So, I have a date with Tony at TC Design on Tuesday for the installation of the cage in my '69 912 Turbo Project. Unfortunately, I cannot decide between doing just a rollbar in the back of the car or a full cage. If I went the full cage route, it would have the lower "street" style door bars. Either way, I do plan on going through the rear firewall and hitting the rear frame-rails for further support. What do you think, full cage or save my money and just do the rollbar?

-Britain

first, what are you going to do with the car. second, how much will you save?

just for street driving, a bar should be fine, yeah?

Great question. I can answer for myself; I put in a full cage, not just the required roll bar, after doing DE at Thunderhill and ButtonWilliow. It is pretty obvious when you run a track that you need lots of protection, just in case.

Of course you do secure benefits in handling, but that was never the primary reason from my view.

as long as you stay inside, i'd say go for the full cage!

Andy

I am assuming that you mean staying inside the car and not attaching all the suspension points?

I do want to extend the rear attachment points through the firewall, but not the front ones.

-Britain

no, what i meant was you building a cage and then stay inside ...
as in "locked inside a cage" ...
as in "trying to be funny" ...

nevermind,
Andy

Sorry about that Andy...I get it now...kinda like "I feel like a rat in a cage" (Smashing Pumpkin's)

-Britain

FOUL Poor attempt at Humor... Five yards and first down

Is this a street car or track car? I would hate a roll cage on my street cars. They are a big PITA to get in and out of.

i have to dis-agree ...

Tony's design actually makes it *easier* to get in/out because i can use the lower side-bar to lift myself up and the top hoop to lower myself in.

i like it very much!
Andy

true ...

but if you knew britain you would undertsand why i thought it was funny ...
Andy

full cage......as per Bruce Andersons recommendation when stuffing a motor with huge amounts of torque into the early year cars.......since your motor should be equal or even better than a 3.6, this is a good thing to do.....

FYI, a bone stock 914 is supposed to be at a min. 20% stiffer than the early cars ('73 and older)

Good food for thought Mueller. My car is a very earlier car and I want to strenghten it up as much as possible. I really hope that my motor puts out that much, if so it will be really fun.

I hope you don't mind Mike, but here is a picture of you car from TC Design that has a "street" door bar set-up. This is what I have planned to do if I go the full cage route.



-Britain

out of curiosity..how much did the above cage cost?

Sort of a thread highjack here sorry.....

Is a roll cage really a good idea for a street car? My reason for asking is when you are on the track you have a helmet, straped in, etc... so if something would happen and your head hits the bar your helmet "should" protect you. Now on the street you don't have your helemt on, so is really safe to have roll cage? Just wondering.....

edit: not that I plan to have one in my car anytime soon I need MORE seat time before I go anywhere near a track

i look at it that way ...

without cage in a stock car i have the targa bar side/top and front windshield hoop within headclearance.
with my cage i have the (soon to be padded) cage within headclearance.

if you hit something hard enough to make your head fly around that much,
where would you rather be?
in a car *with* a roll-cage or in a stock car?

think about it ...
Andy

I believe that this could be a problem in a 914 where the cabin area is significantly smaller, but in a 911 the interior is pretty roomy. Here is another picture from TCDesign of another 912 getting an full cage. Lots of head room and with the "street" style doorbar your knee's are safer.

-Britain

Wow, with that (912) style of door bars and the way Tony can get the main tubes so friggen close to the body, I do not see a lot of downside in having the full monty in an ocassional street car.

I have one of Tony's earlier designs, with the "high X" door bars as well as a Petty (diagonal) bar. I've been very pleased with the cage and even with the high door bars I can get in and out of the car pretty swiftly and painlessly. I did just install a removable steering wheel hub to make entry a little easier on my aging bones as time goes by.

full cage.

you're *pretty much* worth it.





(jelous of your car)

Alright, I think I am going to go with the full cage only because Tony does some awesome doorbars that won't be too much of a hassle to get in and out of. If Mueller's projects are right and this motor is a badass, I don't want to tweak the car all up. The rollbar serves it purpose for saftey, but the cage will be for safety and for strenght.

-Britain

I'm considering a partial cage or at minimum, a rollbar. Question is, what do you do about the engine lid pull? Seems the rollbar is anchored right ahead or in front of it, so it would have to be moved, or?

Andy

Andy,

Any guy who can drive an autox car with "custom shoe wear," as yourself, isn't going to be having any difficulty pulling the hood latch with a cage installed.

BTW mine works fine and I have a full cage.

Hope your going to be bringing your car next week. We need people in FM.

Randal,

Wrong Andy (too damned many Andy's), but that's ok. So, is your rollbar anchored forward enough to allow hood the latch to be pulled? Got a pic?

(the other) Andy

Opps.

My upright is 1 3/4" from the back wall. I took off the knob so have plenty of room to pull it.

Andy,

the main hoop passes just to the left of the knob for pulling on the engine lid release. *Sometimes* I have to grind a small portion off one side of the knob. TC has done enough 914 cages now that he knows exactly where everything needs to be.


B

Britain, while your in there (or Tony is in there) why not tie up the front as well?