PICs Removable dash tight fit, IN Progress

[TurboTerry87gn]

Well after seeing hundreds of pics and many hours of planning and drawing layouts on autocad I have finally started my install. So far so good. The idea iis to have a roll cage that tucks u tight along the roof as I'm pretty tall and I drive this car on the street and don't want my hed bashed on the roll cage with out a hlmet. I'm going to use the 1/2 round padding up by the roof and probalby even lower the seats down about 2 inches. This will be a 25.5 SFI spec roll cage but minus the funny car section around the driver.

Hope these pics help some others with planning.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

Pics

 

[Boost231]

looking good man keep us posted

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

More Refrence pics.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

Window bars that connect the dash bar to the main hoop. I also added about a 12 degreee bend to get the roof section back down to the radius of the main hoop.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

pics
enjoy my pain.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

more pics

 

[ttypewe4jim]

Great post! Think you could post some pictures on how the actual dash bar is attached? Thanks for posting the cad drawlings... What kind of bender are you using? I just got the plans last week for making this bender Tube_Bender I have not gotten around to it yet but I plan on making one.

TIA

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

Model 3 Manual or Hydraulic Tubing Bender at Van Sant Enterprises, Inc.

The dash bar is welded (tacked for now) to two 1/8" cromemoly plates welded to the panels below the a-pillars. I have a new headliner on order. Make sure you calibrate you bender. From the edge of my die to the bend actually starts is 7/16" so I have to subtract 7/16" from each bend and the autocad file shows this if I remember correctly. Also there is some spring back more the greater the bend. The best tool I bought was the wixy digital angle finder with tube mount.
Wixey Digital Angle Gauge / Level at Van Sant Enterprises' Trick-Tools.com
You talked about making a bender, i would suggest buying one the dies actually cost more than the bender.

I also have the hdralic cylinder option on the bender.

 

[turbodave231]

Terry,

Very nice work! Keep the photos coming.

Questions: I thought the window bars needed to come all the way down to the frame. Do you plan additional bar(s) beneath the dash bar to tie into the frame? Are you going forward through the dash into the engine compartment?

Dave

 

[Dohc3ltt]

very impressed with your autocad and bending

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

Yes from the dash bar to the frame there will be another bar.
I wanted the dash bar welded to the body to stiffen the frame and body up. I have not added ti yet because things have to go in a certain order because of welding. Once the main hoop, window bars, dash bar, rear pro street bars, upper window bar (halo), and roof triangle bar are fabricated and tacked the whole assymbly will be dropped down to weld the top, so I have to cut the small tack weld on the dash bar to get the assymbly down. After welding the top up the tubes below the dash bar fit be made so the fit is exact. Then all the other stuff will be fabed and welded in. I also have to paint the top after welding leaving the lower section unpainted for the rest of the fabrication.

I am far from finished but will keep everone posted with pics. I hope this helps some one with their cage. I know all the pictures posted on here sure helped me. I'm ordering a new front window today to verify the clearance.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

pics

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

more pics

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

looks pretty good and similar to mine!

1 thing.. shoulda laid the main hoop back to hide it behind the pillar. The one thing I wish was done on my car:frown:


oh and if ya can do the headliner before final welding.. I squeezed mine through the windshield and tore it up so it definately wont go in that way. Now I gotta pull the rear glass and hope it goes in easier that way.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

I would have done that but it would have pushed in on the rear seat cushion, and the frame was eaier to work with in this area. See post #4 for pic.

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

pics

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

pics 2

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

pics 3

 

[TurboTerry87gn]

halo bar installed. Had front window set in place today to check for clearance issues. About 1/2" clearance.