Region: NER
Car #: 7
Year : 1999 Posts: 636
Status: Offline
posted
Time to get out the spray cans. I've been doing it all week but it doesn't dry so great when it's 30* in the garage...
-------------------- -Cy Supported by LTD Racing & Speed Shack - New England's Premier Auto Accessory Store Rt1 AutoMile - Norwood, MA http://www.speedshackonline.com
Region: Mohud
Car #: 98
Year : 1999 Posts: 915
Status: Offline
posted
nice job, but.. Ditto on the main hoop. Personally I don't care for the attachment points on either end of the rear brace bars. While I can't see the drivers side of the bar under the dash, it looks very low on the passenger side.
-------------------- Charlie Campbell Race Engineering carbotech brakes
Region: NER
Car #: 46
Year : 1993 Posts: 160
Status: Offline
posted
Mike, Looks like a pretty good job...not that I'm an expert, but I have seen worse. I'd like to think the builder took the drivers height into consideration. Might be a little tricky to sell the car to a tall driver tho. When you mount the hood release, (if it stays), I would reccommend placing it on the outside of the cage, not near your left calf / ankle. Good Luck! Jeff
-------------------- LTD Racing Chief Of Inappropriate Comments
Region: Mohud
Car #: 98
Year : 1999 Posts: 915
Status: Offline
posted
Not hammering anyone. Jerry is right, too far back. They have lost a lot of the crush zone. I also would like them closer to the shock towers for stiffness. Upper end I would like to see them closer to the main hoop bend and without the extra brace. but then what do I know? Other than that welds, bends, design looks good. Bottom line though is I didn't pay for it or am riding in it.
-------------------- Charlie Campbell Race Engineering carbotech brakes
Region: chicago
Car #: 72 and ?
Year : 90 and 90 Posts: 1051
Status: Offline
posted
The rear bars are very similar to how I build my cage, except I add a horizontal bar between the 2 long braces. The idea is to eliminat the crush zone. By stiffening up the trunk you may save a tube that would otherwise be "crushed" into a total.
The rear shocks are not structural, no need to stiffen beteween the shock towers.
-------------------- Advanced Autosports, The Midwests leader in Spec Miata Service, Parts and Rentals 608-313-1230 Authorised Spec Miata service center www.advanced-autosports.com
Region: WDCR
Car #: 56 "Earl"
Year : 1990, 1999 soon to be SM Posts: 2947
Status: Offline
posted
My cage is a Piper cage and I am extremely happy with it and the design, just in this pic the hoop looks low. Probably just the angle. I know Mitch and he does extremely good work. I have seen his cage's performance in what was a very serious accident. The cage did just what it was supposed to, save the driver's life.
Alan, My bars were bent out of the same template tubes yours were... it's the angle of my iphone pics gang... As to the comments about the crush zone issues, I'll leave that to Mitch Piper. He's done a ton of these steel cages for miatas, and this is NOT the first cage he's done for me...
Region: Central Florida
Car #: 3
Year : 1992 Posts: 1304
Status: Offline
posted
Just curious....has anyone including SCCA actually tested the various cage designs in use to see what g forces and structural loads they will withstand. I am curious about my own cage and others. Have they been tested for side impact, front, rear, and rollover?
Region: SE
Car #: 39
Year : 1999 Posts: 835
Status: Offline
posted
quote:Originally posted by Gatoratty: Just curious....has anyone including SCCA actually tested the various cage designs
Yes someone has - me - I have hit the Turn 1 wall head on at 90mph at Road Atlanta, hit the concrete wall at Mid Ohio flat rear on at 65mph, and hit the Turn 4 tire wall side on at VIR at 45 mph.
Lots of sheet metal damage, no rail or frame damge, and no cage damage at all.
The video of the side impact at VIR absolutely illustrated the benefits of the halo seat.
At Mid Ohio the rear impact caused the seat to pull up the whole floor and my helmet broke the hardtop. Had quite a headache for a week.
And the head on impact at Road Atlanta resulted in serious bruising of the family jewels by the belts, which lasted for several weeks.
These cars when built right are damn strong. Thanks Tom!!!!
Region: SFR
Car #: 82/73
Year : 1991 Posts: 2015
Status: Offline
posted
How nice to see an uncrinkled SM....
-------------------- Kim
91 BRG SMT RIP 06 MX-5 Cup
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy sh*t...what a ride!'" - Unknown
Region: SW Division
Car #: 32
Year : 1999 Posts: 194
Status: Offline
posted
quote:Originally posted by Danny Steyn:
quote:Originally posted by Gatoratty: Just curious....has anyone including SCCA actually tested the various cage designs
Yes someone has - me - I have hit the Turn 1 wall head on at 90mph at Road Atlanta, hit the concrete wall at Mid Ohio flat rear on at 65mph, and hit the Turn 4 tire wall side on at VIR at 45 mph.
Lots of sheet metal damage, no rail or frame damge, and no cage damage at all.
The video of the side impact at VIR absolutely illustrated the benefits of the halo seat.
At Mid Ohio the rear impact caused the seat to pull up the whole floor and my helmet broke the hardtop. Had quite a headache for a week.
And the head on impact at Road Atlanta resulted in serious bruising of the family jewels by the belts, which lasted for several weeks.
These cars when built right are damn strong. Thanks Tom!!!!
I want to personally thank Danny for serving as the SM community crash dummy.
We're going to do a conservative alignment on the car today, wash it and mount the traqmate/ camera gear back in the car and load it into the trailer. We're heading out tomorrow for a DE event at VIR on Monday/ Tuesday and hope to have a report back on how it did while there. Hoperfully the car will be much quicker than it was when I bought it last August and did a DE day with it...
Got everything we can touch wrapped up with hi-density padding, so that's done and now we just need to finish up the right side net. Probably wont get that done before loading it up tomorrow.
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