Hot Rods Roll cages and removable bodies - A Coupe

Just trying to do as much planning as possible for the next build which will be started in about 2 months, once my current cars are sold. Im keen to put a cage in the coupe that will comply with SCTA/ANDRA and as such this will obviously need to be welded to the chassis.

Now if I do this AFTER the body is bolted to the body and the floor is in I wont be able to remove the body for later repairs, changes, new paint etc.

Id really like to run a 90 deg brake pedal set up and have this all bolted to a cage loop under the cowl, as would be the steering drop.

Im wondering if anyone has built an all steel A coupe with a full cage but removable body? Im envisaging the floor being attached to the chassis??????

 

Perhaps like the early tilt body drag cars?

 

Odds of another frame off are slim. You can saw cage or mounting outriggers and reweld if so.

 

Is it a steel or fiberglass body and why do you want to take it off? Is this a special class we don't know about, hummm? Oh, and will the doors be fixed closed? Just trying to size it up oh boy! Thanks and good luck with it/

 

Mount the cage to the chassis.
Mount the floor to the chassis.
Mount the lower firewall to the floor and chassis.
Mount the body to the cage.
Mount the upper firewall to the body and the cage.

The body tapers as it goes down on an A, so you'll need to keep that in mind when you're bracing.

I'd build the body supports in such a manner that the whole body can either be sprung open enough to clear the cage on the way off, or unbolted into three or four big pieces to come off the cage. The rear center panel bolts to the corners in an A, so that'd be a good place to separate them IMO. Then you'd have two sides, a center rear panel, and the upper firewall. Each would come off as a separate piece.

Or, you can just build the cage narrow enough to pass through the bottom of the body (I think that ends up looking cheesy though).

I agree with your original premise wholeheartedly though, if for no other reason than when a cage is properly positioned out against the skin, it is nearly impossible to fully and properly weld said cage without cutting a bunch of holes in the body or removing it from the chassis entirely.

Obviously making it removable is a far more practical solution than swiss cheesing the body and fixing all those holes when the cage is done.

 

Its a steel body and getting the cage welded correctly is the primary concern and have it ready for the salt with the minimum changes possible.

Also didnt really want to end up with a unibody incase some significant panel damage happens and then having to cut the cage... Also allows later paint changes etc.

Hoping to never "need" the cage but been watching some drag vids lately and..... The doors will need to function as this will be a street car.

Thanks Cool Hand appreciate the suggestion of having the body in several pieces, hadnt thought of that and as you say will help with the tapered nature of the two A pillars.

 

Time to get out the drawing table pan head and maybe show them around at bit. I know there are a lot of round de round racers on here and some ole farts that have forgotten more secrets that we'll ever know. I like the the idea of making it modular as per the panel disgustion be I's got to look cool,and be lite weight if you know what I mean. I can see the idea going south and watesting a lot o money real quick so check with some of the old guys for recommendations. Check the old dirt track and mid west dirt track threads for advise and contacts. Hope this help, your topic is a tad bit OT but the HAMB is a very deverse group and when they read this tomorrow you probably get some great response. Again good luck, oh, have you posted this on another website? Aman.

 

Have you spoken to any race car shops? We actually have them in Australia, even WA!!! I assume you have the relevant rule books for where you want to race, they will spell out exactly what you have to have first and foremost cage/chassis wise. Race cars get repaired and repainted quite a lot so it is possible. I'd talk to a local drag race chassis shop.

 

I'm doing the same thing as coolhand said for my 34 truck. I will be able to take my cab apart. There are no subrails and the cowl and back panel mount to the frame. My chassis builder said we can make the rear bars removeable and still pass tech. Also I'm going to drill out the spot welds on the firewall and bolt it in like a 32. That way I can run the bars through the firewall to the front of the chassis. Then I can mount pedals and steering to the cage under the cowl.

 

Thanks Aman but is going racing in a chopped A coupe off topic for here????

Yeah mate, would be built to ANDRA and DLRA specs and have had preliminary discussions. The cage design is going to be done at the same time as the chassis so its all intergrated. Just trying to resolve the issue of being able to remove the body if I use a standard approach. Not sure if you know the A over here Tuff Tin but its a Donovan powered low 10sec street car thats got a full compliant cage but no way the body can come off now without cutting the cage.

 

It's a commitment, most are like that. On the other hand, a lot of doorslammer type race cars do have bodies that come off in major components. For example, you could break yours up with the rear and roof as a piece, the doors of course and the cowl/windshield as the third.

 

The floor is part of the chassis. The body will need to be well braced so that it doesn't fold up when you lift it.

Basically the way most of them are done is that the gauge panel, floor, and controlls are built to be hung from either the chassis or cage and the body is just a shell used to cover up the rolling vehicle and protect you from the wind.

 

How far did you get on the tilt/ lift off body?