roll cage / seat belt question

[import_racer87]

its a long story, but the only way im able to get a 89 240 hatchback is if i have bolt-in roll cage installed (parents)

now i have a few questions:
1. is there a website where i can find roll cages for this car (6 point) and how much is it to get something like this installed?

2. even though i would be upgrading to racing seats with harnesses i must keep the stock seat belts for legal reasons. will the cage interfere with the retrackable seat belt? i mean i know id have to disconnect the belt but will it mess with how the mechanism slides when you open the door?


any help would be great. thanks guys.

[HaLo]

bolt in cages? go with autopower. http://www.autopowerindustries.com/

[mrmephistopheles]

1. yes. depends on the price of the cage and how much someone wants to charge you to install it.

2. depends on cage design.

3rd question you didn't ask: Should I get this car that's probably too much for me to handle even though I'm still a minor, and have probably only had my license a few years?

3. no. Have fun with your Beemer and learn how to drive. Go to autocrosses and such.

[8_6_Fo_Life]

Your parents have little faith in you.

Where in Va are you? There are a few places that I know of that can do a custom cage cheaper then Autopower. Plus the downside of Autopower is that all their cages are built to order. Not in the sense that they are custom, but that when you order, thats when they start building. That means they tell you to wait 5-6 weeks for them to finish the cage, then allow another 1-2 weeks for shipping from California to Virginia.

I looked this up for my Mustang...the cage price was gona be around $650 and shipping was $150. With a total bill of $800+ and waiting over 2 months....it was an easy decision to NOT go with Autopower. "Normally" you can get a custom cage built for (or close to) $100/pt. Then harness bars and diagnols are around $50/per. So, in theory you could get a nice custom 6pt with a single diag. and harness bar for around $700 and have it within one week depending on the shop.

Maybe someone can step in and say that lately Autopower's service has sped up some..but that was my take a few months back.

Overall I do agree with Mr.Mephistopheles, if you are getting serious about racing of any sort...learn to drive in what you have first. Then step up to something with more power and less forgiving. If this is purely a street car I'd have to say that your parents are making your car more dangerous...not safer. In the event of a crash on the street all those bars sure will hurt even with padding. They are meant to be hit with a helmet, not skull. It's also a great way to break/lose a hand. Cages are for racecars.

my $.02

[thx247]

What makes your parents think a cage in a car is safer than a 240 with no cage? Pretty silly thing to install on a street car unless you plan on wearing a helmet everywhere you go. Parents will be parents, but to mandate something they know nothing about?

[RBS14]

^^^^^^

I second that. tell them to think of the irony of a potential situation. you put a cage in that they made you put in. You drive without a helmet of course because it's the streets. you get into an accident (not necessicarily a roll over) and hit your head on the cage and receive any number of potential injuries from it. Or since you put a cage in it, the crumple zones of the car have been altered and can adversely affect the safety of the car in certain instances. S13's actually got quite good crash test ratings in some areas, not an unsafe car by most people's standards.

[Var]

its a long story, but the only way im able to get a 89 240 hatchback is if i have bolt-in roll cage installed (parents)

now i have a few questions:
1. is there a website where i can find roll cages for this car (6 point) and how much is it to get something like this installed?

2. even though i would be upgrading to racing seats with harnesses i must keep the stock seat belts for legal reasons. will the cage interfere with the retrackable seat belt? i mean i know id have to disconnect the belt but will it mess with how the mechanism slides when you open the door?


any help would be great. thanks guys.

get a roll bar for the street. Autopower sells them. I have autopower and my friend has cusco, both 6 point and they interfere with automatic seat belts so i got a sparco harness and he disconnected the harness to the seatbelt motor. Riding around with a 6point is apparantly unsafe. but here's a website

www.ioportracing.com

[mrmephistopheles]

S13's actually got quite good crash test ratings in some areas, not an unsafe car by most people's standards.

I don't remember where I saw it.. 'twas somewhere on the INTERNET...
but S13s had some of the BEST crash performance in their class.

[TRUENOCOUPE]

get a roll bar for the street. Autopower sells them. I have autopower and my friend has cusco, both 6 point and they interfere with automatic seat belts so i got a sparco harness and he disconnected the harness to the seatbelt motor. Riding around with a 6point is apparantly unsafe. but here's a website

www.ioportracing.com

Do you like your Autopower that much? I mean, last time I saw it it was the biggest POS roll bars I have seen.

[Var]

Do you like your Autopower that much? I mean, last time I saw it it was the biggest POS roll bars I have seen.


not bad as far as roll bars because head clearance is not an issue. When it comes to full cages, custom is the way to go.

[TRUENOCOUPE]

not bad as far as roll bars because head clearance is not an issue. When it comes to full cages, custom is the way to go.

WestboroughPimp (2:39:49 PM): you are over critical
WestboroughPimp (2:39:55 PM): especially cause it's you

Head Clearance is very important.

Your soft tissues stretch like you wouldn't believe. Your body slips and twists against and around the seat belt. The term "rag doll" doesn't do it justice.

Plus, the seat undergoes elastic and plastic deformation. The recline mechanism pin breaks and the seat belt isn't holding you to anything any more, so you flop around like a landed fish.

Big fun.

If you want a nice bolt on cage then go with Teqnosquare.

-Al

[AKADriver]

I don't remember where I saw it.. 'twas somewhere on the INTERNET...
but S13s had some of the BEST crash performance in their class.

NHTSA web site... FIVE STARS for frontal impact protection! They didn't test side impact back then, though.