Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

In my search for the ideal roll bar kit, what I wanted was:

-Something I could weld myself. I'm still a "beginner" when it comes to welding, but the satisfaction of doing it yourself is my cup of tea

-Something that fit well. Alot of main hoops I came across in my research didn't seem to fit tightly to the B pillar. I wanted it to at least look like it was made for this car. The main hoop is the biggest part, but it's not bad if the rest of the thing fits well too.

-Something inexpensive, yet still safe. S&W sells these kits for $169, but I just happened to order during the "$30 dollar off week" (Wooo woooooooo)

Here's the pics of how it came out. I still have to spend another day on "cosmetics" without the grinding, but I think for the last three nights of work, I'm happy.
http://img75.echo.cx/img75/6839/roll18uq.jpg
(seat and steering column unmounted)



http://img75.echo.cx/img75/8589/roll20wr.jpg
I was worried about the "parallel-ness" of these rear bars because I didn't want to attach directly on the main hoop bend, or mount the "feet" of these bars close to the edge of the rear plates. I just wanted to hit as center as possible and still be as parallel as possible just in case.



http://img75.echo.cx/img75/434/roll30bp.jpg
Here's the rear plates. These ones weren't bad, but the ones for the main hoop and door bars require removing the sound deadener (sp?) It wasn't hard to get off, but the stuff underneath the car catches fire as you weld the plates on from the top. The underbody fires reassured me that I was getting good welds on these things.


http://img75.echo.cx/img75/4921/roll40gp.jpg
Here's the other side. Mount your doors with panels back on when fitting these door bars and give yourself 1/2" between the bar and your door panel.


Overall, Every one of the bars needed some type of notching/cutting/fitting to get it where it is now, but that's to be expected. I even had to chop 1/2" off the legs of the main hoop posts because it was too tall. :thumbup: (The main hoop of many kits seems to be the thing that I hate most, as most of them hang 2-3" down from the headliner.)
If you've ever built an awsome popsicle house and you have basic metal tools like a grinder and chop saw, I could recommend this one.

www.swracecars.com (8pt. Roll bar kit)

www.apexspg.com (Ultra shield seat retailer. Good people)

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

looks good, cant' wait to see it going, what kind of seat is that?

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

nice fucken job steve ;)

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

That's a seat made by a company called Ultra Shield. For the price, it was either that, or a entry level sparco seat. The material of the entry level sparco just didn't seem like it would hold up. Plus, you can't fade aluminum race seats on the street. ;)

Got it at www.apexspg.com in Oakdale. It's Jung4g's buddy that owns it. Good people.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Saweeet!

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Nice work Steve. Now we can tip it?

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

hope you got clean welds on the top portion of the bars ;)

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

lookin good Steve..

how much was the shipping on the roll cage set-up?

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Do you even have a motor/Trans for this thing yet?

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

bling bling. I might have to copy you on the roll bar choice and the seat choice because I can't make decisions on my own.

http://www.swracecars.com/shippinginfo.asp

reading is fun.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

looks good steve. ;) aren't there some kind of NHRA or SCCA specs or standards for roll cages though? just curious.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

This roll bar kit "meets or exceeds NHRA rules". :P Basically it's just "the main hoop can't be more than " " inches from here, ect. This is the mild steel, with the correct thickness, and mig welded. The only thing I had to worry about was mounting the seat in the correct position to meet all of those "this far from" rules. (Which I haven't done yet. ;)

I tacked the main hoop in, then the rear bars, then broke the main hoop off and leaned it forward until the rear bars came up and destroyed my headliner. That's how I got the welds 360 on the top bars. :P

I actually have the block, head, and tranny for this thing, but it's packed away so I don't have to think about it. The chassis ----, bodywork, and paint aren't going to cost much, so I'm not worrying about the motor until all of that's done.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

So MIG welding will be alright as far as passing a tech inspection/saftey regulations? I didn't know if it needed to be TIG welded, but I MIG'd my mount plates onto mine as well. Looks damn good Steve, cars really coming along and I like the progress updates.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

looks good. do you have any mor pics of the dash? are you gonna go aluminum or carbon fiber or just gutted stock?

