Prepped DSM in MI

Prepped DSM in MI http://flint.craigslist.org/for/3599267858.html https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78525#msg-78525 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:52:31 -0500 Phorum 5.2.15a https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78988#msg-78988 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78988#msg-78988

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Creech

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leaf...
I'm gonna try. I know it's gonna be a ridiculous amount of work, sleepless nights, long weekends and a drained bank account. But hell, if I don't do it now, I'll kick myself forever. Can't wait to get on stage!

Thumbs Up to you, sir!

I want to do it as well - but cannot for a short time yet due to a few things.

Soon, though. Soon....

I know the feeling. Trust me. It takes a lot of time, but it's worth it.

Can't wait to pick up the car tomorrow!]]> leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Sat, 16 Feb 2013 08:40:59 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78987#msg-78987 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78987#msg-78987

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leaf...
I'm gonna try. I know it's gonna be a ridiculous amount of work, sleepless nights, long weekends and a drained bank account. But hell, if I don't do it now, I'll kick myself forever. Can't wait to get on stage!

Thumbs Up to you, sir!

I want to do it as well - but cannot for a short time yet due to a few things.

Soon, though. Soon....]]> Creech Buy, Sell & Trade Sat, 16 Feb 2013 03:52:43 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78954#msg-78954 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78954#msg-78954 leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:44:21 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78883#msg-78883 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78883#msg-78883 heymagic Buy, Sell & Trade Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:45:16 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78868#msg-78868 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78868#msg-78868 leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:24:25 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78808#msg-78808 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78808#msg-78808 My car had missed welds. I've seen a ton of cars with missed welds. Usually from going with suchh a tight fit that you can't weld the hoop, sill, door bars, etc. Fully. Lots of thinking before is crucial. We had an integra that we slowed down multiple times to make sure we didn't Fuck ourselves.]]> NoCoast Buy, Sell & Trade Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:40:18 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78778#msg-78778 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78778#msg-78778

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heymagic
Scott,

Missing welds is the biggest error. I've seen (or not) on expensive name builder cages as well as garage cages missing welds or ground down welds. I've failed cages and pulled log books both. Usually the outside welds on the main legs are the tough spot. People often push the foot of the front too far forward into the footwell and there is just no way to weld around it. Problems with the door and sill bars for the same reason, too far forward. The outer rear hoop is also a problem area. The hoop needs to be in an inch or so from the vertical metal to weld. Upper 1/2 laterals and windshield bars on the top get missed a lot.

This is exactly what happened to my car when I brough it up to Gene. It previously had a logbook from SCCA for pavement pounding (ex-EuroSport car). The cage was over built (at the time) and I added the necessary upgrades to turn it into a rally cage. I didn't check the welds, or the car over that well when I bought it. It has been a royal pain ever since.
Case in point:
When I was welding in the roof x-brace, I cut 4 holes in the roof so I could weld the tops. I found 2 things when doing this:
1) There was about 30lbs of bondo on the roof from when the sun-roof was welded up.
2) EVERY tube on the cage wasn't welded on top. So I went and welded them up. I just didn't think to check the lower sections of the front and main roll-hoops.
Now I get to take a 3in hole saw to the body so I can weld the backsides.
So. Much.Fun.]]> Robert Culbertson Buy, Sell & Trade Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:51:25 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78774#msg-78774 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78774#msg-78774
Missing welds is the biggest error. I've seen (or not) on expensive name builder cages as well as garage cages missing welds or ground down welds. I've failed cages and pulled log books both. Usually the outside welds on the main legs are the tough spot. People often push the foot of the front too far forward into the footwell and there is just no way to weld around it. Problems with the door and sill bars for the same reason, too far forward. The outer rear hoop is also a problem area. The hoop needs to be in an inch or so from the vertical metal to weld. Upper 1/2 laterals and windshield bars on the top get missed a lot. I've also seen plain easy to get to spots were people just missed a 1/2 . Fatigue, phone rang, pee break, who knows. Had a car a while back that the builder (pro..well maybe) didn't like the welds on top of the cage and ground them down, right into the parent metal. Left it like that. Nice.

