6476 Roll Cage

Looks great Ron, great job. How are you going to handle the rear window? I couldn't figure that one out.

Awesome Ron! Neat to compare 2 different setups. I see you welded yours in. No getting it out eh? I just finished my headers so I am about to remove the engine and finish up the removable section which runs through the rear window. Mine comes straight back before coming down so I can tie into the roof line at the decklid hinge before coming down.

Gary

Thanks Doug ...1/4" lexan ... fire proof and cuts easier then glass ... where the roll cage penetrates it I'm going to make little flanges out of sheet metal ..so only a U will have to be cut in the glass.

Ron

Thanks Gary .. it as a HALL bolt in ..but I plan to run it hard a couple times a year and my motor choice has taken a turn for the better so ..I think its a better choice for me to have to welded in. LOL I;m still contenplting the door bars ??

Ron

How long do you think it will take you to finish the car?

Wow ...now thats a scary thought.

Well I have a lot of little details on the body to complete .. along with the front valence to replace. And some reinforcing to do with flat plate steel

I want to try to lower the floors ?

I have to fit the fuel cell in the front ?

I want to add either a GT 40 scoop or 3 tear drop scoops like the SHelby or Ferrari GTO had to the hood.

Then blast the entire car ... gonna do it in my drive way. Then prime and skim coat the entire car.

Another year ... sooner if the guy who I want to hire shows up ... he does body work on the side... with some real help .. by summer.

Ron

You know I am working on the hood opening for the radiator. Do you think that will impede your fuel cell area? I have been bending aluminum to make my own hood. Lots of ideas. We'll see if they pan out.

We seem to be going at similar paces but I won't be done in a year. I know how my pace pans out.

Ron,

Are you planning to race the car? In my distant memory I seem to recall something about some sanctioning bodies not allowing welded in Roll cages, have to be bolted for some reason, anyone recall such a rule?

Julian

Hey Ron,

I think your cage will still be there after a nuclear war! That will really stiffen the car up. Nice work..

Johnny

Johhny Thanks ...... after a race 9138 @ Pocono some small cracks appeared .... it was pretty easy to see the exact stress areas .. mostly the roof posts.

Joules all of this was based on the SCCA Rule book for thickess of the Tubes and plates ...some minor issues exist having to do with the size of the plates on the HALL bolt in cage that are too small ... only think not there is the cross bar in the door area. Still contemplating that and how I want it installed.

Ron

NICE WORK RON !, can you still get the bulkhead cover in and out easily with the bars welded in ? i seem to recall in my last pantera , i had a hall 3 point bar bolted in and it made removal a real PAIN!..........i kept that bar when i sold the car and was going to install in my current pantera, but when i test fit the bar, it was a VERY tight fit with the door panels installed !,you had to really slam the doors to close because the arm rests HIT the bar, and the center bar was a bit intrusive for the passenger....i still may use it, not sure yet.... good luck with your project,..........DAVE

The bulk head cover will have to be notched where I tied the loop into the frame. I plane to do a leather interior so the buckhead will be a fixed panel. The center will be removable on its own.

ron

Fastened the rear roll bar to the roof support and repositioned the rotissere. Not easy to find time. Next the floors lowering them .. like 9138 .. boy in 1979 my GTS Detomaso did a fine job on the frame and floors .. if I get it up in the air I;ll post the pics.

So your tying it in where you go through the window. Are you going glass or some sort of lexan? It would be easy for a glass shop to cut the rear window since it's flat.

Is the image with the rod for the brace across the wheel well?

That 1/4 " steel flange has 2 purposes. One it ties the rear roll bar into the roof support ..that was your idea ...and a damn good one I might add... the other it acts as a flange to accept a gasket or seal around where I will have to cut the lexan.

Yes the brace I bought at McmasterCarr ... I reallize it may not work ... it will involve a whole lot of aluminum welding that I;m not sure I want to get into ... but after adding all that cage ..I;m starting to lean toward wieght reduction ...way back when my 66 Comet Drag car ended up on this track ..and in its final glory it wieghed 2950lbs with me in it ... that was lighter then the Mustangs.

I've seen some Panteraa that had a tube run through the rocker panel tubs, bolted to the front inner fenders and bolted through to the main hoop at the main bulkhead.

It doesn't even need to be a round shape. I've seen it as a 2x4 shape.

If you think about it. Once it is tied to the rest of the cage, it has become a chassis.

Something to think about but where does it all stop?

I can't say it was my idea. I have seen photos dating back years with guys doing it. I have also seen old photos of guys without roll cauges using the cross braces where the deck lid goes so that ain't new but it isn't practical. I think when you tie it all together the way we did it has to do good things. I thought about even a removable cross brace across the back bars but we'll see. I am not sure if it would interfere with the webers and as you said everything we do just adds weight.

I did get rid of the A/C which was close to 100lbs. I don't use a/c even in my daily drivers. I like it hot so I am good with that.

quote:

Originally posted by accobra:
That 1/4 " steel flange has 2 purposes. One it ties the rear roll bar into the roof support ..that was your idea ...and a damn good one I might add... the other it acts as a flange to accept a gasket or seal around where I will have to cut the lexan.

