Ray, you wrote:
> I would greatly appreciate the benefit of your input on the subject of
> putting in a roll-cage in an early Elan for vintage racing.
I do not consider myself knowledgeable enough to comment on individual
aspects of your design, but I have a general suggestion for you: Take
a look at designs that other people have used, to get ideas. SCCA D Mod
Autocross competitor Chris O'Donnell has a very light, sophisticated
Aluminum roll bar with braces extending to pick up forward frame points.
It is definitely in the minimalist category, in terms of weight, but it
appears to add a lot of stiffness to the frame. It is a work of art...
you really have to see it to appreciate it.
At the other end of the scale, Todd Gerstenberger used to have a very
strong, heavy roll cage in his 26R vintage race car, somewhat along the
lines of what you described in your message. Todd used to use the weight
of this roll cage as an excuse for not running up front in his class...
so having a heavy cage might come in handy if your driving is not up to
the very highest standards ;-)
I think Todd's roll cage was (at least partly) comprised of Spyder
components.
Certainly there are many other examples. What did the cage in Dave
Vegher's D Prod nationals winning Elan look like? I never saw the car
in person.
Regards,
Erik Berg
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