For those that care....

niterydr · 12-15-2005

Just a quick question for all.
Many people on here know of my car's build. We have hit a snag with the roll cage.
The only way for the roll cage to work, and be legal for 8.50 or 150mph traps is to butchur the interior.
The car will have enough power to render a 6 point bar useless and a waste of space. I already have the plates inside, the harness is here, the seat is here, the steering wheel is in...I just have to make pipes to connect the dots

.
If I leave it a street car, I'll never get to track it. The officials will get one wiff of it at the track, and home I go.
If I set it up for drag racing, it could compete in the street tire categories, but then my "street car" has little to no interior.
What would you do if you had my car?
(damm near mint condition blue 1993)
CVD, Hughes, Reid...what would u guys do?
Thanks all.

Matt D. · 12-15-2005

Define "butcher the interior".

**1ViciousGSX** · 12-15-2005

Just get creative. You should be able to route the piping in such a way to be legal and still keep most of the interior in tact. There are alot of street cars with more cage than they would ever need and keep the factory interior.

**Kracka** · 12-15-2005

I'd go the street-car route if those are the only 2 choices. You have John's car to compete at the track....have some fun with yours for more than 10 seconds at a time. IMO, most of the fun about having a nice car is being able to drive it on a regular basis.

97GSXAWD · 12-15-2005

I agree with with vicious, I'm assuming i'm going to have to do the same for my "street car". It would be more fun to have it as a street car than a gutted track car IMO.

niterydr · 12-15-2005

The roof line is way to short. Picture 2g, only more bubble. I would have to cut my dash, pull my headliner, and remove my a-pillars. I could maybe keep chunks of the a-pillars, but that is about it. The bars would have to run through the dash, otherwise the bends are to tight. I am to damm tall (yeah my whopping 5'-9") to fit in the car with the fixed back seat and the helmet on w/o having my head rest against the roof. With the factory liner removed, I clear.

**1ViciousGSX** · 12-15-2005

Lower the seat or get a shorter one. The big question here is "Are looking to remove the cage later or leave it permanately?" If nothing is in the way through the underside of the ends of the dash, remove the windshield and use a hole saw to drill holes big enough to slide the pipe through the dash.

Onefast99gsx · 12-15-2005

How often do you plan on racing it? Also if you do gut it and it becomes a full race car do you plan on touring several race tracks around the surrounding states and race for money? That becomes very expensive unless you have an extremely good sponsor. If you're just gonna goto 4 or 5 races a year at a local track or two, I say forget gutting the interior and keep it a street car. You'd ruin the car otherwise. I don't know what year yours is, but my GSX is a '99. I would never give up the stock inside appearance just to run a little faster and have to put a cage in it. I have absolutely no desire to run better than 11.50, EVER! Running like 11.0 doesn't do me any bit of good than running a 12.0 except for stupid bragging rights. A cage to me just ruins the car if driven on the street frequently. Also, If you just plan on bracket racing, I think the answer is a no brainer. My vote is to keep it a street car.

**scheides** · 12-15-2005

I'm with S2k, street it.

Jakey · 12-15-2005

Street it. I don't see the point of butchering a "near mint" car, no matter what your end goals may be.

niterydr · 12-15-2005

The car is a 1993. If it was only being setup for 11's or 10's, I'd toss in a 6 point roll bar and call it good. The problem is the car is expected to break the 135mph trap rule on roll bars. I do plan on making money on the car. All things consitered, it is cheaper to make money at the track, vs. the street.
I honestly think I am paying someone to come out and pull the glass. I'll run the bars through the dash straight down, and just delete my a-pillars and headliner.
Mike-I have a momo speed seat (smaller than factory) with custom mounts. The seat is damm near on the floor and not helping, its that damm sloping small roof line that is screwing me. I fit perfect, but with my helmet I have all sorts of hitting going on.
Thanks all for the input, keep it coming.
I just want to beable to track this thing legally. I already have 60' of 1-5/8" chrome moly here, the swingouts show up tommorrow, the seat is here and mounted, steering wheel is in, harness showed up today. The plates are in as well.

**1ViciousGSX** · 12-15-2005

Can you lean the seat back a little to get the clearance? Just take your time and do the cage correctly. I've seen installations where the role cage adds to the appearance of an interior if done well. The a-pillar trims can't be so big they can't be put back in if the bars are run correctly. Check the rules that apply for your class/times/speeds and see what modifications they allow to be done to the cage with respect to the roof bars, door bars, dash bars, etc.

niterydr · 12-15-2005

The seat is already leaned back. It is a fixed back seat, and the rear sits 1-1/4" lower than the front. The problem is the front bars would have to be run where the a pillar trim pieces are forced to go. We already figured out the rest of the bars to run non-interference without having to chop door covers, rear panels, etc. Carpet would even go back in. Its just those damm front bars. I already had the chassis inspector work with me on the "d" bar placement, to avoid chopping a hole in the floor.
We are going to just stay in it, I am hell bent on keeping the interior on this car, and tracking the car.

AJ · 12-15-2005

Set it up legal for 10s and be done with it on the track. Have more left in it for the street and avoid a messy interior. If you have it running real good, after a few 10 second passes rip out a monster and be sent home. No shame in that.

Otherwise how bad would it be for an all aluminum dash?

CVD · 12-15-2005

I wouldnt do anything drastic until you've exhausted all other options. One of those options being going to tracks where they are a little looser on the rules. You might not be able to take home any prizes with an illegal car, but you can at least lay down some fast times and break some records at some tracks without them giving a shit about a cage.

If you gut the hell out of it....well, its still not too late to get a DSM instead, because even gutted you wont make up the weight even with the extra power you're making with the stealth.

niterydr · 12-15-2005

Figured out a way to not have to cut into the dash, and I should beable to keep the a-pillar, but that headliner is probably going to go.

Black97civic · 12-15-2005

Just paint the ceiling beige (or whatever color your interior is, and call it good.

carltalon · 12-15-2005

STREET IT. I thought Johns car was for the track and yours was for the street, whats the question . you can always run faster then the rule book. Just don't let it catch you.

93sc · 12-15-2005

You could always take it to the track once to see what it's got, get kicked out, and then keep it on the street. Mind you this opinion is coming from someone who will probably never have a car that fast.

**Shane@DBPerformance** · 12-15-2005

You can't gut it in the street tire categories either. You have to run close to full interior, in street tire. Also, it will need to run high 7s/very low 8s to compete against the Supras, Mustangs, small block Chevys, etc in the street tire class.