Birth of the Blue Missile

[blue missile]

I thought I would update yall, before I start on the cage, it occurred to me that fabbing the head liner would be easier without the cage in the way.
The white material is called High Impact Poly Styrene, and is the same plastic Styrofoam is made out of. It is heat formable and epoxy sticks to it. now that Ive gotten it this far Ill take it back ion the shop to fine tune it and bag a layer of carbon to it for future installation.
Andrew

 

[HemiDenny]

Andrew..you always are ahead of the curve...

 

[blue missile]

Still working on the cage, I have decided to bend another main hoop. So for you local guys if you need a simple rollbar I will sell the first hoop for the cost of the steel $50 its 1.75" ASTM 1020.
Andrew

 

[demon34071]

T,
I considered all the options for a roll cage and doing it myself was the only practical one. I even considered having the car towed to a shop for me work on and that didnt work out.The bender is from affordable benders.com and was only $299. They sell on Ebay.The notcher was $45 at HF
Andrew

Andrew, Does it really bend as easy as the website video shows it to bend? I am looking at getting the 1-5/8" bender to do my custom cage for my Demon since buying one won't give me the tube routing / room I need.

 

[t-granger]

Andrew,

Better watch out I might try to get you to come up to me to help with my headliner if you keep with these great ideas.

 

[hemitheus]

since your roof isnt modded you need to do SOMETHING. something crazy like brake pedal activated pneumatic air brake panels like on jets..... ir a sunroof.

 

[blue missile]

Demon, I never watched the video so I dont know. Here is what I have experienced with all tools that cost a tenth of the real ones. You need to tweak them.
First get a slightly longer grade eight bolt for the front hoop,you want the solid shaft to go all the way through to the other side. The one they send you will bend.
Then if you are like me you take the thing apart and stamp numbers and individual degree marks into the mandrel and make a degree pointer. I then struck an indexing line on the face of the mandrel, this helps keep everything lined up. I did a number of test bends on some cheaper pipe bought for that purpose and discovered you need to over bend by 5*and also figured out how far the center of the bend is from the face of the mandrel for indexing.
Finally you need an method of putting a perfectly straight line all the way down the tube. Im using a piece of drywall style 'hat channel' an old carpenter's trick.
Other than that is a piece of cake.
The second main hoop[ turned out well. its 3" wider and 1" taller and has insets at the base that go to the floorpan.
Andrew

 

[demon34071]

Andrew, thanks for the feedback.

 

[2010RamTruck]

Nice cage work Andrew. You will be opening up your own chassis shop before you know it. Just make sure you install some A/C!

 

[blue missile]

Scott,
Its 75 and balmy,Its 75 and balmy,Its 75 and balmy,Its 75 and balmy,Its 75 and balmy:angryfir::angryfir::angryfir::

I keep thinking I'm getting old then I look at the thermometer.

In the mean time I did get the removable mid-bar done before I had to quit. Pardon the welds I didn't realize the wire speed had gotten bumped to 55, Ill grind out some and put a second attractive pass on top.And throw some gussets under the attachment points tommorow.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

Here is today's progress, I have the main hoop installed with all of the gussets and plates along with the center bar for the retractable 4 point seat-belts.
Andrew

 

[HemiDenny]

Andrew...way cool ride...great fab skills.........but why the cage?

 

[a68postcar]

x2

 

[Asktoro]

I'm really lost, you said you were..... uh...... lol youre one confusing fellow, I do believe you enjoy your project and i respect you for the fab skills, but dude..... you're F-bombing nuts I mean this with the utmost respect and love! Kudos.

 

[t-granger]

Hey Andrew what's with the bar going up and down in the center. It does not seem like that would be a mount point, plus won't it mess with the center console you have.

The bars look good I just have never seen anyone do that before. Not getting on you I like what you are doing, just asking.

 

[dusterbd13]

i think the center bar is primarily for reinforcement for the cross bar for the harnesses. keep it from pulling throgh in the efent of an accident.

 

[blue missile]

OK Guys,
Ill try again.
This car is being built for the Silver State Classic. As part of their rules for the speed I want to go A cage is required.
Their cage rules are not quite as stringent as NHRA but they are well defined.
Because of my wife's insistence there is a pair of back seats I have to design around, hence the removable mid-bar. Which by the way is not done yet, part of the rules require triangulation of the mid bar and main hoop.
When the car is in "Street" mode it will have something Detroit should have done a long time ago, a retractable four point harness for the front seats. I was going to build a free standing attachment point between the seats but it would have been to cumbersome.
T,
The center console was designed with that vertical in mind, just bear with me here. I also have to mount the Halon tank within that console as well.
The drawing of the seat belt desigh might help.
Andrerw

 

[HemiDenny]

wrut wrow.......I must of been absent that day and missed the part about the rules an' all

 

[blue missile]

HD, no disrespect meant, Its been a long hot day of struggling with the bender. Sorry
Andrew

 

[HemiDenny]

none takin' at all....I'm never been shy about askin' questions...I figured there was a reason....can't see adding all the weight/inconvience unless it was required.....specially for your young-uns....unless you needed to bolt em' down when you drive

 

[t-granger]

Andrew I understand the heat part it has been over 105 all week here.

I am just asking, As I said I like what you are doing. Something that has not been seen by me anyways in any old, or new car.

 

[blue missile]

T,
I appreciate the kudos. I have been designing this car for forty years now, you can think up a lot of crazy **** in forty years.:color:

In the mean time here is the latest progress. I have the front bars in. next are the rear bars that go into the trunk.
As far as the heat goes I dont notice the heat but it is convenient to just put the bars in place and watch them fuze themselves together.
Andrew

 

[76orangewagon]

you my Mopar brother are the perfect defination of a jack of all trades, your work never ceases to amaze me. Great job !!!!!!! love the cage, nice and custom.

 

[demon34071]

Andrew. Do you still have room to fit your A-pillar plastics and kick panels? Looks pretty tight on the kick panels. Or do you have other plans there as well? Derek

 

[blue missile]

A pillars not problem, kicks I havent checked yet. My concern was the fit through the dash. Im hoping I dont have to move the touch latch for the glove compartment because of the cage. If I have to make a two piece kick panel, Ill do that.
Andrew