Once in a while we get the Harbor Freight bender cage. Tubing walls are wrinkled and distorted. No go. Incorrect tubing is a no go also. Improper placement of required members..fail.

Creativity or artistic value, not good either. Had a cage done with a really wierd front hoop. Guy built rock crawlers and did the rally car the same. Swore it was awesome. Sent me a video of a rock crawler tipping over at 10mph and hoop held. Seriously. Sent him the link for Travis's Colorado roll and told him to do it right.

There is no sympathy allowed for an improperly built cage, we have requested several be cut out and and done over. Seems harsh but what are ya gonna do? Many cages from 10 years ago were let thru because of the buddy system or not enough attention paid while inspecting. I still find them from time to time and they must be corrected. Just because it survived the last 10 years isn't sufficient reason to allow it to continue and hope for the best.

On the other hand it is very easy to follow the basic formula, be attentive and feel free to send pics and ask questions. It is much more fun helping someone be sucessful than giving bad news.]]> heymagic Buy, Sell & Trade Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:31:51 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78770#msg-78770 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78770#msg-78770

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heymagic
As long as the welds are 100% complete you'll be fine. I just had to reject an old cage for that reason and it wasn't the first. I've probably found a dozen in the last couple years with incomplete welds.

Does that seem to be the primary "Fail Inspection" problem with a home-built-typee cage?

I'm watching, I'm reading, I'm (hopefully!) learning - as soon as I can get the Shop going, I intend to build my first car. While there are a LOT of items that I can probably muck-up and get-away with, the Rollcage I feel is not one of them. I CAN do it right - it's just a matter if figuring-out WHAT is "right".

Fabrication-wise, it does not seem to be all that big of a problem, building a cage (I've been working with metal off-and on for about 35-years now: since ) - it's just fabricating something INTELLIGENTLY that seems to be the big deali-O.]]> Creech Buy, Sell & Trade Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:47:05 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78766#msg-78766 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78766#msg-78766
As long as the welds are 100% complete you'll be fine. I just had to reject an old cage for that reason and it wasn't the first. I've probably found a dozen in the last couple years with incomplete welds.]]> heymagic Buy, Sell & Trade Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:46:23 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78748#msg-78748 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78748#msg-78748
I've emailed RA, but haven't heard a response yet. I've been talking to a few MI local drivers, and they all seem to agree that I shouldn't have an issue. I'm stoked!]]> leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:27:55 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78678#msg-78678 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78678#msg-78678

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leaf...
The material is great. Correct thickness and diameter. The car was pretty clean. As long as the cage is grandfathered in, which should be a non issue, I'll be picking it up this week.

From the limited pics cage looks basically ok. I can't see if it has gussets in the windshield opening. Rest of the bars look compliant with App1 rules. One issue we see now is that many times the bars weren't fully welded around the joints. A lot of that poor construction was passed thru and now isn't. Check that very carefully, use a mirror and flash light to check the roof joints and main cage floor mount welds. Having an existing logbook is good but not a 'get out of jail card' and the car will still have to pass tech. It looks like a decent car in the pics so that is a good start.]]> heymagic Buy, Sell & Trade Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:48:12 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78665#msg-78665 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78665#msg-78665 leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Sun, 10 Feb 2013 01:00:50 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78625#msg-78625 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78625#msg-78625 Millhouse118 Buy, Sell & Trade Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:05:46 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78619#msg-78619 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78619#msg-78619
I"ll be taking a lot of pictures, emailing them to a scrutineer, and we'll go from there. As long as this thing doesn't need extensive cage additions/modifications, I'm in.]]> leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:09:27 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78602#msg-78602 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78602#msg-78602 Bdacres Buy, Sell & Trade Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:19:07 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78581#msg-78581 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78581#msg-78581 leaf... Buy, Sell & Trade Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:03:09 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78575#msg-78575 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78575#msg-78575 RDR Buy, Sell & Trade Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:44:44 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78542#msg-78542 Re: Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78542#msg-78542 Millhouse118 Buy, Sell & Trade Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:48:25 -0600 https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78525#msg-78525 Prepped DSM in MI https://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?7,78525,78525#msg-78525 http://flint.craigslist.org/for/3599267858.html]]> wvonkessler Buy, Sell & Trade Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:50:17 -0600