914 Roll Cage enquiry

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 3:51 pm

Need some advise. What cages are available for a 914 and where from?? Toying with the idea for a few reasons. I'd like to race the car from time to time so a cage is a must plus some side impact cover would be nice.

ANY info , pic's etc would be welcomed

Cheers Dan

Gustl · Post by **Gustl** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:39 pm

Wilco from the http://www.914-shop.de/ organzed a group buy about 2 years ago - you might ask him
he knows english

if you contact him, say hello from Gustl

Ian Gunney · Post by **Ian Gunney** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:41 pm

Got mine from Safety Devices - cost £430 in '02 complete with side bars

Ian Gunney · Post by **Ian Gunney** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:43 pm

Got mine from Safety Devices - cost £430 in '02 complete with side bars

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:49 pm

Can you mail me any pic's at all??

Cheers Dan

moggy · Post by **moggy** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:53 pm

Dan

It all depends what you need the cage for? If you're serious about racing and safety is paramount and the regs allow (like me) go for weld in with as many points as possible. If not then a weld in will be fine. Also if you're gonna race you need the cage to be suitably certified (what racing are you planning to do). Your choices in the UK are:

Bolt in = Safety Devices (last time I checked they'd gone bust but there website is still up so you may wanna check that out.) Here's some pics I took of a car at Loton Park this weekend gone that had a Safety Devices cage.

Weld in = Custom Cages £410 (or £544 with profiled ends) this is the one I'm going for (max strength and safety)

Also, if anyone knows who's car this is above (stripped one) please let me know. Apparently it's one that Custom Cages did for a UK customer??? any ideas who?? would really like to talk to them about the cage and also what racing they're doing that warrants such a cage.

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:22 am

Wow thanks for the reply and pic's , really appreciated. Mmmm decisions decisions.Now doing things the way i normally would the weld in option would be first choice.However.....

The reason for a cage is to add some safety to what is mainly a road going car. I'd like to take it down the strip , maybe do a track day or 2 , possibly hill climb and sprints. Nothing too competitive , just use the car as intended. The intention was to add something as oppossed to nothing. Harnesses , cage etc would be an improvement on standard and give more protection than i have now.

Just as important is i don't want to turn it into a full on race car. Basically aiming for a happy medium between track and road. I wish to retain as much as the interior as possible aswell. The full on job will require losing alot of trim and involve mods that will be hard to turn back. Also looks like you can't run a roof aswell. If i was sporting a 2.4 + motor , wasn't the only 914 i had , etc, etc i'd do it but i feel it may be overkill with the 2.1 lump etc and the fact i want to keep it reasonably stock"ish".

It looks like a safety devices cage would do the trick nicely so possibly time to see whats out there and spend some more of the hard earned. Dyno time first though!

Any more comments and pic's will be greatfully recieved. Again thanks for your help. It's true what they say. once you've had one you wouldn't have anything else. I love my 914 to bits , just makes my grin and laugh to myself

davidppp · Post by **davidppp** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:49 am

Good luck if you want anything from SD!

They are currently apparebnntly only supplying batches of 6 minimum of any partcular pattern, made in China and Eastern Europe.

At least according to Bob Lloyd, who now only stocks OMP and Custom Cages.

FWIW, the CC cage can be bought in various configs..I'd think about buying the most basic, ie rear hoop, two front legs, screen bar, and two door bars.

Fitting is going to involve welding plates to the shell anyway...and a welded joint betwen the legs and hoop really makes a huge difference to safety, and looks so much neater..even if you decide to bolt the feet to the reinforcing plates..

Kind regards
david

Lightweight_911 · Post by **Lightweight_911** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:02 am

It's worth checking with your insurance company - many insurers don't llike rollcages in road cars & will either refuse to insure the car or increase the premium significantly. The reasoning is that you won't be wearing a helmet & in the event of a crash your head may make contact with the cage.

moggy · Post by **moggy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:17 am

As David said the CC cage can be bought in watever bits you need, just tell them which bits you want. The roof does go on with that cage. It is possible to buy the basic components of the cage (like the bits that make up the SD cage) and get your cage installer to make it a bolt in one. If you're serious about it speak to the guy who's installing mine (installs and fabricates cages for the WRC industry, based in Mid Wales and very reasonable on price also very VERY good quality work) his name is Shaun O'Gorman 07710961627 .

