I’m glad my pictures have been helping you. Makes it worth creating this thread!

whst do you think you are going to do about the door bars and the door panels? Usually the Door bars turn down close to where my bar ends with a 6 point. Weird they go all the way to the fire wall.

as for the rear bars I originally were going to go all the way back into the trunk to the “framerails.” They are still strong in that spot. I’ve seen a few other people go with that location. The place I ended up putting mine is the strongest imo. The frame rail is there and like you said the spring pocket is under there. Very strong spot and having the cage tie in makes it even stronger.

 

some better pictures of the cage painted with all the plastic off the car

 

I'm actually going to SAVE several of them, just in case.

As for the door bars, my hope is to use one of our benders here at work, and try to mimic yours, for the most part. I'm the mechanic for a local industrial electrical contractor, and these guys bend similar tubes all the time. If not able to do it here, we also own a millwright company, that does a lot of more heavy duty custom bent steel and stainless steel tubing, on their jobsites. That's actually where I got my tig welder from (Not the machine, the person, LOL)

So, that's a fairly easy solution on the driver side, because it will need to be cut for the swingout to be welded in anyway. I can put the front angled part (& plate) pretty much anywhere, because I am 100% NOT going all the way forward like they designed it. (I got the same exact style door bar kit as you used). I'm going to try and get the pivoting end of door bar as close to door frame/lower A pillar area as I can, like yours is (minus the rocker arm & A pillar bars, obviously) which should give me most room to get my Sasquatch feet into the car.

That still kinda screws me on the passenger side...I didn't want, or plan for, a swingout bar on passenger side, since I never have a passenger.
So, I have 3 choices...that I can think of.
1. Cut/Shorten the hoop end of the door bar, re-notch it & bend it around the armrest, (Stationary door bar)
2. Bend, Cut, and buy another doorbar kit, for a door that rarely is even opened at all, (Swingout door bar), or...
3. Don't even use the passenger side doorbar at all...(Easiest, but if I wanted this option, I would have just bought a 4 point, and added a driver's side door bar)

On the rear bars, I'm not against welding them in all the way back there, but to be relocated, more like yours, I am unsure of bending them that much. I guess I could angle cut them, and make them go directly down to the same area yours goes, since seats aren't going back in.
I don't really want to lose the T-Top storage area, and/or the little "door" or whatever you'd call it, that hides that area when hatch is closed. I very rarely remove the t-tops, but I do "store" my helmet, jacket, and car cover back there. I could probably trim that little "door" around the 2 tubes, I guess. Jury is still out on this part...lol.

edit: Jury verdict is in, lol.

99% sure I am going to cut the rear bars and install like these pics show, minus the X braces
Thanks to HeyFred for sharing pics.
If I can get my doorbar even remotely close (shape/bend-wise) to either of your guy's doorbars, I'll be very happy camper.

This will eliminate my concerns about the T-Top storage area that I actually do use, as storage spot.
.

 

It sounds like there is enough material to bend it around the door and still turn them down where you would want. Hopefully you can bend them at work! Also I would do the rear bars like the picture you posted if you are not running back seat. If it was me I’d match the door bars bend them around the door and make them swing outs. Once you figure out how to bend one it’s very easy to bend the other side to match. I like uniform but that’s me lol

 

Yeah, I was talking to my boss yesterday. He said I have a half dozen options, as far as benders, but he suggested the electric/hydraulic EMT pipe bender, like pictured below.

Only thing is, EMT pipe size is rated different than steel tubing, so a 1-3/4" EMT "shoe", is slightly larger than 1-3/4" steel rollbar tubing. I need to do a few test bends, probably using the two foot+ pieces cut off of the rear bars.

As for the doorbars, NHRA contradicts itself in rule book.
~ "Doorbar must pass between driver's shoulder and elbow"
But also says...
~ "Harness crossmember must NOT be more than 4" below driver's shoulder, AND be LOWER than doorbar."

Well. If I have a 12" or more of shoulder to elbow space/area, then the "rules" effectively eliminate 8+ inches of the "allowed" doorbar height...I mean, if I read it right, that would leave 4" to weld the 1-3/4" bar into, which locks in a much more specific area.

Now, I've been breaking NHRA "rules" with this car for 4 years (et & mph-wise), and when I try to at least "get 10.0 legal" (mostly, lol), then the rules go grey, which kinda sucks.

I don't and won't EVER run at an NHRA event, so I'm not all that concerned, but I was "trying" to rule follow, lol.

Anyway...the front lower parts of the door bars will be cut, angled to the floorpan, and as close to plastic panels as possible. Doorbar pivot as close to front of door opening as possible, also. That hopefully keeps the rear of the doorbar mounting point, still in a "legal" spot. If not, it'll go where it's most convenient and comfortable for me, with harness crossmember location ignored & where it's supposed to be.

We have some holiday work "shutdowns" coming, meaning because we do large industrial work, holidays are when they can more easily close for us to do our thing. My welder guy will be busy making money hand over fist, so it'll be 4-5 weeks before he can actually do the welding. That gives me plenty of time (hopefully, LOL) to prep, grinding all the floorpan areas, shaping all the floor plates, sizing all the tubing, all the bending, etc...

