Typical Roll Cage Pricing

[chnco]

I was just curious for those of you who have custom cages made, how much you guys typically pay for them? I know of the pricing of the Cusco and Safety 21's, but I wanted to know how much you guys pay at a local fab shop. Say for a 6-point, either through or around the dash? Not necessarily welded in, say just bolted in.

[!Zar!]

IIRC you can get a cage welded in for around the same price as the cusco kit. But I suggest you weld the cage in and not bolt it in. It's safer and will stiffen your car if done propperly. Not to flame or anything, but why do you want a cage? IMO that money could be used for better things. Unless you are racing and that is all you have left to do...

[Flybert]

Usual price for a 6 point is around $1000 around here.

[midnite_180]

got my 6 pont in my first s13 for $800 unpainted tho, some other shops paint it as well.

[chnco]

damn, are those installed prices?

[sideview_180sx]

you are shocked that it seems a bit high. Are you pissing about the price of safety?? You are only as valuable as the amount of cash you spend on the safety devices. Don't want to drop in decent money for a proper weld-in cage, go for the cheaper bolt-in, but you will get cheap bolt-in safety in the event of a mishap. Just something you should think about.


Zar is correct tho, why would you want a cage unless it is specifically for competition. Don't try and put in a cage just because it makes you seem hardcore...

[gotta240]

wtf are you guys talking about?

WHY NOT get a cage? Just cause you don't compete, doesn't mean somone doesn't want extra safety... You don't have to be on a racetrack for a cage to save your life.....

[Dousan_PG]

wtf are you guys talking about?

WHY NOT get a cage? Just cause you don't compete, doesn't mean somone doesn't want extra safety... You don't have to be on a racetrack for a cage to save your life.....

you weaer a helmet on the street?
cagse arent designed for daily driving

ever smack your head on a cage?
its not fun
imagine itas you get tboned at 50mph by a car.

your head=watermelon.

[Andrew Bohan]

$289 for a 12-point cage. bend it and weld it yourself

[stretch240sx]

a cage is definatly one of those things you get what you pay for... unless you are getting a homie hook up or something similar...

[infinitexsound]

autopower..... yay..!

[Andrew Bohan]

www.cachassisworks. seriously. those guy know what's up with safety. i went to their warehouse once. knowledgeable guys, and like a millions miles of rollcage tubing all stacked up. i cut and notched almost every tube in luke's cage, and he welded em. took us like a week.

[andrewmp6]

do not buy a cusco cage isnt not even a cage its for looks does nothing buy a autopower cage or have one made

[Sky240PWR]

do not buy a cusco cage isnt not even a cage its for looks does nothing buy a autopower cage or have one made
i don't know too much about roll caged but I have a 91 24o hatch with out a roll cage and my friend has a 91 with a cusco roll cage and you could feel the differnce!...doesn't feel as sloppy as mine!!

[andrewmp6]

cusco cage isnt rated by scca nasa or nhra if you flip the car the part that bends around the dash will give out and youll have a flat head lol only bolt in cage i trust is autopwer if you dont like theres have you one made

[240trainee]

$289 for a 12-point cage. bend it and weld it yourself

Thats what I'm talking about, a friend of mine is pretty good with a welder, he and I are going to split the cost for a notcher and a bender, and have at it. :ughd: I've been reading NASA and SCCA rulebooks and looking at pics of already done cages, so I think I'll be good. There's nothing magical about a cage - use logic and the rulebooks.

[RSP13-Sideways]

I've had a Cusco 6-point cage that bends under the dash in my AE86 GTS and it stiffened the sumbitch up a good amount.

I'm rockin' an Autopower 6-point now in my fastback and I feel it's a lot more rigid than my old Cusco cage. Could be the chassis difference too though.

Cusco blue looks pretty and is made from super light chromoly (less than 40lbs in my AE86) but Autopower will get the job done if you roll over but it's a lot heavier manufactured out of DOM.

[kuruptR]

anyone have a saftey 21 cusco cage? thoughts on it.

or a nagisa cage? let me know im looking to purchase a premade kit, as locals suck and cant make shit...and i dont want gross muffler shop welds.

[blu808]

wtf are you guys talking about?

WHY NOT get a cage? Just cause you don't compete, doesn't mean somone doesn't want extra safety... You don't have to be on a racetrack for a cage to save your life.....


A cage is your worst enemy in a crash on the street. If you are driving around without a helmet on, and you crash you will most likely be killed from your head exploding on the cage. Even with padding.

