Quality Sub $1,000 Roll Bar
 

I had the guys at EB3 weld in a couple more bars. Here is the final product!

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...l-roll-bar.jpg

I am starting this thread to let you guys know that I may have found a place that will custom install a chromoly tig welded roll bar for less than $1,000.00 (I was quoted $900).

Keep in mind that my interior is already pretty much stripped and I took the seats out. This may have had an effect on the quote.

I am not going to publish the shop name at this time, but they work on drag cars pretty much exclusively. The shop is always jammed with very serious drag cars with engine/turbo set ups beyond anything I have seen before. Why did I go to them?

Every vehicle in the shop has at the very least a roll bar with most having full cages.

Why am I holding off on the name? Well I dropped off my 370z on September 30th and they said they did not have a "stick" (seamless length of tubing) long enough for the main hoop at the shop. Initially the owner of the shop ordered a piece that when it arrived was rejected by the cage builder b/c it was not within spec (at least that is what I was told). Now he is waiting for the replacement piece to be special delivered by truck. I guess it makes sense that a 12 foot piece of tubing can't be shipped that easily. I guess...

It would be nice if the shop would at least give me a call every once in a while to give me a status (I swing by the shop about once a week to get updates). Luckily, I am a pretty patient person and all will be forgotten if I get a nicely fabricated roll bar for a price at or near the quote. Hopefully I will be able to show you my custom roll bar some time in the near future.

I guess that is why Piper can charge such a premium for their work...

Ok. Here are some pictures. The price was exactly as quoted $900. The shop that performed the work was EB3 Motorsports in Manassas, VA. However, remember they primarily build cages for drag cars. So make sure that you print out the roll cage requirements for whatever series you run (or aspire to run) when you drop off your car.

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-1.jpg

The blue tape is where I will get them to weld in a harness bar to give me a proper harness angle. That was my fault as I failed to provide them with the requirements. The drag racing NHRA Rule 20.18 4:10 specifies “[a]ll roll bars must have in their construction a cross bar for seat bracing and as the shoulder harness attachment point; cross bar must be installed no more than 4 inches below, and not above, the driver’s shoulders or to side bar.” This conflicts with SCCA/NASA shoulder harness rules requiring no more than a 20 degree downward angle.

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-2.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-3.jpg

Nicely boxed base for the passenger side of the main hoop.

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-4.jpg

Here is the driver side base.

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-5.jpg

Here is the passenger side rear brace welded to the front side of the shock/rear wheel tower.
http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-6.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/resip...roll-bar-7.jpg

Make sure they build you to SCCA/NASA specs. $900 would be a great price. I paid almost double that for Piper to do mine, keeping the interior.

I almost wish I had just saved up a little and gone to Piper. With that said, they promised me everything would be done by next week.

They are going to use (and are still waiting for) 1.75 x 1.20 4130 which is the NASA spec.

If the work is good, I would suggest anyone using them to order their tubing and have it delivered to the shop first.

Fingers crossed...

Good Luck! I hope their work is better than their supply chain! How long has the tubing been on order with them?

Weeks...

damn....

I want to know more.

Think they would do a shipped group buy?

Any updates on this?

I am a very patient person...
 

Okay…

I am happy to say that the tubing arrived and that my car is in the shop getting worked on (I checked this weekend and confirmed that my car was no longer gathering dust in the lot). I spoke with the owner today and he assured me I would have my car back “this week”.

To be honest they probably think my car is a not a daily driver because of the number and all the stickers.

however, really nice welds and a job on budget will make me forget a lot. Fingers crossed…

sweet...dude. totally post pics when its finished.

Maybe today...?:shakes head::shakes head:

I visited with my car today!

I finally was able to see my car and talk to the cage builder. The main hoop is installed and nicely boxed to the meaty part of the floor . He even custom installed the mounting point for my left lap belt to the cage.

It has been some time but I am impressed with the work so far.

Any updates? :pics:

Im dying for pics.

Ok. The car is finally done and the price was exactly what they quoted me ($900). Everything looks really good save for one issue that is partially my fault. I asked the cage builder to use the harness bar as the seat back brace (as required for my aluminum ultra shield seat) and this resulted in the bar being mounted too low for the proper shoulder strap angle. Now I know that this is within NHRA specs and proper in drag cages.

Luckily, this can be cheaply and easily fixed by welding in a section of tube between the main hoop and cross brace. I could have done it right away but I really wanted to get my car back and I had a bet with my wife that it would be done today (she thought it would be another 2 months…). Anyway I had always intended to use the stock seat belts for street driving (because it is actually illegal to drive on the street with a harness). I will make sure this gets done before my first track day.

I am picking up the Z after my wife gets off of work at 4:00 p.m. I will have pictures later tonight.