Risking

Looking to expand the workshop to include dyno diagnostics and pre race inspections using a dyno instead of the factory complex driveways..... Don't mind if its an older dyno as long as its in working order. Someone might know of something sitting in the back of a workshop not being used. Prefer nsw but can travel if need be for the right machine. Thanks brad [email protected]

Black Rex you reflected every thought I had when the photo was pointed out. These two cages will get done in the next two weeks so ill put up photos of them as we go.

There is a slight undercut on the rhs of that weld but I wouldn't say its apauling..... That cage was done many years ago now and has been fine.....

Invoices tomorrow sometime.

Threads like this are good for the people who are looking for a cage as it actually opens up their eyes as to what your paying for. Not to take anything away from other cage builders, there is some very good ones out there. But there is also a lot of these commercial places banging out ill fitting "cams" cages and using material that passes yet is not the greatest quality. I now specialise in the high end of the market. Just completing an 11k r34 cage and now beginning a 10k commodore cage. For that sort of money you'd hit the roof if it was cheap material and mig welded. Other places can't make $250/hr doing those cages so they stick to the banged up half cages and do a lot of them.

That's it

No off the shelf solutions for seats I'm afraid. Mig welding plates to the floor is the only way. TIG welding to a floor pan is very difficult and ugly. I'm sure two cages could go on one pallet yes. I don't actually have photos of troys cage. I do that many I don't normally take photos anymore. I think there may be some in his build thread though.

Yeah I paint them basic Saturn black. No padding needed for a half cage

I wouldn't put both diagonals in the hoop. One in the hoop and one in the rear legs with a harness bar in the main hoop as well. Main hoop Two rear legs Harness bar Hoop diagonal Rear leg diagonal 12.9 high tensile bolts Plates to be welded to body. TIG welded (ER70s-2 filler rod) German CDS material. Ill do that cage for $770 plus the deliver cost which would probably be $140-$150. When you get it you'll need to remove the seats and centre console Remove the seat belts and rear trim etc. Weld in the base plates for the main hoop Drill holes for the rear leg plates Bolt the cage to the base plates and then reinstall the seats, harness and trim etc.

Correct. They slip together and have two bolts holding them. Its a recognised method of attaching legs and perfectly fine to do but a fully welded joint is best. The way AGI do theirs is a better design with the 44mm tube and 38mm tube slid inside it. The fence post clamp together joins are rubbish.

To answer your questions from NS. I've written it before bolting to the floor pan is rubbish and shouldn't be done. A good cage is fully welded together and then installed as one peice. ANY slip together joint is rubbish. Full stop rubbish. It's done to keep postage costs down (flat packed cages) no other reason. Again cash cow cages!

I wouldn't say anything negative about any of them. They are still using an approved welding method and material. But it's your hard earned and are you getting good value for money? I doubt you'd pay anyone $250/hr?? If there is $68 in material and 2 hours fab time shouldn't the cage be $320ish not $600 plus?? There is what I call commercial cash cow cage builders who do these JIGed up half cages, and put all sorts if emphasis on "cams approved" blah blah. Their material passes the requirements of 350mpa and mig welding is acceptable. There is no real regulations on fitment quality. then there is the custom specialty cage builders who only TIG cages and use high quality material which is closer to 600mpa and far better welding techniques (slower and more time consuming) Try calling Meridian motorsport Evolution industries Stead Fast fabrication Pro fab obviously These are the latter type cage builders who use quality material and not just tell you it's cams approved.

Bolt type? 8.8 in minimum but 12.9 high tensile is far better yet 3x the price. Slip together joints. Run away as fast as you can!! Bolt through floor? Again run away fast!!

Straight from a cage builder that does the high end of the market not the commercial cash cow cages you need to ask the following questions. Welding type? Mig or TIG. Mig can be slap happy and hide crap work Installed photos - not photos of a cage on the floor. The fitment is massively important as Troy found out with his BD cage. Seats don't recline, head clearance etc etc Material type? I can guarantee those cages you've been quoted are made from CDW. It's cheap as hell and no where near as good as quality CDS. Ask where the material came from and for an MDS (material data sheet) Only use German, Japanese or American steel. I know some places mentioned here are using Chinese and tawanese steel as I get emails from their off shore suppliers weekly offering me the same deals they get! To give you an idea cheap material is less than $8.60/meter....... There is 8meters of material in those cages.... $68.80 worth of steel...... It takes 2 hours to make a "loose" cage like those on a JIG and mig weld it You do the maths but that could be $250+/hr...... A quality material is up to $16/meter And it takes an honest 6 hours to build a TIG welded cage that's a perfect fit with perfect joints. Do the maths again. Wrapped around harness have a far greater surface area in contact with the bar than a clipped in type does. Wrap around is superior in every way

I've done more R32 cages than I could possibly remember. Same pricing from $770

Two locations in Campbeltown.

$770 and ill pack it up onto a pallet ready to go You can organise your own courier and I'm happy to forklift it onto a truck if need be.

Whole remaining shell??

Dan if your prepared to weld two plates to the seat pan of your car I could probably organise getting something to suit what your after. Hoop Rear legs Diagonal Harness bar I won't flat pack it though. I fully weld all my cages and they require you to remove seats and console to get them in as one part I loath those bolt together joints everyone else uses

Campbeltown, south of Sydney.

No Supercar experience nessisary at all. Don't nessisary need to be a qualified mechanic either. Stripping down a car only requires some basic mechanical knowledge and common sence. We know the cars backwards so latter assembly isn't a concern.

I'm looking for a temporary mechanic or someone looking to fill in a couple of weeks between jobs etc. Basically have 2 Shannon's series supercars that need to be stripped down and sent out for media blasting and I haven't got enough time to get it done. Happy to pay through the books or cash. Not wanting to employ full time just needing to get these cars done. Could be a great experience for someone

The RWD Gtst can get the power down just fine when the suspension is done right. I wouldn't say the R33 has massively better suspension, its improved but still has the fundamental problems of the R32 still. The R33 body shell is only beefier in the rear strut area. Otherwise they are very much the same as the R32. After doing brightys R33 I think the 33 has a lot of potential to be a good thing.

As a guide a basic bolt in half starts at $770. What does that half cage include for $2200? My full cages start at $2200 and my half cages end at $1800 welded in for a comprehensive one

90% or commercial bolt in cages are far worse than having no cage at all. Particularly if you have a harness bar on them. The majority of them bolt through the floor pan in the corner of the sil and rear seat pan. This section of floor is single skin and spot welded to the sil panel and the seat pan. Your seat is not mounted primarily to the floor pan but more so to the Sil and tunnel. In a roll over the cage WILL break the spot welds off and the main hoop will go through the floor. Your seat will remain in position so a couple of things happen. The harness' will crush your seat as the hoop goes down (particularly if the harness bar is in the main hoop. The hoop becomes closer to your head and can put pressure on your neck in a big roll. A light roll over this wont happen, you'd survive just fine and walk away. But chances are your walk away from a light roll over with no cage as well. Good half cages if bolted in are bolted to a plate that's welded to the top of the rear seat pan and has captive nuts on the underside of it. The seat pan isn't going anywhere in a hurry and its actually a more structural part of the car.