Some pics of my work in progress...
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 0
From: Leominster, MA
Some pics of my work in progress... Got most of my cage tacked together today, just the doorbars left. Other pics are of my cylinder heads cleaned up before they get strapped to the flowbench tomorrow, the some hand finishing to see if I can squeek some more CFM's 
She's gonna be a beast next year
She's gonna be a beast next year
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 0
From: Leominster, MA
Fabbed (bends and all) the cage myself for about $75. I welded it in to spec with 6" floor plates. Was pretty damn easy. Tried to copy the ZL-1 cage to a T (door bars may not pass inspection though 
) They do not exactly cross my arms in the right spot, but makes getting in and out a breeze.
ZL-1 door bars below:
) They do not exactly cross my arms in the right spot, but makes getting in and out a breeze.ZL-1 door bars below:
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Originally Posted by '02 SLP#686
Fabbed (bends and all) the cage myself for about $75. I welded it in to spec with 6" floor plates. Was pretty damn easy. Tried to copy the ZL-1 cage to a T (door bars may not pass inspection though ) They do not exactly cross my arms in the right spot, but makes getting in and out a breeze.
ZL-1 door bars below:
) They do not exactly cross my arms in the right spot, but makes getting in and out a breeze.ZL-1 door bars below:
Maybe putting a rac seat in the car ( kirkey ) will sit lower.. not sure though.
I'd just run teh door bar up higher and be done with it.. why go thru all that work only to have something that won't pass tech?
I'd just run teh door bar up higher and be done with it.. why go thru all that work only to have something that won't pass tech?
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 0
From: Leominster, MA
Since they are still not in the car, maybe I should... 
Anyone wanna buy a set of ZL-1 style door bars???
I was just concerned about re-sale. Figured someone would be more likely to buy a car w/ a cage in it if it didn't hinder getting in and out etc... The more I think about it, the back seat is just about useless now, even though I bent around it.
Anyway, I should have some flow numbers today on Cyborg's old SLP heads... any guesses???
Anyone wanna buy a set of ZL-1 style door bars???
I was just concerned about re-sale. Figured someone would be more likely to buy a car w/ a cage in it if it didn't hinder getting in and out etc... The more I think about it, the back seat is just about useless now, even though I bent around it.
Anyway, I should have some flow numbers today on Cyborg's old SLP heads... any guesses???
Anyway, I should have some flow numbers today on Cyborg's old SLP heads...
How did you bend the bars? pipe bender (what kind) or heat? what did you use for material steel or molly?
Originally Posted by '02 SLP#686
Since they are still not in the car, maybe I should...
Anyone wanna buy a set of ZL-1 style door bars???
IThe more I think about it, the back seat is just about useless now, even though I bent around it.
Anyone wanna buy a set of ZL-1 style door bars???
IThe more I think about it, the back seat is just about useless now, even though I bent around it.
2 things.... the rear seat, if you have a cage and someone's in the back seat in an accident, you could have a barbaque, they are never gonna be able to get out of the car if it were to catch fire... I took mine out simply because I know that once I do the cage, the rear seat would be 100% off limits, I'm just getting to the way it looks now, and making sure everyone knows that it's a 2 person car 100% of the time now. Personally I will do the rear portion of the cage so that the rear seat COULD be reinstalled, should I choose to, but I know that it never will. I do like the way you did the rear bars, that looks nice. I wanna do the same, but bring the moutning point back as far as I can on the rear flat portion.
Second, the door bar situation, the cage is gonna either attract people, or turn them away 100%, that states the car has been raced at some level, and that will either attarct, or deter a sale as well.
Do it up right, I'd hate to go thru all that work, only to have to go and redo it to be legal.
as for the rear seat, nice that it can still be there.. but don't bother putting it back in, the speed inc. uncut carpet will cover it all, and looks good, and is an easy way to offset alot of the weight added form the cage. That carpet, and a set of Kirkey seats, is almost what the cage will weigh if it's CM tubing that's being used.
trust me, do the cage the right way the first time, and be done with it. If I were you, I'd do the door bars legit, and well you are at it, add the support legs to teh rear main hoop behind the rear seat making it a 8 pt, just makes it easier later to finish it should you ever want to.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 0
From: Leominster, MA
Made new door bars today - legal ones
I used 1 5/8" .130 wall mild steel only because of price and availablility. The $75 steel cage opposed to $300+ did it for me. The .130 wall so that the bends would still meet thickness requirements and .120 wall on straight pieces and an 1 1/4" harness bar.
Bent tubing with a pipe bender - man powered bender, no hydraulics here.
As for the rear seat I totally agree, no one will be back there, just be able to install it if I wanted to.
It is rumored that NHRA will be requiring a kidney bar from the main hoop to the door bars soon, so I have also added that as well. Will have more pics in a couple weeks as I won't have time to work on it until then.
No flow numbers today, flow bench needs to be recalibrated. It read 293CFM's @ .500 - I doubt those heads flow that well!
Off to Atco for the week-end, big Pontiac show!
Thanks for all the comments, all you guys in MA will see it run next year for sure!
I used 1 5/8" .130 wall mild steel only because of price and availablility. The $75 steel cage opposed to $300+ did it for me. The .130 wall so that the bends would still meet thickness requirements and .120 wall on straight pieces and an 1 1/4" harness bar.
Bent tubing with a pipe bender - man powered bender, no hydraulics here.
As for the rear seat I totally agree, no one will be back there, just be able to install it if I wanted to.
It is rumored that NHRA will be requiring a kidney bar from the main hoop to the door bars soon, so I have also added that as well. Will have more pics in a couple weeks as I won't have time to work on it until then.
No flow numbers today, flow bench needs to be recalibrated. It read 293CFM's @ .500 - I doubt those heads flow that well!
Off to Atco for the week-end, big Pontiac show!
Thanks for all the comments, all you guys in MA will see it run next year for sure!