[stretch240sx]

A cage is your worst enemy in a crash on the street. If you are driving around without a helmet on, and you crash you will most likely be killed from your head exploding on the cage. Even with padding.

im 6'6 and when i crashed while doining some spirited driving, i nailed the plastics for the seat belt shit and fuck i though i had a concusion... so id hate to see what happened if i hit a cage

[NekoPunch]

do not buy a cusco cage isnt not even a cage its for looks does nothing buy a autopower cage or have one made

cusco cage isnt rated by scca nasa or nhra if you flip the car the part that bends around the dash will give out and youll have a flat head lol only bolt in cage i trust is autopwer if you dont like theres have you one made

Tell that BS to Katsuhiro Ueo...

http://forums.club4ag.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=100274

Or tell it to the probably 80-90% of drift, D1, circuit, and gymkhana competitors in Japan who use Cusco/Safety21 bolt-in cages. In fact the most common setup you'll see over there is the 4 or 5 pt. Cusco (chromoly) or Safety21 (steel) bolt-in on even some of the most hard-driven shop cars...

http://www.dec-i.com/democar02.html

http://www.northwestnissans.com/test/nekopunch/events/d1usa04/d1usa04-18.jpg

The fact is they're not just "for looks", they strengthen the chassis, they're far better than nothing in a roll-over situation (on the track w/ helmet), they're affordable, and they're more streetable than a weld-in jungle gym. If you need a SCCA/NASA/whatever approved cage, then go with Autopower or pay up for custom and more power to ya.

[andrewmp6]

name the last drift car that rolled over if cusco is so great why isnt it scca or nasa cert scca and nasa cages are rated for roll overs drift cars aint they are just for show they dont really race

[240trainee]

name the last drift car that rolled over if cusco is so great why isnt it scca or nasa cert scca and nasa cages are rated for roll overs drift cars aint they are just for show they dont really race

I love ignorance, lol. NASA and SCCA regulations are based on Americans anal retentivenes on safety and well buit shit. Good, bad, or indifferent, thats why American versions of cars tend to be heavier and uglier; i.e., ae86 corolla US vs Japan bumpers. Cusco and safety21 cages are built for ease of install, lightweight, and chassis stiffening. Not necessarily roll over. unless a cage is made out of PVC or it's just horribly made, a cage will stiffen the chassis, which is the point of a Cusco/ safty21. An auto power does that, but also adresses the American concern for saftey as a priority, at the expense of weight. I hope this makes sense.:rawk:

[Andrew Bohan]

name the last drift car that rolled over

last one i heard about was taka aono last summer in formula d.


they are just for show they dont really race

false dichotomy

[i8yourfwd]

www.cachassisworks. seriously. those guy know what's up with safety. i went to their warehouse once. knowledgeable guys, and like a millions miles of rollcage tubing all stacked up. i cut and notched almost every tube in luke's cage, and he welded em. took us like a week.
Making me a rollbar please andrew and luke :)

[chnco]

Does everyone on here have ADD???

[Andrew Bohan]

i do. i was diagnosed 5 years ago.

[240trainee]

I think I must, but no dr has said I do.

[NekoPunch]

name the last drift car that rolled over if cusco is so great why isnt it scca or nasa cert scca and nasa cages are rated for roll overs drift cars aint they are just for show they dont really race
They are approved by FIA and JAF, and in Japan they are always referred to as "rollbars" not cages (even their "13-point rollbar") because their primary purpose is protection in a rollover situation.

They are not certified by certain groups in the U.S. like SCCA and NASA because in this great advanced country of ours (which rejected the metric system and produced the Ford Pinto) those motorsport clubs have come up with different rules on how they think rollbars should be built. Those rules can change from year to year, obviously a great way to keep local roll cage builders in business.

To the original poster: Everyone here has ADD. Local fabricators around here differ greatly on how much they charge. Some charge $100 per point. Race shops can charge by material and by the hour for labor, so cost can skyrocket. If you're talking about through-dash, painted cage, full interior, spec legal, etc. you are looking at huge variation in cost depending on where you go and how much of the prep work you do yourself.

[ISTOTOSAO]

They are approved by FIA

I am not being an ass but are you sure about this. Because FIA supersedes both SCCA and NASA. It would be news to me. Again I am not attacking you, just curious.

[stretch240sx]

name the last drift car that rolled over

there are a bunch of drift cars the roll... like someone already pointed out about taka last FD season. and also watch the like 2nd vol of jdm option "crash kings" or whatever... iirc there are a few roll over crashes in there too.... with the way concrete barriers are made, its not uncommon for a rollover to occur... its just people get lucky... look at a lot of freeway crashes that involve hitting the center divide....

[atom]

I am not being an ass but are you sure about this. Because FIA supersedes both SCCA and NASA. It would be news to me. Again I am not attacking you, just curious.

I read on a Scooby forum a while back that their Cusco CroMo cage is FIA-J approved. Whatever that is.

[NekoPunch]

Right. FIA is an international race sanctioning body which creates regulations and safety standards particularly for race series which span many nations, e.g. F1, WTCC, and WRC. They can also offer approval of a company's manufacturing process for safety equipment, e.g. welding, materials, etc. Since one particular rollbar will obviously not be approved for every kind of race out there, you'd need to contact Cusco for specific questions regarding whether a particular cage meets criteria for a particular racing series, whether FIA-certified or not. Obviously, for higher-level professional racing a pre-manufactured bolt-in cage will not pass muster regardless of who makes it.