What did you/will you do with your floors?
Did you reinstall your carpet?

I think I am going to remove all of the carpet insulation/backing, have it steam cleaned by my detailer guy, and then reinstalled. I had thought about leaving it out, but there's too much wiring to be hidden, for that to look ok, imo.

Here's the bender he suggested I use, but we have a few other options.

 

Since the pipe is bigger then the tubing I wonder if you could add a thin pieces of cut in half tubing to make up the difference so it bends smooth for you. Maybe it will bend smooth the way it’s sits for you. Fingers crossed!!

as for the rule book I followed most of the rules but tweaked them a little myself. I’m probably not racing any Nhra events either. It’s more or less to strengthen the car and not have to worry about getting kicked out running 9s. I’m actually missing two bars that go from the main hoop to the tunnel to make it 8.50 cert. I personally think those bars are a waste since it goes to tin metal and doesn’t add any strength imo.

I hope you can get some progress done in the next couple of weeks! You have to post up pics and updates too!

funny you bring up the carpet. That’s my next project I have to work on. I’m either going to start on that this week or next. I ordered a new carpet for stock interiors. It’s suppose to be 15 pounds light since I didn’t get the mass backing. Holding it’s in my arms it’s way lighter then the factory. I need to cut a little since the added weight of the cage. They gave me a couple pieces of padding to put down before the carpet goes in. Should be interesting. If it fits like **** I’m going to clean and reinstall my factory carpet. It’s going to be some work to get it to fit nice but I think I’ll make it happen

 

I did get the dashboard back in for good and the wiring harness ran back through the car

 

Mine is/was actually an 8 point bar. I'm not using the trans tunnel bars either. I plan to use them as "test bend pipes", LOL.

Same reason I finally decided to put a bar in. There is at least 1 "snitch" where I race.
I run the car kinda hard to run those mid 9's, so by just doing a 10.0 bar, I "HOPE" it makes me stay with power turned down for all but those few "all out, turnt up" test & tunes.
I'm still screwed on the 135mph thing, if they (track tech) push it.
I just mounted some new 28x10.5 Pro Bracket Radials, so I am hoping I can use the transbrake this year, to go low 10's without going 140+ MPH, lol.

My back's bothering me pretty bad right now, so I hope to just be ready enough, for when my guy is ready to weld. I know we have the holidays coming, but I should still be able to get everything cut and bent, as well as the floorplates shaped, in the next 5+ weeks.

I actually thought about leaving carpet out, but with all the wiring everywhere on these cars, it's not going to happen. I'm going to remove all of the backing, once I show it to my detailer/vacuum dude.

Your car really turned out great, but it makes me not want to even bother posting any pics of mine, lol.

 

Looks nice 👍

 

thanks man I appreciate it! A lot of work and brains went into it and it def payed off. Maybe one day you could see it in person since you are from jersey

 

its nice that you have those extra bars to test bend on! Hopefully you have a machine that will end up working for you.

I think for the most part you will be ok not having a full cage. I think at least they see something in your car they won’t bust your *****. Technically with a six point the bar had to be 1 7/8. I’m sure yours is 1 5/8 being an 8 point but who’s measuring it and it’s not going to be nhra certed either like mine.

hope your back feels better and you can get some work done on your car. I’m in the same boat as you my back has been bad lately. I’ve been stuck working under dashboards at work this week. Just my luck 🙃 because of that I didn’t get as much done on my car this week as I thought I would.

i appreciate the kind words again man! I’m sure yours will look great once it’s done too man! Make surw
you post those pictures though

 

 

This is what I did get done this week. I’m not done with the carpet yet but getting there. It’s a brand new stock interior carpet and the fit is ok. I tried my best to get it to fit good so far. It’s very hard with the cage. Everything has to be in the right spot before cutting the carpet to fit around the cage. I think if the cage wasn’t involved the carpet would fit very well. I think I messed up when cutting for the bars that go over the seat in rear. I forgot to push the carpet down into the buckets for the bottom of the rear seats so I might have to notch a part of it out.

 

I’m adding this picture for anyone that might buy the stock interior carpet that does not have the mass backing and that uses the pads like I did for weight savings. They send you the three pads and the one is easy to figure out where it goes but the front two are not marked and I couldn’t figure it out. I called stock interiors and they sent me this picture to help with home they go. Well even with this picture it fit like **** so I modded them to fit better and away I went.

 

Atco is my home track. If I see your car I'll swing over and check it out 👍

 

Officially out of chassis jail and back at the shop today! Hopefully running in the next couple of months

 

Nice! Thanks for sharing the whole process, and all the nice pics!

 

cut the upper dashpad to fit around the a pillar bars. Turned out pretty good. Forgot to take pictures before the windshield went back in this past week

 

Wow. Great job, looks awesome. I have a question , how hard was to save your dash pad when you puller out?

 

Looking good guys!