Race Legal Roll Bar/Cage

[ItBites]

Bob,

Long time no-see...

I'm Eric Wood, my dad is Randy Wood who built maroon Midstates with ghost stripes in the 90s when he Lived in Lincoln NE.

I'm thinking about taking over his Midstates but have to give up my 73 Big Block Race Vette to do so ($).

If I want to continue my club and drag racing with the cobra, I know I'll have to do something other than the single hoop over the driver as dad's cobra is a real screamer with the FI 427 BB Chevy.

Any suggestions??? I think I'll need to be NHRA legal to 11.0 and also play around in club road races (ASRA and NASA) here in Phoenix.

Of course I'll check with the appropriate sanctioning bodies regarding their requirements, but I thought you might have helped someone figure out how to fit a legal bar/cage and where to make the attachments so that entry to the car is still possible and the passenger seat is still usable.

Please comment.

[BB427]

NHRA is very specific and their rule book is easily obtained. As you stated the e.t. and style of car will denote the requirements. If you run IHRA as well you need to check their requirements also. Battery disconn. switch,driveshaft loop,helmet snell approve,belts, and all this stuff will be covered.


Have fun!!!

Brent

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi Eric,
I run the drags for fun in my cobra. You need a 6 point rollbar or a roadster cage. Take a look at my pic gallery and you'll see my rollbar,I have bolt in side bars,one low one for the street and a higher one for the track,has to be just under your shoulder. The main hoop has to be 3" over your head. You need arm restrains, sfi 5 point harness dated within 2 years,sfi jacket,snell full face helmet, rear battery disconnect switch, safety switch so you can't start car in gear.driveshaft loop,battery hold downs with 3/8" rod.Double carb return springs. This will be good to tech down to 11.00 ET, if you want to go faster, then you need forged axles, sfi harmonic balancer and flex plate or a scattershield if you run under 12.00 . Also a full cage or roadster cage and full sfi suit and boots.
Good Luck,
Perry.

[ItBites]

Perry,

Thanks for the reply.

Nice ride. I saw your car in photos before and noted the number and location of tubes as visible.
I already have suit, shoes, helmet, gloves, arm restraints, etc and the other safety equipment you mention is all there, except the battery disconnect. I will put one in if I have to, but where was the battery in original Cobras? NHRA only requires a disconnect switch if the battery has been relocated. Forgive my nubie ignorance of original Cobra battery placement. If I have a leg to stand on, I'll argure this with the local tech guy (we're on good terms), since I'm not planning to run pro events etc and I dislike the appearance of the switches on the rear... I can see how that goes.

Question 1: Where was the battery in original Cobras?

Now the other question (Question 2):

Could you post some close photos of where the bars attach to the frame and how/where they penetrate the body/floor/firewall? Also details of how your door bars are installed would be cool. I can fab just about anything, but if I could have some idea of an existing design that works, I'd be mighty beholden.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
The original 427 S/C cobra's had the battery in the passenger compartment behind the passenger seat. Long tractor style battery. I don't know where the battery was on the street cobra's , but put my battery in the trunk,passenger side for weight transfer. The main hoop is through the floor, welded to the 2x4 frame and the outside 2x2 frame rails. the rear downtubes are welded inside the trunk to the 2x2 rear frame rails. The shell valley car has a 2" rollbar hoop under the dash to hold the windshield and doors, so I welded a bracket to connect the bolt in side bars to it and welded that hoop to the frame. Sorry I didn't think to take pictures when it was in the shop being fabricated.
Perry.