Mopar Muscle Association UK

Has anyone fitted a rollcage to their car - I am seriously considering building and fitting a cage to my 68 GTX this winter. At this stage it looks like it's going to be a 12 point cage made from 1 5/8" CDS tubing - linked right out to the front and rear chassis legs. If anyone has any experience with this or has any recommendations on using a higher grade of tubing, let me know. My biggest worry at this moment is that the 30 odd meters of 3mm wall tubing it will take will add another 100kg to the car - but I think I'll need it for the 600 plus horses she'll eventually be putting out.

Absolutely none of my business, but you may wish to consider the impact of putting a cage into what may be a rare and valuable car.

I personally think putting a cage in to a car is the turning point that makes it a "Race car" as opposed to a "Classic road car"......

At the end of the day it is your car, so good on you if you wish to do it - maybe just installing subframe connectors could be a less obtrusive way of improving the car, maybe you already have these.........I'll get me coat....whatever you do I imagine it will be agreat car

A 12 point cage will stiffen it up a lot but as you say add a lot of weight.
I am not sure that 'only' 600hp justifies adding a cage that big. The car can be made stiffer in many other ways.

My Challenger has about 530hp and no roll bar at all. Just chassis connectors. However as it is capable of times faster than 12 seconds I should really have a roll bar of some sort.

I think if I was you I would add chassis connectors and a simple 4 point roll bar possibly linked to the chassis connectors. Maybe a few braces here and there too.

Another thing I would add which Pete has already touched on is that turning a nice street car into a race car is not always the best or cheapest way to go about it.

If the car is worth more restored you would be better off restoring it, then selling it, and start again with a cheap bodyshell. It can work out cheaper that way and easier to build. Plus we retain a nice rare car of which we don't have enough examples of over here anyway let alone Ireland.

Once a street car becomes more of a race car it becomes less fun to drive and you will drive it less. It will always be having problems too. They always do.
I think it is better to have a seperate car for the strip. This is why I originally did not want a street car that would go faster than 11.99. If I really wanted to go fast I would build something a lot lighter and I wouldn't try to use it for work in the summer!

Thanks for the points of view - I have thought about the fact that this will be a no return journey back to a restoration once I add the cage, and I don't know what this car would be worth restored, but then again I wasn't really thinking about selling it anytime in the near future.
I have already made mods to the car - which are progressively moving it further from a restoration all the time - Disc brakes all round, watts linkage, Custom rear shock tower to name a few.
I have already added subframe connectors, and they helped a bit but I wanted to add a cage to stiffen the car further + add a bit of safety into the bargain. I wasn't intending on drag racing the car - just street use, but I want it to be able to handle really well and for that you need a stiff chassis.
Though As you say Dave the car is rare - I believe this is the only one of it's type in Ireland.

'tis a tricky subject, i couldn't have cut my Belvedere for a cage myself- it's so original i would't have had the nerve. Thing is it was already done when i got it and i LOVE the fact it's caged and has coilovers it's just so COOL!!! Sorry, that probably doesn't help does it....

Ok here's a few thoughts, chrome moly is lighter than CDS as you use a thinner gauge but much more expensive. You need a bender that draws the tube to bend CDS, the usual hydralic type will burst it. A tube notching tool is well worth buying, it makes the job much easier. TIG welding is the best way to go, you get no weld splatter and you can usualy get in tighter spots than you can with a MIG, and the finished weld is much stronger and better looking. Other than that go for it! You need to plan it carefully taking into account things like still being able to get the rear seat in and out if you need to, this can be tricky. It's also a good idea to paint some of the inaccessible parts before you weld them in place, the bar that goes across the top of the windscreen is a good example.

Lots of tube in this one....

Off thread maybe, but after nearly a month of holiday and loads of work, that great picture of the Dart has given me the boost I need to get back in the groove with the Runner...thanks Blue!

Back on thread, I don't think I'm gonna be fast enough for a cage...

Thanks Ivor! some update pictures coming soon....Back on thread, It is hard to get the A post bars in the best position and tie in the front chassis legs with maximum triangulation without cutting up the dashboard, and remember you might want to get that out of the car at some point too.

Thanks for the info Blue - I have a TIG welder and will do all welds with it - as you say much stronger than mig. I wasn't aware that CDS would split when bent in a normal tube bender - maybe if the mandrel is a snug fit when the tube is straight that would help prevent bursting. I had heard the contrary - that chrome moly was extremely hard to bend and gave problems unless done in the correct machine. What wall thickness would you suggest in CDS and moly tubing, - I'm guessing at 3mm in CDS and 2mm in moly, and where can I get moly tubing - I priced it at Hauser's last year but it was approx ?20 per metre - and I need 30+ meters!!!

By the way - nice motor, I love the front suspension set-up - I take it you have a tubular K member in place of the stock one. I am eventually planning on building a tube K member sometime in the future.

What about what Dave said.. A 4 point with frame connectors and extra braces? Works for me!

I know from a safety point of view a 4 point is probably enough - but if I'm going to do it I also want to stiffen the chassis at the same time - I'm not sure if a 4 point would increase stiffness by a great margin? - did you notice any great increase in stiffness when your cage was fitted.
I have already fitted sub-frame connectors, and they helped a bit, I was thinking about fitting torque boxes - as fitted on original 440 six packs and hemi convertibles but don't know if they would add the stiffness I'm looking for - anyone any comments?

Mine feels great with the cage and connectors. And its pretty easy to get in and out of the fron. Bit harder for the rear.
You say you are not going to race it. So why 12 point cage? Gonna be a bit crowded in there innit?