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Re: SCCA Rollcage?

To: "Kevin O'Driscoll" <ko3@columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: SCCA Rollcage?
From: Bob Lang <LANG@ISIS.MIT.EDU>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 16:45:53 -0500 (EST)
On Tue, 24 Feb 1998, Kevin O'Driscoll wrote:

> So, I guess this means that GT1 specs will then be adequate for future
> Solo II and Production racing...  

I have not been reading these updates in the Fasttrack section, but I can 
see where this is going...

I don't have any problems with a lot of the proposed changes - we are 
after all talking about safety. However if some classes are allowed to 
look the "other way" than that is not at all fair.

> I found the full SCCA 1997 Solo II classifications and some of the rules
> on the web at "http://wwwbest.com/~mouton/sccasolo/index.shtml";  and the
> 1998 classifications are available in PDF format at
> "http://www.scca.com/amateur/solo.html#98class";  

I've visited that site. They have the car class pages (Appendix A of the 
Solo II book), but that's about it...

If you are going to play SCCA Solo II, you should get a copy of the rule 
book. If you go to an event (regional or national level) and someone 
protests you, if you don't have a book, you automatically default the 
protest - even for a bullshit protest.

- like the time a bunch NER folks painted their valve covers black. It's 
not stock, but is it a violation? No book - you loose.

On the other hand, if you're doing this for fun, then just put in a roll 
bar from Autopower and go play.

I also have news for you. If you do build a cage that is fully GCR 
compliant (whatever that means), then your TR6 will be so stiff that 
you'll have to play with all of the spring rates to re-balance the car. 
Remember that your suspension is a _system_. Everything is a trade-off or 
a compromise. Changing the stiffnes of a Triumph will change the 
handling. It might make it better, but it will effect the balance.

> So I guess what you are saying is that a little rule bending may occur if
> you specify that you want to eventually take the car on the racecourse and
> for that reason you need the full cage incl. frame tie-ins fore and aft.
> The TRs are usually run in Solo II DSP unless highly modified, and in
> E-Prod road racing correct? So are all all E-Prod TRs going to now have to
> come up to the GT1 spec roll cage??? 

If you are going to do the DSP thing, I would not replace the rubber body 
mounts with aluminium blocks. Any person worth thier salt would be able 
to determine that this would be a performance enhancement and thus 
contrary to the spirit of the rules. However they would also problably 
protest lead or other heavy metals too... go figure.

I have no idea what would be legal in A Prepared, suffice to say if you 
go to frame extentions and so forth - you'd better make sure that it is E 
Prod legal...

I'm not sure what the GT1 references are too. If I have time in the next 
few days, I'll have to dig through the old Fasttracks and try to make 
some sense of it. However, if I don't find any references, I'll 
capitulate and try to find some safety scrutineers in my region and ask 
them. Again, as I said yesterday - you need to keep asking around because 
the answers that you get will vary quite a lot. If you plan to run in 
your region, talk to others in your region...

> > Bolt in bars are okay, but there is a min. spec for the mounting bolts... 
> > 3/8"  min. if I remember correctly... which means that in order to bolt in
> > a cage you need to knock out all of those 5/16" nuts that are welded to
> > the frame... at least that's what I'm doing right now... this comes from 
> > the GCR.
> 
> So for instance, lets say that you drilled out your 5/16th nuts and then
> welded on a reinforcing plate of steel the correct size onto the bottoms
> of your rollbar.  After you get everything lined up and drilled, you
> realize that you need an aluminum spacer to get a good tight fit between
> the frame and the body because the old rubber things are shot.  So would
> that be considered a non-original modification to the frame brace?  How
> about if you tied your hoop into the rear of the frame by means of a
> reinforcing bar that went from the top of the hoop to the floor of the
> trunk or to the top of the propshaft tunnel??

This would def. move you into Prepared or Mod class. This would not be 
DSP legal. However this is exactly what the E-Prod guys seemd to be doing 
to the TR6's that I looked at when I was at the runoffs. The cage that 
Sam Halkias has is a real work of art. FWIW, he uses the cage as the 
mounting points for the coil-over shocks and the rear roll bar... his 
"new car" is really trick. Too bad that he had to run his backup car for 
the "big race".

For those other classes (Prepared and Mod) you can always play the "it's 
a safety issue" for the frame extensions etc.

> Just curious because I have never done anything like this before.  

Me niether, and I'm starting to wonder what I'm getting myself into.

> Thanks again to all who respond. 

You're welcome.

> Best Regards, 
> -KevinO

FWIW, there's a GT3 TR6 in the New England area for sale - $8500 with 
"tons of spares". Too bad my wife got all the money in the divorce.

Anybody got any spare cash???

;-)
rml
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