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

If it's mild steel, you mig weld it. If it's chromoly, you have to tig weld it.

I bought this during the "$30 off" week, so the kit was $139 and with shipping it came out to $215 shipped.

I'm going to be keeping the stock dash. Right now my wallet says "you will have a crazy street car in 2009", but ideally at the end I would like to compete in NHRA SFWD, which is a "street class", so keeping things like the dash/doorpanels/carpet go along with my nhra dream, I just have to convince my wallet over the next couple years.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Gangsta O0

Lookin good

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

did you even clean the paint off first? or how about the silicone in the corners of the main hope? Thats the part that takes the longest, is just prepping the chassis.. It looks like you just set the plates in there and went to town, hah.

The way we put cages/roll bars in is. Clean all the paint where the plates are going to go, Drill 4 holes in the plates, then put another plate on the bottom and bolt them in first (so this sucks the floor up to the bottom of the plate) then weld it. Honestly welding to honda floorboards is scary ----, the metal is so thin and half the time your just melting the floor.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

::) yes, I cleaned the floor where the plates go. I took the sound deadening off, and then ground it down to bare metal. I only did it enough to weld the plates on though. ---- doing the whole thing.
My first roll bar (autopower kit on old car) had the bolt together plates. Welding to the floor is definately scary ----, because you see just how thin it is, but the ---- isn't going anywhere. The two lower bars in the main hoop don't aren't required, and neither are plates.




Someone should do some floor strength testing with a junkyard car or one they're parting out. I think the bolting it would make me feel safer, but I doubt the floor is going anywhere.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

there are little circle things underneath my car about 1.25" diameter, I thought one was a lift point and I put my scissor jack throught he floor of my car, it's not very strong.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Kyle, those are drain plugs or something. :P

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

After grinding all the paint and ---- off, then pounding the floor straight and smooth... then welding to it, I'd think it would make the floorboard even weaker that it is in stock form. That's why everytime I do a cage from now on I'm doing top and Bottom plates bolted together (sandwich style) then welded.

I can just see you rolling that fucker, the main hoop plates would probably go flying right through the floor, lol

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

I didn't pound the floor flat, I filled. 8)


At the base of the rear bars the plates are right on top of the rear "frame", so those should be more than good. Even if I were to now bolt plates on the bottom of the main hoop and door bar bases, I'm not sure if that would make it any better because the plates would be sandwiching the floor, but around those plates is where I welded, so if the integrity of the floor was compromised, I'd be fucked anyway. If NHRA says you can weld them to the floor, I'm sure it will be fine.

Ol' Jeffy just trying to scare me. :-[ (stop it) :(

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

I already talked to steve, we decided that he isn't going to "test" the cage.

I'm glad that you had at least a few minutes practice welding before you did something that may save your life.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

nice review/writeup man...I'm picking mine from SW next week for my GTI. not sure if my harbor freight welder is up for the task though... :-\ might have to have a pro do it

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

so what kind of welder did you use on all that? i know you said it was a mig but how many amps is it? i have been looking for a simple cage like that for my project hatch also. the tools you use are chop saw, grinder and welder? just trying to get everything straight before i even start to think about tackling a cage ;D.

looks great but do you thinik the bar behind the seats will affect my gangsta lean? ;)

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

Great job man, you are the coolest person ever. I really love your updates and ----.

I am not excited by the pics cuz you can see how much more ---- I will be over for to help on.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

I used my Lincoln Pro-mig 135, a chop saw, a grinder, and my head.

You should install the bars where you are comfortable with. NHRA.com has a rulebook with specs as to where it needs to be in relatioin to the driver. Build it around your gangster lean if you must.

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

looks like it turned out great steve. Excellent job!

Re: Project: Stealth Shuttle safety first
 

looks like i have a few more things to add to my wishlist ;D