For those with roll cages...

[Darrin]

What did you end up doing to cover them or did you even try?

After all, there is this bar sticking out in front of you around the windshield (the one in the back I am not so worried about) behind the body fiberglass in clear view. Not exactly esthetic to say the least!

I've thought about some sort of filler that expands and hardens that can be shaped and then covered to go between the roll bar and the fiberglass. Either that, or maybe have some plastic covers manufactured some way perhaps?

I want as tidy of an interior as I can get and if possible, would like to hide the roll cage underneath something.

 

[Darrin]

Wow! Would have thought many would have ideas on this. Maybe i am the only one who minds seeing the cage.

 

[Jack]

Sand the rough inside surfaces of the fiberglass body and apply some filler to really smooth it out. You could then either paint, or 'glass a smoother layer (cloth) to the
exposed areas and be satisfied with both the inside bodywork and the roll cage.

 

[Will Campbell]

I know this is posted in the 40s section, but the SLC has FG covers available that completely hide the 6-pt cage.

I'm sure something similar could be fabbed up for the 40s. But then it wouldn't look period, and so I would imagine that the uptake on such an option would be quite low.

Racers have FIA padding available to cover the bars in the vicinity of the driver's body, but those are designed for race use, and a helmeted user.

IMO, most GT40 drivers want the raw experience that the 40 offers, and relatively few will want to modernize it with additional interior covers.

Of course, many of the originals raced without any cage at all, something that sends shivers down my spine when I think of it.

 

[Cliff Beer]

Just get some foam wrap for heating pipes....throw it on there and wrap it with duct tape. Or electrical tape for a little nicer look.....

So helpful, just ignore me.

 

[Randy V]

SFI Padding for me.. Will be wrapped on with a liberal supply of black electrical tape of course...

 

[Will Campbell]

SFI Padding for me.. Will be wrapped on with a liberal supply of black electrical tape of course...

What does black electrical tape do in a fire? I've seen one case where a race car caught on fire, and the (non-SFI) roll bar foam melted from the heat, dripping melting foam balls all over the driver and causing 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Would the tape react in a similar way?

IIRC, all of the SFI-rated foam was assymmetrical, and was designed to be attached to the cage with the included adhesive, and no external wrapping. I don't think I've seen tape holding on roll bar foam in a race car. But perhaps there is a fire resistant or fireproof tape?

Just wondering.

 

[Chris Kouba]

Just get some foam wrap for heating pipes....throw it on there and wrap it with duct tape.

I would advise against this and encourage the SFI foam. The insulation will be soft if you bump it on the way in or out but offers very little in the way of crash protection. I would suggest doing a little research of your own before committing to it.

I solved the issue a different way. I had a full cage. After getting it running and registered, and realizing how little chance there will be of me actually competing in any form with it, I removed the front hoop and connections to the main hoop. I still have the main hoop and rear legs, but there's nothing in front of me to implant itself in my forehead.

Chris

 

[Bill Musarra]

Any one with a roll cage and no protection is gambling with their life. If your head or any body part can make contact with the cage it needs to be padded correctly. A 15MPH crash that allows your head to contact the cage will change your life forever. Traumatic brain injury is not just a concusion or big headache. It is life altering. If you want to see what can happen to your head there are some You Tube videos of the rally cars that show what kind of gyrations your head will take when they run off the road. One had a female passenger who was the map operator. They only ran into an open field and their heads were like bobble head dolls.
You can't use any of the foam wraps like some of the jeep cages have, or your kids use in the swimming pools. They won't protect you at all. They are just window dressing. There are two styles of padding that are nationally certified. sfi 45.1 Spec Approved and FIA 8857-2001 Type A.
Both Tom and I did an exhausting search for something else and believe me there isn't anything out there. These web sites spell it out. BSCI Roll Cage Bar Padding / Roll Bar PaddingBSCI Roll Cage Bar Padding / Roll Bar Padding
Orange Aid SFI Approved Roll Cage Padding

There is one combination of the two types of padding. It will cut down on the hardness of the FIA stuff.
There are other sites that will sell you the same material, but these sites are the best and spell it out. Cost are about $60 per 3' stick for the Orange Aid and 3 bars of the other types for the same price..
Also if you plan on racing your car you need a Hans Device. It is the only thing that will keep your neck safe. You cannot control your head with a helmet on with the smallest of impacts. I am sure some of the racers will chime in on this.
I have added the padding to my car. It makes it look a little funky, but you need it. These cars, particularly the GT40s have everything in close proximity, so you need the protection. Both the SFI and theFIA come with an adhesive on the part that contacts the roll bars. It isn't enough to hold it though. So some other method of holding it has to be used. I used large Zip Ties. You have to have something that will keep it stable with heat and vibration. I will have to redo some of the ties in mine as I meant to see how it looked and then remove the tape guard. I fogot and finished the project.The ties can be rotated aropund behind the cage to make it look a little neater.

