I am having a 94 Camaro built with a 12 point cage and funny car cage...Here is my problem..The cage is built and ready for the x-bars in the door area. I am 6'-0" tall and 240 lbs and the chassis guy is saying that I won't be able to fit in the car with the x-bars..He says it will be tough and I will grow to hate the car because it is hard to get in. Is there anyone on here that is about my size and has had any experience with this?

I really had in my head that I wanted the bars....BUT..I also don't want to make a big mistake...Help me make a decision

 

Well I am not 240 (just 190) but I can get in and out of my car with no problems. I just had to put in a removable steering wheel. I have the factory steering colum with tilt and a removeable wheel. I have the same setup you are talking about here with the funny car cage and X'bars.

Here is a shot from when i was doing some wirring

 

I've seen bigger dudes get in and out of cars with full cages. You will come up with your own process/steps to get in and out of your car. Once you find that out you will do it effortlessly.

 

I am assuming the steering wheel is removable?? That takes the sting out of getting in and out.

 

Outlaw...that is the exact set-up I have except right now I haven't installed the bar going up to the dash....How do you get in? head first, then leg...I think it is my "fat boy" technique that needs work..lol

 

Jump in the car and have them install it around ya. Problem solved.

 

You are making me think in the morning.. bad bad bad.. ok so after thinking about it.. here is my dead

Right leg in the car and then i back my *** into the car while holding onto the cage i lower myself into the seat.

 

I'm 6'5, 280. For me it was a real contortionist problem. With the 10 point cage no X I would simply put the right leg in, slide the *** in and left leg in. Getting out was both legs out and a pull up and out. Definitely not a technique to be used in tight parking lots and requires some flexibility.

If you are not going 25.5, you can do the other X bar lower so that you can get in and out over it far easier. In Dave's picture, if you brought that bar down about 4" you would have less of an issue getting in and out. That and a removable steering wheel would help out a bit.

As for the new setup we moved my seat back another 8" which opened up the X quite a bit to get in and out of. You won't have that choice on a regular setup. It physically looks the same as Dave's but gives me a running start at the door as far as legroom goes.

 

Is that a 3rd Pedal I see Derty???

-Ben R

 

It could be there for this.


Or maybe because it looks cool. Not quite sure yet.

 

Thats looking bad ***... wanna spill the beans on your plans with the car?

 

here is a pic of it last week..I will get more tomorrow when I visit again

 

Just a 25.2 Outlaw 10.5 car. It's double frame railed all the way up. Which is a bit different, but I'll give it a shot. It'll be a turbocharged LS1 setup as well.

At this point the firewall is almost done up. I just have the lower half to do and a little more of the floor. After that I'll get the car stripped and we'll prime it. You can see more of the photos here: http://www.stenodracing.com/gallery/...s.php?album=21 I need to get some more photos of the car posted up as I go along with it.

 

It looks pretty good. I think it's going to be a tight fit getting out. You can see the difference when you compare how much tighter it is with that second halo in the car. You lose about 14" or so with it, whereas I kept all that space on mine. I think you can get around much of that with a removable steering wheel though.

 

I am going to use a removable steering wheel for sure...I am going to go get in and out of the car a few times before I tell the chassis guy to nix the "X" bars....(If I just lose some weight,maybe take some stretching classes,gymnastics....it might just work..lol)

 

Most people know they can do it when you can bend backwards and kiss your own ***. I'm not quite there yet. Just proves that the SFI spec was designed by little people for little people.

 

Amen BROTHER

 

What I would consider is not the everyday in and out difficulty, I would consider the difficulty getting out of the car under distress i.e. FIRE etc..that would be my consideration...my .02



David

 

does the car need those bars? i know it needs them for an sfi cert but if the cars not going to exceed 8.50 do away with the x and the halo and get a sportsman tag. i know my 6'2 270 *** has fun getting in and out of my 25.5 cage

 

I am building a car with the capability of running 8.20's....but, to start off it won't be that fast, so we are building a cage that can be easily converted to a 25.5..Here is the latest picture