SCCA and NASA on the other hand are local (i.e. US) autosports business-clubs. They put on club-level (amateur) solo and racing events, and they are not under the auspices of the FIA nor are they required to follow its guidelines. They have created their own safety regulations for their events, and that's why they can turn up their nose at anything that doesn't follow their criteria including rollcages and even vehicles produced in other countries. IMHO, the U.S. just likes to do things its own way in spite of what's going on in the rest of the world (see: metric system, Kyoto accord, U.N. resolutions, KA24, NASCAR, etc).

[hattenDriftR1]

Call Monstor Fabrication and tell them Mario sent you.

626-857-9000.

Custom cages at a good price.

[blu808]

Hey mario. Good to see you on these boards.

[andrewmp6]

read this http://www.cusco.co.jp/english/e_cont.html dont say anywhere fia cert

[Dousan_PG]

i know a guy who got a cage at MONSTOR FAB

i wouldnt touch that shit w/ a 10 ft pole i can take pics too.
horrible cage.

[Andrew Bohan]

what all was wrong with it? shitty bends, shitty or incomplete welding, inconsistant fitment, out-of-spec tubing sizes, etc?

[NekoPunch]

read this http://www.cusco.co.jp/english/e_cont.html dont say anywhere fia cert
You have to go to the Japanese website. Cusco hardly puts anything on the English site.

Anyways to clarify, I wasn't trying to say "all Cusco cages are FIA certified." FIA doesn't slap their sticker on pre-manufactured cages. It doesn't work that way. But Cusco follows a lot of the common standards required by FIA and JAF, so contacting them would tell you which might meet requirements for a particular race (e.g. Safety21 works type may be a good candidate for N1/N2 enduro, etc).

Just PM me if you want to keep arguing. It's obvious nobody here agrees with you or wants to keep hearing about this topic.

[Dousan_PG]

what all was wrong with it? shitty bends, shitty or incomplete welding, inconsistant fitment, out-of-spec tubing sizes, etc?


off the top fo my head
the worst welding ever
horrible door bar (too high cut out the door which didndt hvae to do)
blew out his rear speakers (welding debree/sparks whatever)
worst welds
wrong piping iirc
and bad bends

overall a total pos.
we'll rip it out and redo it later

mine is going in this coming week thru garage works
6 point side beams and thru the dash on the front points.

[g6civcx]

You may want to keep in mind that for best results, the cage needs to come as close to the body as possible. That means you have to strip the interior or run a little gap between the body and the cage (which isn't ideal but is still doable).

Also keep in mind that ideally the main hoop will run as close to the B-pillar as possible. This means that you will lose your stock 3-point seatbelt. You can keep your 3-point but the main hoop won't be ideal if there is a little gap.

Not a big deal really if you have run harnesses, but it's going to bump up the price a little bit if you want the best design. And ideally weld-in is much better than bolt-in. Plus it's really important to determine where you mount the cage as these are the stress points. Put them on the floorboard and they'll go right through a rusty unreinforced floorboard.

A good shop should be able to weld in a standard 4-point that will pass SCCA tech inspection for low teens. Figure that if you want to run new seats and 5-point (or 6) harnesses and you're looking at around $2k for the pop.


If you look below at how the stock power seatbelt runs, the main hoop has to run as close as possible to that. So you'll have to rip out the motor and wiring.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/streetphase/seatbelt%20install/000_0018.jpg

[lok]

I have safety21 7 point bolt in. The backing plates are 6" square with 3 12mm bolt holes in each of them. The bars running up the pillars are mashing the foam covering all the way to tubing. The bar running across roof in the front is also pushing against the roof.

When I was installing the cage I had lay on my back and use my legs to push the bar up to mount it to the roll bar.

I am very happy with the rigidity the cage has added.

Here are a few shots of mine.

http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_1.jpg
http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_2.jpg
http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_3.jpg
http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_4.jpg
http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_5.jpg
http://photothru.com/photo_filedbi/A6/A6/6A/A6A66A/viewable/A6A66A_132183425C6F_6.jpg

[bboytou]

Oh well...this is for the guy who started this post: I paid $22 grand for my roll cage. Jk! Actually did mine at Wyotech, West Sacramento. The material only cost me $230, but the timing was about two weeks. So ten days about 6 hours a day. A little long considering we the students sharing tools and this was my first roll cage. You can learn how to weld almost like a pro...see for yourself.
It's a 6 piont rollcage made with 1_1/2 DOM tubing. I read NHRA, SCCA, D1GP, and Formula D rule books carefully before starting this project. So I'm certain that my rollcage will pass inspections along with my welds.

[bboytou]

ahh! this sucks! I don't have enough space to show you guys my welds. I'll see what i can do in the next couple days.

[Andrew Bohan]

what is the advantage to having a "roof hoop" and "front bars" as opposed to "side-front bars" and a "upper windshield bar"

for imports i almost always see sides and upper windshield. every nascar i've seen has the roof hoop. what the advantages of each kind?

[Flybert]

I think the "roof hoop" or halo bar as most people call it allows you to tuck the cage up higher because you have a little more access to weld on the bottom of the hoop, rather then weld the windshield bar up and around the top. I'll be making my cage soon and I think I'll do a hoop for this reason.