[John Clay]

Paul, you'll have to explain to us non engineer types.

[Vicegrip]

I am not an ingen-eer by any measure.

Poor Geometry. Cage was touted as being built by an ace cage builder yet it looks like it has some beginner type issues. Poor form to not have tubes meet in the same place and form self reinforcing nodes. Near each other is same weight not as rigid. The knee bar has bends in it which is a FAIL in some racing rules. (see harness bar issues below)
BTW not circled but also a big fail is the bends in the harness bar behind the driver. This weakens it and reduces it ability to to transfer impact energy around the driver.
The bars behind the driver that meet near each other in the center of the hoop bar should have formed an X and not an inverted V. The X has great geometric strength the V has much less. Same weight same build effort, less strong. The tube between the two legs of the inverted V takes all the stress in one concentrated area. The diagonal in the main hoop is attached a bit far from the corner behind the driver. Some race rules set a max distance. It is had to tell how far but it is close to too far.

A clumsy busy looking thing to some people.

[Trak Ratt]

in order to set a Land Speed Record you have to stay on the land

[smdubovsky]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

Poor form to not have tubes meet in the same place and form self reinforcing nodes. Near each other is same weight not as rigid. The knee bar has bends in it which is a FAIL in some racing rules. (see harness bar issues below)
BTW not circled but also a big fail is the bends in the harness bar behind the driver. This weakens it and reduces it ability to to transfer impact energy around the driver.... The diagonal in the main hoop is attached a bit far from the corner behind the driver. Some race rules set a max distance. It is had to tell how far but it is close to too far.

I'll provide a differing opinion just for the sake of argument Lots of that cage is the way is has to be. (though the V is a bad idea - I've got no answer to that.) Sure its poor form not to have tubes meet, but it makes near squat difference to have them only that separated. Tubes will prob fail in buckling before you'd shear the joint. Maybe the roof hits it? The rear braces in a 914 (going though the rear glass) can't meet at a point either. The rest are dictated by a tall driver. The main hoop diagonal being away from the corner and the arched harness bar are a necessity. Is it as strong? No. Does a tall gangly guy like myself fit in a 914 any other way? No A 911 would have more freedom in moving the main hoop back. I also don't see a problem w/ the dash bar. PCA, NASA, SCCA, BMWCCA all allow it bent afaik. I'd MUCH rather have it arched up behind the dash where it belongs than going straight across my kneecaps waiting to cripple me in a minor frontal accident. Is it as strong as straight? No. But IMO its still prob safer up high. If rules state you have to run a factory dash then you often have to bend it. In GT cars you can run it high AND keep it straight because you're usually mounting gauges TO it FWIW, The 914 currently has a ridiculously low 'knee' bar but it won't be staying when I redo the front half. Short people commissioned that mess

[bakinbits]

Originally Posted by pookie

How did you get those Mazda wheels on that Boxster? O....my bad its a Miata.

I legitimately lol'd

[HoodPin]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

I am not an ingen-eer by any measure.

Poor Geometry. Cage was touted as being built by an ace cage builder yet it looks like it has some beginner type issues. Poor form to not have tubes meet in the same place and form self reinforcing nodes. Near each other is same weight not as rigid. The knee bar has bends in it which is a FAIL in some racing rules. (see harness bar issues below)
BTW not circled but also a big fail is the bends in the harness bar behind the driver. This weakens it and reduces it ability to to transfer impact energy around the driver.
The bars behind the driver that meet near each other in the center of the hoop bar should have formed an X and not an inverted V. The X has great geometric strength the V has much less. Same weight same build effort, less strong. The tube between the two legs of the inverted V takes all the stress in one concentrated area. The diagonal in the main hoop is attached a bit far from the corner behind the driver. Some race rules set a max distance. It is had to tell how far but it is close to too far.

A clumsy busy looking thing to some people.

I agree there are a lot of strange features about that cage. I agree that an X construction would be more effective behind the seats, but I wonder if the inverted V was intentional to improve access to the top of the engine. You would think with a convertible based car (IOW, no additional potential support/protection from a roof) the cage would be more rigidly designed, rather than less.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=150385696050

The questions & responses are hilarious, several pages worth!

[Parenn911]

Originally Posted by Trak Ratt

in order to set a Land Speed Record you have to stay on the land

hahaha awesome!

[}{arlequin]

Originally Posted by pjalexandre

h's favorite rennlister

<3!!!

[LPM911]

Originally Posted by bakinbits

My fail





The story? Don't really have one. I lost it on an exit ramp and decided to steer it into a tree. I'll just say I was young, dumb, and driving way beyond my limits. Typically the first question I get: "were you drinking?" I wasn't, but I was shortly thereafter.

Lesson learned (albeit painfully).

here's the picture from the traffic cam just before the incident occurred: