[NOT A TA]

Thanks guys!

Chicane, First let me say thanks for helping knuckleheads like me on these forums. Having read a lot of your posts here and elsewhere it's obvious you're knowledgable and just want to help. Seems like you're an honest to goodness nice guy with no hidden agendas. It'd be a pleasure to meet ya someday.

I don't really care what what the cage is made out of as long as it helps save me should the need arise. Balsa wood would be OK with me if it saved my butt!

Car is a 70 Firebird. Weighs about 3500 lbs (may go on a diet at some point)I have been using the car at NHRA tracks, NASA HPDE events at road courses, and the ECTA. The NHRA tech guys at a couple tracks made it clear that they didn't like my harness setup (Schroths but a little to much angle)and wanted me to have at least a roll bar with a harness bar. The NASA tech guys made it clear that I was kinda going too fast at Road Atlanta for no bar. The ECTA won't let me run over 135 MPH.

Like a lot of folks I was trying to avoid spending the loot and I really liked my interior the way I did it. I have used the car for vacations etc. sometimes driving thousands of miles and the idea of a Kirkey seat, no sun visors, and 5 or 6 point Harnesses on a 12-14 hour drive didn't appeal to me. However the car is slowly evolving into a limited street use car so now's the time! I'm thankfull I never had a mishap at speeds up to 150 and know I should have done these things before.

So I'm on a safety mission and promised myself I won't make the car any faster or run it anywhere till I get few things done so I might live to run again should something go wrong even if the cars totaled. Full cage, Fire system,elec fuel pump shutoff by oil pressure switch,better helmet (got an Arai), fire suit(thinking alpine stars).

The fabricator is familiar with mostly drag car stuff so I got him in touch with Joe Timney of the ECTA. I had spoken with Joe previously about requirements up to about 200 MPH. He'd mentioned door nets etc. as well as some of the requirements most of which went over my head since I'm not a metalurgist, fabricator, or welder. So I thought the fab guys could chat and figure out what I would need to run up near 200 later on. It was after they talked that my fab guy asked about the 095 chromoly and said my other option was the 1020 DOM. I'd be very interested to learn about these things but right now I just want the experts to tell me what needs to be done and someone with the correct skills to do it so I can concentrate on other things. I've built my cars by myself and it 's killing me to let someone else work on it but know someone else can build a safer cage than I can.

I'm going to continue to work up through the NASA groups (I'm in 2 now) and think the TT's would be fun but no side by side racing in this car. I'll be going back to the ECTA probably a couple times a year. I'm planning a west coast trip (trailered) for fall 2009 hoping to run the Silver State classic and/or possibly Bonniville and maybe hit a track day or two at road courses in California. I'm not trying to "win" anything just go out and have fun driving different events. Eventually once the safety stuff is in place I'd like to work on the aerodynamics and add power till I can safely hit 200 MPH.

John