[turbodaniel]

Hi i'm new to the mr2 world and was wondering what the pros and cons are of a roll cage. Also is it cheaper to get it installed if you have a targa top and how much did it cost? Just looking for ball park numbers. Thanks

 

[TomsMR2]

pros: your racecar will be legal, and safe.

cons: your streetcar will be a rolling death trap.

 

[flyinbrick]

IMO if you need to ask this question then you probably just, well... shouldnt

-nathan

 

[ceraxis]

Other than the obvious pros from a rollcage (track-legal, and safety in an accident) the main benefit will be the rigidity in the frame of the car. It would be similar to installing strut bars after not having them = less lean/roll in turns. They make street driving cars (as well as track) much more uncomfortable and harder to get in/out of. These typically arent recommended for a daily driver.

 

[Alex W]

Other than the obvious pros from a rollcage (track-legal, and safety in an accident) the main benefit will be the rigidity in the frame of the car. It would be similar to installing strut bars after not having them = less lean/roll in turns. They make street driving cars (as well as track) much more uncomfortable and harder to get in/out of. These typically arent recommended for a daily driver.

also, as tomsmr2 mentioned, they make your street car much MORE dangerous in an accident, unless you wear a full harness AND helmet on the street.

 

[TomsMR2]

im not convinced that roll BARS arent safe for street cars.. if built right, its only subtracting 1.5-2 inches to the distance from your head to the rear sills anyways. if your bodys contoring in a crash enough to hit that, you're probably dead anyhow

a full cage is different.. those side and front bars (front halo area) are pretty intrusive, and CLOSE to your head. you can hit them just getting in and out (i have x_x, it hurts alot).

 

[mr2boost]

^^ What I was thinking too, TomsMR2. From my experience, for a street driven MR2 a ROLL BAR would be safe (still need to pad it) and you can have a harness bar and race bar either welded in or bolt-in (bolt-in can be removed as needed). The roll bar will take away some seat travel. But, if you are under 6 feet tall it is not a big deal. Plus give you some extra structural rigidy with about an extra 40-50 lbs of weight.

The CAGE should only be on a race MR2. The cage is heavier but much safer (if in a collision or roll over). But, if driven on the street without driver and/or passenger using harnesses and helmets, can be VERY dangerous. A full cage is also more difficult to get in and out of the car and will restrict more of your view.

But, it all comes down to what you want. Some people have a full cage and still drive the car on the street. And if you are entering your MR2 into sanctioned events, then your MR2 will have to meet their (SCCA, NHRA, etc...) safety requirements.

Cages are more expensive than roll bars. Roll bars with race bar and harness bar installed can run you up to $500 plus installation costs if you can't do it. Some roll bars are only about $200 if you can find a shop to make one for you. HTH

Daniel :thumbup

 

[erioshi]

Having been in a few high-energy wrecks, I wouldn't want either a bar or cage in the car without a helmet and harness. A bar MIGHT be safe if you can get it a good 6" or more away from your head's normal "at rest" position, but I'm leery. I an impact with alot of energy to dissipate I doubt any "over the counter" padding would do much good.

*legal notice* I am in no way advocating changes of any type to any car's original safety equipment when used on public road ways. That should cover me.

 

[MR2DSP]

Have you guys looked at autopower street bar its not a full cage so its not hard to get in and out

 

[Tomg]

Ok, hold on now, there is a lot of assumptions here.

First of all, if you install a cage it should be done so with the seats, and the actual driver as your base. For instance, in the car we are currently building, we had to drop the floors under the seats about 2 inches, so there are room enough for a head with helmet to not hit the bars over the the doors. I personaly think any MR2 with a cage, and a driver taller than 5 foot 10 will need to drop the floor.
Any bars close to your head should have padding, and yes they make a difference even not wearing a helmet, even more so than any other hard, flimsy plastc/fabric padding that exsists in your car(pilars, roof, doors, etc.)
Also if you have a cage, it is safe to assume you also got racing seats, which demands a 4 or 5 point harness, and should ALWAYS be used correctly.

That said, I do believe a caged car can represent a higher risk of serious head injury, if not installed correctly, padded, or other wise not used correctly.

But blatant statements that they are death traps on the streets are simply not true.

T

 

[tgsMR2]

Stiffens the chassis maybe. I dont know.

 

[jackstands]

In VA, you must have the door panels inorder to remain street legal. A cage will not allow that hence, a cage is not legal.

Also, a cage is damn dangerous on the street.

 

[Tomg]

That depends on the cage design.

T

 

[mr2freeek]

In VA, you must have the door panels inorder to remain street legal. A cage will not allow that hence, a cage is not legal.

Also, a cage is damn dangerous on the street.

I maintained my panels with 6pt. cage.

Sab

 

[rdrcer]

I had a friend whos life was saved by a roll cage when a Buick tried to run over his MGB.
You should have a 6 point belt system to hold you in place, a regular selt belt would be dangerous. A seat with good lateral support is also a good idea.

 

[99_GS-T]

You can't lower the floor of a car and keep the car legal for any NHRA class short of Pro-RWD or Modified. I don't know about road racing, but lowering the floor is not an option if you want to race competitively.


Benefits of roll cage in street car:
Helping wake up in the morning when you plant your forehead square into the front stringer as you are half asleep trying to get into the car.
Hitting your head on the front stringer as you get out of the car because you are in a hurry, as the curry you had for lunch is screaming to make an exit and your in a little too much of a quickened pace.
Crushing your head as you get into an accident on the street without a helmet on.

Roll bars aren't too bad on street cars. But a cage definitely takes the car out of DD status, IMO. Occasional weekend warrior, that?s ok though.

 

[Tomg]

What about lowering the spot under the seat....so you can get the "ass portion" lower.

T

 

[MustangR2]

i have an autopower cage in my car and its a daily driver. the nice thing about it is when i am not using to race or canyon carve i just take the door bars and it is like any other car. just the back six point is in and most part is out of the way.

 

[MR2_0wNz]

roll cages would be a hassle on a daily driver. roll bars however would be okay and suitable for a daily driver

 

[twiztidwall]

i recommend a roll bar with a bolt in full cage attachment for ease on street and safety on street but get racing seats and 5 or 6 pt harness most seat headrests arent short enough for you to be alive to hit the roll bar on street