 200 feet of DOM tubing in 1 3/4 and 1 1/2 diameter in .094 wall
I do not want to overly cut the floor, I do not want to weld any more then I can help inside the car.
I want the cage removeable in case I want to replace parts of the interior, I would also like to be able to remove it for powdercoating. It will be 8 or 10 point and all mounting is done to standoff comming off the frame and through the floor where 4 holes are tapped to mount to a flange that is welded to the cage.
This is my first cut, my first stand.
The pictures are very big but I just shot them and sent them to a post without resizing.
I will if you want keep regular updated pictures of the cage and how I did it.

This is a shot looking from the outside . The frame has been stripped of paint down to bare metal and the Tee slot has been cut in the fiberglass.
I have to go back and forth downloading pictures so it will take a while

This should be a shot from inside the car at the Tee in the fiberglass
I want all welding outside the car so the interior needs minor rollback in the area.

This should be the bracket I made with 3 gussets. One is welded to the frame.

This should be the bracket mounted on the frame where it will be welded tomorrow, remember all welding even with the cage should be outside the car

This is from inside the car. The rollbar mounting perch. It is level in all directions

Hope this all worked. I am trying something new to post these pictures

 

[Ken]

Very cool! Thanks for the pictures - it'll help more than a few Shark owners, I'm sure. :cool

One thing I'm unsure of though; if you plan on doing any organized racing and want the bar to meet spec, bolting the bar may not be permitted. I may be wrong, but I'd check into it if you're thinking of racing.

Nice work!

 

[norvalwilhelm]

Very cool! Thanks for the pictures - it'll help more than a few Shark owners, I'm sure. :cool

One thing I'm unsure of though; if you plan on doing any organized racing and want the bar to meet spec, bolting the bar may not be permitted. I may be wrong, but I'd check into it if you're thinking of racing.

Nice work!

Thank you. I am not into racing of any kind. I will not take the car to any track. I will not street race. What I will do is just enjoy the car and run very fast on desserted back roads. I like to cruise expressways at close to the legal limit, well a little over but mainly the cage is an exercise to see if I can do a really nice job. It keeps me busy over the winter in my shop. I would be lost without some major project and this is the only one I could think of to improve the car.
Each winter I need something major to keep me going and when the car comes out in the spring I want to feel the improvement someway in how the car handles
Before the car was absolutely smooth at 130 mph and cruising at 100 was effortless with the 3.08 gearing and .68 overdrive. 100 mph was 2600 rpm and the blower motor was just loafing well within it's power band.
Hopefully the cage and the new 18 inch rubber all around will even improve that.
I believe I can bolt my 8 or 10 point cage down very securly with 4 bolts per attachment and satisfy myself as to it's strength.