Anyone caged their VX?

[Joe_Black]

Just curious if anyone has a VX with a SCCA-legal roll cage. Would like to get some input before starting that project. Thanks!;Do;

[Hotsauce]

Joe:

If you do a cage, I'd suggest the main hoop and its diagonal braces go through the floor directly to the frame. Try to tab the main hoop to the shoulder harness hardpoints.

oh, you may find this amusing:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1536265&postid=15333884

John C.

[Joe_Black]

I can't believe that link. Natural selection at work! :rotate:

[MZ-N10]

i believe soemone on tat site painted their brake rotors silver....
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[AlaskaVX]

I remember one of the Jap. VX's had a roll cage. I think I even remember them even selling it? Everyone said it would cost too much to ship but somone has done it. I think this was back on vmag?

[Joe_Black]

Yeah, I was looking into getting the one that was on Japanese eBay. A container from Japan to Florida was just too pricey and I had just got the IronMan. I did save all the photos from the listing though, but the cage setup is kinda funky compared to most SCCA rally cages. Probably built to some local specs, definitely not FIA.

[Nazrat]

Do you mind posting the pics?

-Tad

[transio]

Re: PVC Rollcage - I think people underestimate the viability of polymers as a safety-structure material. While PVC may not be the best-suited polymer for the task (it's a bit hard & brittle), there are others that could do quite well - maybe even better than steel, since many polymers tend to deform elastically to failure, whereas steel experiences significant plastic deformation, allowing the driver to be pinned into place. Just my 0.02

[Joe_Black]

No problem Tad, take a peek at what almost was...
http://www.planetarydomination.com/images/RallyVX_01.jpg
http://www.planetarydomination.com/images/RallyVX_02.jpg
http://www.planetarydomination.com/images/RallyVX_03.jpg
Note the 5-speed above. Wonder if that's a Trooper gearbox or a ZF unit?


Steve, I agree about your assesment of polymers, but think the combination of heat, vibration and impact resistance will keep chromoly as the material of choice for roll and safety cages in the lead for a while.;Do; Plus it's cheap and insanely easy to work with.

[Triathlete]

Plus it's cheap and insanely easy to work with.

Uh, haven't priced steel lately have we?;eeky; ;eekr; ;eekp; ;eeko; ;eekg; ;eekb;

[MZ-N10]

omg...stickshift. i think ill be the 1st on this forum to do this...now all i need is money.
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[thedutchguy]

hey joe,
How's your ethanol conversion comming along?
Any idea what mods have to be made on the engine/fuell system?

[Nazrat]

Ok, those pictures give a better view than what I remember from Bob Lands's VX. Of course the doors didn't open on his, so I had to climb in through the window. I don't remember the rollcage being a big obstacle, but I was more in awe of the whole shop at that point than comparing stock to modified.

It's actually funny, Holly and I talked about caging the VX this past weekend. Not that it will happen soon, but she was open to it, it seems.


http://tad2.grosvenor.org/albums/MoabMay2001/a19_16A.sized.jpg (http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a19_16A)

http://tad2.grosvenor.org/albums/MoabMay2001/a20_17A.sized.jpg (http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a20_17A)


http://tad2.grosvenor.org/albums/MoabMay2001/a22_19A.sized.jpg (http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a22_19A)


http://tad2.grosvenor.org/albums/MoabMay2001/a25_22A.sized.jpg (http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a25_22A)

http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a26_23A

http://tad.grosvenor.org/gallery/MoabMay2001/a27_24A

-Tad

[Joe_Black]

Thanks for the pics Tad! I'm thinking more along SCCA ClubRally lines than the desert racing/PreRunner angle, but some extra perspective never hurts. ;Do; When you get that rule book out and start planning your build it turns into a work of interpetations. I went through that with my FIAT E-Production efforts and again with the Jag D-Type and the FIA people at La Carrera in '95. Going through tech at the Guatemalan border can be stressfull! Interpet the rules wrong and you're a long way from the shop to change something!;eekg; Then again, rallying the extra VX is still a pipe-dream at this point. I just like to get all the info I can when an idea comes along so it stays in front of me and can be implemented quickly when the opportunity arises.



Uh, haven't priced steel lately have we?
Yeah, just bought some cold-rolled and mild stock recently. Not that bad, at least for the quantities I get. It's all relative though. I'll get gas somewhere where it's a few cents more a gallon and people always say "It's cheaper over at so-and-so". Okay, let's see, at a nickel a gallon more and 20 gallons on average that's $1.00 more to go somewhere convenient to me. Yeah, that's worth it. If I gotta worry about spending an extra dollar or so a fill-up, then I've got bigger issues and should be looking at public transit. Oh, heaven forbid! I spent $30 more this year on fuel than I should have! :rotate: Steel prices are much the same way, as are most commodities. People get so used to low prices they forget about spending more for years before the prices dropped and not even blinking or complaining at that time, especially when they didn't make as much profit then.


How's your ethanol conversion comming along?
On hold for now while I gather more info and work on building my shop and house. I am working on my web site which will have links and info I've accumulated so far, but I'll email you what I have for your perusal.

[transio]

Originally posted by Joe_Black
the combination of heat, vibration and impact resistance will keep chromoly as the material of choice for roll and safety cages in the lead for a while
Have any of you heard out liquid metal? www.liquidmetal.com

It's a new material that is harder and stronger than titanium, steel, and many other metals, with a broader elastic range, and is a cast material, with high corosion resistance and a natural "chrome" finish. Looks like the metal of the future for many applications - maybe even rollcages? ;)

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by Nazrat
It's actually funny, Holly and I talked about caging the VX this past weekend. Not that it will happen soon, but she was open to it, it seems.

Tad, caged it surely wouldn't make a practical daily driver... thinking of adding another steed to the barn? ;)

[Nazrat]

Haha, no. I think that before it's caged, the VX will be my offroad vehicle, and I'll have moved the gears, lockers, etc over to it. That won't happen until the Trooper is gone, and unless someone steals it, or it dies, that won't be for at least a few more years.

I did find the plastic roll cage though:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/552731/5

-Tad