 

[Randy V]

Guys, I was serious about the SFI padding (ask Pegasus how many hundred feet I have bought over the last 10 years). I was joking about the black electrical tape...

I also use zip ties or safety wire as I have found the adhesive that comes in the padding to be insufficient to hold the padding to a relatively tight curve in the tubing..

 

[Darrin]

Any one with a roll cage and no protection is gambling with their life. If your head or any body part can make contact with the cage it needs to be padded correctly. A 15MPH crash that allows your head to contact the cage will change your life forever. Traumatic brain injury is not just a concusion or big headache. It is life altering. If you want to see what can happen to your head there are some You Tube videos of the rally cars that show what kind of gyrations your head will take when they run off the road. One had a female passenger who was the map operator. They only ran into an open field and their heads were like bobble head dolls.
You can't use any of the foam wraps like some of the jeep cages have, or your kids use in the swimming pools. They won't protect you at all. They are just window dressing. There are two styles of padding that are nationally certified. sfi 45.1 Spec Approved and FIA 8857-2001 Type A.
Both Tom and I did an exhausting search for something else and believe me there isn't anything out there. These web sites spell it out. BSCI Roll Cage Bar Padding / Roll Bar PaddingBSCI Roll Cage Bar Padding / Roll Bar Padding
Orange Aid SFI Approved Roll Cage Padding

There is one combination of the two types of padding. It will cut down on the hardness of the FIA stuff.
There are other sites that will sell you the same material, but these sites are the best and spell it out. Cost are about $60 per 3' stick for the Orange Aid and 3 bars of the other types for the same price..
Also if you plan on racing your car you need a Hans Device. It is the only thing that will keep your neck safe. You cannot control your head with a helmet on with the smallest of impacts. I am sure some of the racers will chime in on this.
I have added the padding to my car. It makes it look a little funky, but you need it. These cars, particularly the GT40s have everything in close proximity, so you need the protection. Both the SFI and theFIA come with an adhesive on the part that contacts the roll bars. It isn't enough to hold it though. So some other method of holding it has to be used. I used large Zip Ties. You have to have something that will keep it stable with heat and vibration. I will have to redo some of the ties in mine as I meant to see how it looked and then remove the tape guard. I fogot and finished the project.The ties can be rotated aropund behind the cage to make it look a little neater.

I like this and will certainly go with it, but also wanted to place something over the wrap to clean it up as much as possible.

 

[Cliff Beer]

Please ignore any suggestion in my post above....I was just making a smart ass comment or two in a weak attempt at humor.

Yes, absolutely, use the proper foam and tie wrap it.

 

[Tom]

has anyone ever tried covering the foam with ultrasuede or some sort of elastic dress up cover?

 

[René]

some Ultima GTR roll cage dressed with leather

I like that black with red stitching

 

[Ron Earp]

I also use zip ties or safety wire as I have found the adhesive that comes in the padding to be insufficient to hold the padding to a relatively tight curve in the tubing..

And zip ties are amazingly sharp. Even when you use side cutters to cut the tie off flush the "box" on the end of a zip tie seems to grow sharp spikes and digs into flesh.

If you have to cover up your cage the one shown in those Ultima pictures are some of the best cage dress up I've seen.

 

[Randy V]

And zip ties are amazingly sharp. Even when you use side cutters to cut the tie off flush the "box" on the end of a zip tie seems to grow sharp spikes and digs into flesh.

If you have to cover up your cage the one shown in those Ultima pictures are some of the best cage dress up I've seen.

Yes indeed the tails of those cut-off zip ties can be painfully sharp.. Unless.. You use either a flush-cut nipper or hit the end of tail with a soldering iron.

Another way to minimize the sharpness is to cut them across the width of the tail rather than to cut them the thin way.. IE - if the tail is 1/16" thick and 1/4" wide, cut it across the 1/4" way. It distorts the tail enough that you don't have quite such a sharp end.

I will be covering my padding with vinyl snap on covers that I will remove if/when the car makes it to the track.

 

[Darrin]

This is nice, and probably something like what I will go with.

Living in the Dallas TX area, there are a LOT of hot rod upholstery shops. Sure someone will be able to help me out.

some Ultima GTR roll cage dressed with leather

I like that black with red stitching

 

[René]

indeed very nice stitching on both cars.

TVR also do the cage in their cars, but they use a more "simple" stitching...
although I still wonder how they do it ;D
I guess some of those upholstery shops will know.