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:04 pm

Thanks again folks. Learning alot on here!

Been on the safety devices site and tried to understand all that info. Seems i really need to have a think on this really. The cage isn't for racing so much , more about some more protection. I was in a big roll over years ago , car being a rally spec'd MK11 escort. The car was mashed up well and good and we got abit bruised to say the least. If it hadn't been for the cage we would have been alot worse off. The only "performance" car i have owned since then already came with a cage and i swore i wouldn't drive something quick without one. Thats the reason i stopped riding fast bikes aswell, the accident kind of made me look at road safety and what COULD happen! , I know accidents can happen when ever but i'd just feel safer being so low etc if i had some side impact and roof protection. The only other mods would be a good harness and a fire extinguisher system.

However it doesn't seem straight forward. I'd have to be specific to what i wanted to race. Now for me the idea was this. I do want to have a go at taking it hill climbing/sprints and possibly the odd thrash down the strip. Track days wouldn't be so much of a concern.This wouldn't be at a competitive level more enter the odd one when time and money allows.

After reading up it seems i have 2 options as mentioned by others. A simple SD 6 point cage bolted in with extra bars if required. This gives me the protection i need , allows me to retain most of the trim and is removable if needed. For run what you brung (strip) the spec of the cage isn't an issue. For the type of class i'd run in hill climbing/sprints it should

also be fine. This is the kind of thing i'm thinking about but with side bars and a harness bar to attach to.

If i WAS serious about racing the bolt in wouldn't be ok to race in the VWDRC(strip). Unless i'm running faster than i think 13's (yea right!) a cage isn't required but if you have one it has to be to standard. The SD bolt in one not being to that standard ( so i have been told). As i don't know or understand hill climbing regs etc i can't comment on the SD being to spec if i up'd a class and got more serious. As mentioned if i was going that far a weld in multi point cage would be a must anyway.

So maybe for what i'm thinking of doing and the safety i'm after a SD cage would probably be best. If not simpler version of CC cage bolted or welded. Either way it's getting one at some stage. Insurance company would want an engineers cert which is the only thing to sort as far as i can see.

I don't know how many folk do "Sportsman" entry level hill climbs /sprints on here but i'd appreciate any feedback on cage requirements and other mods required to the car.

Thanks again for all the support

Cheers Dan

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:50 pm

Right have been on the phone to Safety devices and am 100% clear on matters now. Spoke to a lady called Pat who was so helpful and fully explained everything i needed to know.

This is what is available to me. Main hoops with dash bar , rear section with V brace and side bars. Meets a whole host of standards aslong as v brace is used. Not exactly cheap at £540 +vat and handling but there you go. Only joy being i'd only have to pay 50% deposit. If i ordered soon it would be ready close to Xmas but no sooner as they have changed the place they make them or something like that.

I have a number to ring in Belgium , they MAY have stock. if not i'll have to keep my eyes open over the following weeks and hopefully source one second hand. If no joy order one as a xmas prezzy for myself

See what happens but at least i've got my head around things abit better.

Right then , where's that dyno!

Dan

davidppp · Post by **davidppp** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:53 pm

Hello, Dan.

Pretty sure CC will be cheaper..and OMP cheaper still..Try Demon Tweaks..

Kind regards
David

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:01 pm

sorry being a newbie i don't have the numbers etc. do you have any links etc.

cheers dan

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:23 pm

Ok Demon tweeks only supply omp or CC cages. I contacted CC direct and it's cheaper from Demon tweeks than it is from them direct

They only offer weld in ones . OMP don't list them at all appartently.

Not easy is it?? Hope to grab a SD one second hand , that would be best and easier on the wallet.

Dan