Del Sol roll cage complete!

[B16]

Today I finally picked up the Del Sol from my cage fabricator. It had to spend some time there getting the front hoops redone. The original front hoops were too low for my huge head, so they had to be cut out and re done. Now I have ample room for my giant HEAD. lol.

I still need to paint the cage and zip tie the padding on the bars. I have not done any door bars yet since I wanted to keep the windows and I'm not competing in the car yet. When I decide to compete in the car, I'll get the NASCAR doors added. The seat in the passenger area is the driver seat, so its not bolted in right now. I will be putting the stock sol seat back in. There is a 4pt harness on the passenger side. I have a 6pt cam lock harness for me. The cage was seam welded on the A pillars on the front, as well as at the top in the middle of the front. I also have seam welds on the main hoop in the rear on the top.

Funny, we found out the del sol targa top is aluminum, after my fabricator tried to weld it on and wondered why the welds wouldn't stick on it. LOL. I'll need to either bolt it in or use some sort of latch.

Anyways, here are the pictures, I'll be painting it this weekend to fight off rust that is starting to develop.

 

[reikoshea]

thats pretty hot bro.

 

[posol]

I hope this one is just a bad camera angle...

it looks like it crosses over your head?

and did you pass the broomstick test?

 

[B16]

Passed the broomstick test. Must be a funky angle, its like 45 degrees from my head.

 

[posol]

i'd like to see a pic of you in it with the helmet on.

 

[B16]

maybe on monday

 

[posol]

who the hall takes pics on a holiday? go eat some hot dogs and drink some beer

 

[ScrapinSi]

wth is with the plates welded to the roof? Don't like that...

 

[phunky.buddha]

Sweet. I love it.

 

[formby]

i bet those plates help with rigidity

 

[B16]

i bet those plates help with rigidity

exactly.

 

[ScrapinSi]

I have NEVER heard of welding anythign to the roof like that.. Whether it be targa, convertible, T Top, or hard top.. Keeping the bottom of the car from flexing is one thing... But the top? You've got upper hoops & cross bars... Thats more than you need. And those plates are mighty thin to add any kind of rigidity.

 

[dickosenior]

Today I finally picked up the Del Sol from my cage fabricator. It had to spend some time there getting the front hoops redone. The original front hoops were too low for my huge head, so they had to be cut out and re done. Now I have ample room for my giant HEAD. lol.

I still need to paint the cage and zip tie the padding on the bars. I have not done any door bars yet since I wanted to keep the windows and I'm not competing in the car yet. When I decide to compete in the car, I'll get the NASCAR doors added. The seat in the passenger area is the driver seat, so its not bolted in right now. I will be putting the stock sol seat back in. There is a 4pt harness on the passenger side. I have a 6pt cam lock harness for me. The cage was seam welded on the A pillars on the front, as well as at the top in the middle of the front. I also have seam welds on the main hoop in the rear on the top.

Funny, we found out the del sol targa top is aluminum, after my fabricator tried to weld it on and wondered why the welds wouldn't stick on it. LOL. I'll need to either bolt it in or use some sort of latch.

Anyways, here are the pictures, I'll be painting it this weekend to fight off rust that is starting to develop.

great photos... just about to do a similar job on a 1988 ED hatch.. two questions:

(1) what grade and dimensions of tube have you used?? (is this specified in the US?)
(2) re the cross member at the bottom of the firewall.. does this interfere with the pedals?? (have you any pix from this area??

 

[B16]

I have NEVER heard of welding anythign to the roof like that.. Whether it be targa, convertible, T Top, or hard top.. Keeping the bottom of the car from flexing is one thing... But the top? You've got upper hoops & cross bars... Thats more than you need. And those plates are mighty thin to add any kind of rigidity.

Its called seam welding, many cages have it. Its tying that rear hoop to the main hoop of the cage. The plates are not that thin, they do add to the rigity of the cage over all. Remember that the del sol has a lot of cowl sway from having no fixed roof. Do you see a safety issue with them being there? I don't understand why you are so against them being there.

 

[B16]

great photos... just about to do a similar job on a 1988 ED hatch.. two questions:

(1) what grade and dimensions of tube have you used?? (is this specified in the US?)
(2) re the cross member at the bottom of the firewall.. does this interfere with the pedals?? (have you any pix from this area??

1) DOM 1.75" x .120"
2) it does not, I'll try to take some more photos later.

 

[ScrapinSi]

IMO, Roofs are supposed to have some amount of sway... I would worry about possible problems with chassis twist because of too much rigidity (Is that a word?) up high.

That is the only thing that I could see wrong with that... I guess if I would have seen it with plate welding, then hooping that to the rear hoop I would agree with it a little more, it just seems to me that some 3x6" plates butted up against a panel like that wouldn't really serve much purpose.

 

[Sunburn]

I have NEVER heard of welding anythign to the roof like that.. Whether it be targa, convertible, T Top, or hard top.. Keeping the bottom of the car from flexing is one thing... But the top? You've got upper hoops & cross bars... Thats more than you need. And those plates are mighty thin to add any kind of rigidity.

and the welds look like gorrilla snot... they layout looks good though.



I guess you'll find out how good it is at Tech inspection, depending on your times.

what kinda engine set-up?

 

[B16]

Stock B16 with CTR cams right now. Building a B18C with PCT pistonsand BC4 cams.

 

[Sunburn]

Stock B16 with CTR cams right now. Building a B18C with PCT pistonsand BC4 cams.

sounds like a fun car!

there is a delsol around here with B16 pistons rods headwork JRSC and NOS that kills it. I have seen him go low 12's at the track on street tires.

 

[Sunburn]

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