I'm building a street cage for a Targa car

[TURBO2GO]

I've designed my own streetable cage, have ran it past a few builders, got some input from STMPO, and going forward with it over the winter.

It's 6 point cage, it ties in from the rear strut towers to a main hoop coming through the divider glass. The divider lexan will be very thick and fairly sound proof. It will tie into a main hoop that will attach to the frame rails behind the sets via glue and bolts and plates that are L shaped. The hoop will have a cross brace diagonally, and will hold my harnesses. The front section is another hoop that will attach at the front part of the lower frame rails and come through a second dash I will buy to keep the OEM one intact, and by the A pillars and around the windshield.

There will be two side impact beams, one low and one diagonal. The low will attach lower down on the main hoop behind the head, just above the door sills, and to the bottom of the front hoop. This bolsters the drivers sill on side impacts, but is pretty low so you can get in and out of the car rather easily still. The second part is a diagonal that is removable, like the old Comptech bar, that goes from your shoulder area down to the bottom of the front hoop just above the permanent side impact bar.

The front and rear hoop attach together by double bars, running down the center of the targa with gussets. This forms a double "II". The targa remains removable.

The center bar, A pillar bar, front hoop, all will be padded and covered in alcantara. Stitched and matched with the new alcantara dash. It will look OEM. This will do wonders for chassis rigidity as it ties in the two halves of the car together via chromoly.

I looked into titanium, carbon fiber, mild steel and moly and have decided moly is the best solution. It's a cage that offers a lot of protection and chassis enhancement yet is very streetable and OEM looking.

I made some drawings I will post later. Any opinions welcome but my cage builders have said it is absolutely possible and see no issues.

- - - Updated - - -

This is an old drawing. It was to be one side door beam, bit since I've taken it lower down and added the diagonal for the track.

 

[Vi3tBoy]

OMG this is going to be insane, I can not wait to see this project up and finished.

 

[illwillem]

The issue id worry about is going to be clearance from head to cage when in street mode, no helmet. I daily drove a fully caged car for about 4 years and am glad i never got t-boned since I probably would have hit my head on the halo even though i had more clearance than i would in my nsx w/cage.

What sort of glue are you looking to bond with. I know there specific stuff that creates a molecular bond from chassis too cage but I wouldn't know where to go about getting it. Once its in its a 'lifer'.

Also just so you think about it, do you really want to do all this work to a targa? Ive only met you here on the forums but it seems that you're constantly looking to improve something somehow. When you get the cage done and run out of other things i can imagine you having regrets that you didn't start with a coupe. Not saying the targa isn't going to be strong enough once the cage is in, but if you do follow through then want to resell the 05 and get a coupe you are looking at a VERY skinny market for a caged targa.

I know that lovefab still has the old pikes peak shell for sale, caged, clean title and cheap. maybe look into that as an alternative... (like I have) : ]

 

[nsxot1c]

The issue id worry about is going to be clearance from head to cage when in street mode, no helmet. I daily drove a fully caged car for about 4 years and am glad i never got t-boned since I probably would have hit my head on the halo even though i had more clearance than i would in my nsx w/cage.


Also just so you think about it, do you really want to do all this work to a targa? Ive only met you here on the forums but it seems that you're constantly looking to improve something somehow. When you get the cage done and run out of other things i can imagine you having regrets that you didn't start with a coupe. Not saying the targa isn't going to be strong enough once the cage is in, but if you do follow through then want to resell the 05 and get a coupe you are looking at a VERY skinny market for a caged targa.

These are my thoughts exactly ^^!!

 

[TURBO2GO]

If I don't use the adhesive, the cage is a complete bolt in and can be bolted out. There are two holes in the dash but as I said I will buy a second dash. The divider glass too can go back in. As far as my head, the T section is in the middle and much further from my head. It's also going to be padded and finished properly, and I can almost guarantee it will be no harder a surface than any other part of my targa car's roof and therefore no greater danger than if my head hit the B pillar or side window for example. I am simply not increasing that risk while greatly reducing the risk of a roof collapse.

- - - Updated - - -

The beams down the center are also flat and not round. They are more like a rectangle.

We are still working out small details but I wanted to just show the idea... It offers a hell of a lot of protection and I can still remove the top.

 

[StmpoRaceProducts]

glue you want is "steel to aluminum bond " - Hysol 9430

the targa bracing at the top... straight pipes in the center will provide minimal structural benefits (not a multiple plane structural addition... make 4 triangle... call it a day )... you will want to X the two sides together... its been done before in tighter spots so don't trip on it



Not an NSX but I'll bet you did a second look ... below is another example... if you have to... you can go down in diameter and use 1" tubing