Yes the brace I bought at McmasterCarr ... I reallize it may not work ... it will involve a whole lot of aluminum welding that I;m not sure I want to get into ... but after adding all that cage ..I;m starting to lean toward wieght reduction ...way back when my 66 Comet Drag car ended up on this track ..and in its final glory it wieghed 2950lbs with me in it ... that was lighter then the Mustangs.

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
I've seen some Panteraa that had a tube run through the rocker panel tubs, bolted to the front inner fenders and bolted through to the main hoop at the main bulkhead.

It doesn't even need to be a round shape. I've seen it as a 2x4 shape.

If you think about it. Once it is tied to the rest of the cage, it has become a chassis.

Something to think about but where does it all stop?

Do you have any pictures of this? Thanks.

Michael

quote:

Joules all of this was based on the SCCA Rule book for thickess of the Tubes and plates ...

Ron, does SCCA mandate a 6-point roll cage now? I have a 4-point to install in #7024 and was hoing to be able to compete in a few SCCA events.

Ron, how you gonna get the headliner back in???

Doug .. " but where does it all stop?" LOL Thats about it what you see is where I;m going to stop ... maybe a some bot in support with the bracing sold by the vendors. I hear ya .. the rockers I;m depending on the stock for a pretty substantial part of this equation.

Michael .. you took the word right out of my mouth .. Doug I would love to see some ideas .. I do have a pic of what Amerisport sell .. I'll post it.

Julian .. I by no means are a SCCA expert .. but I know these rule books are written from experience .. so I use it a s a guide. ..I decided after remembering how much of a money pit RACE CARS are .. that I will make 6476 a street car.


Ron

Detom,

The headliner shouldnt have any conflict with what I did so far ??

The bulk head now thats a different story.

Ron

Well Ron, if you was to make it an all out race car you wouldn't have to worry about such stuff. No turn signals, no parking brake, no passinger seat, no carpet, no radio, no heater. The list goes on and on. I bet you could remove your whole weight worths of stuff from a dedicated racer. But then again, the lightest single thing you would have left is your emptty wallet.

ouch Bro.....he is one of us..

quote:

Originally posted by lastpushbutton:
ouch Bro.....he is one of us..

I know. I love Ron. I was just cautioning him on going overboard is all. If I had money and talent, I would be dangerous.

No insult taken ... I guess its a matter of strenghtening and old flexed and rusted car ...and for my saftey. At Pocono 9138 hit a crusing speed of 165mph .. it felt pretty damn good. So theres some events I wouldnt mind attending where the cage will serve multiple purposes. Trying to also put an interior back in is no easy feat .. but I enjoy the challenege the problem is finding the time.

quote:

hit a crusing speed of 165mph

Damn. Now I am jealous. I want my car to be able to do that too. Not that I ever would do it, just want it capable, just in case.

Ok I;m finally getting caught up ... the weather in NY has been way too cold to work on 6476 .. but heres my progress .. I'm trying out a tankless instanateous boiler .. the europeans are going to say we have had these 30 years .. but I made this up in our shop at work and mounted it now I just connect the electric power, gas and heat lines and soon I will have heat to continue.

Rome wasnt built in a day............LOL

Ron

quote:

Originally posted by accobra:
I'm trying out a tankless instanateous boiler ..

Ron

Is that just for a sink or for shower? We have had one at the airport for the sinks. They don't have a water heater. I was thinking of using one in the barn they work so well.

Gary this set up is only for radiant heating I installed .. but could also be used for Domestic Hot Water and with a small heat exchanger ..... you can use it for both. The sellling point is there is no storage and maintaining a hot water tank ... and it is direct vented out the side of the garage and in the same flue pipe it brings in combustion air which on its way in is heated by the exhaust air ...for combustion ..they claim about 95% efficiency. +\- ...


Ron

That's a neat system!

Added a few pics ... making some progress .. templated for a front spoiler made of steel and bought a new toy .shear, brake and roller for the new battery box, floor pans and front spoiler.

You do keep busy? When does the testing begin? You are going to need some kind of a shell seat I think?

I think that you will need some more legroom. You can shim out the pedal plate to about 2" without interference. It helps a lot but you still can't fix the intrusion of the inner fender into the footwell.

I just climb head first out of the car. Getting in isn't as much of a problem. Ofcourse if I had my lft leg shortened by about 6" it would help getting out.

Doug,

Not familiar with the term sheell seat ?

And actually I was thinking of moving the pedal plate back into the car ..since I;m only 5-9 ... and it would give me more room in the front for the battery and fuel cell.

Yes the intrusuion into the footwell from the wheel well isnt so bad on the pantera ..but my cobra is murder on the left knee.

I have more problems getting out of 9138 because the floors are dropped from the factory so low that I have to roll from the seat to the roccker panel.

Actually I havent made much progress ..with baby one one year old today and # 2 is on its way .. but the new heating system will give me an oportunity to work in the fall and winter when business is quiet.

Ron

What kind of spoiler are you making from steel? I think I may make my air dam out of aluminum.

The one in the pic ..the GR4 style .. with the holes for either brake cooling or driving lights. next will be the rear spoiler.

Ron

Got it, that's one sexy brake/rollar/sheer!

Gary

Nice work Ron! Keep posting your progress.

Thanks Gents ... I'll keep ya posted.
Ron