Full or Half Cage

[Air2there]

Hi all,

I need some help decidiing on whether I should fork out for a full-cage or just get a half-cage.

My car (see my build thread) won't be driven on the street much. But will be kept street legal and registered, I plan on using it for drag racing and some track days/sprints.

One of the motivations for wanting a cage at all is that I would like to have the ability to take some passengers around a track with me (mainly family and close friends) and give them a scare....I mean thrill.

Anyway, my understanding is that at Trackdays and Sprints you can carry passengers with a half-cage.....If this isn't correct let me know as it will make my decision easy.

The commitment of having a full MANZ cage and having to enter a number of events a year to keep it on the road/log book etc. doesn't appeal just incase.

I'm sure others have looked into this already so let me know what you ended up with.

Cheers

[Leon]

MSNZ regulations are that you must have a full cage to carry a passenger, so if you're taking a dummy for a ride, then you've no option other than full cage.

Yes, I'm definitely correct and know the MSNZ regs

Two events a year to keep an authority card renewable. Not too difficult, I tend to do about 15 events a year.

[VTAKYO]

^Yep, agreed. Need a full cage to take passengers. A great deal of accidents are side-impacts (ie, coming into a corner and someone goes into you), so a half-cage without side-intrusion bars is useless in such a situation. To be honest I won't be suprised if full-cages become compulsory for scrutineering in the not too distant future.

[Air2there]

Thanks, looks like i'll be getting a full cage then. Now where's my Creditcard application form? LOL

If anyone has some pics of thier cages which they can send that would be great.

[Leon]

[quote=VTAKYO;968569 To be honest I won't be suprised if full-cages become compulsory for scrutineering in the not too distant future.[/QUOTE]

I'd be *amazed* if that happened, as there's no indication that MSNZ is going in that direction for any clubsport / sprint level events. It's already mandatory for most race "series", and obviously all rally events. But low level eventing ... nah, no time soon.

[dazznz]

Originally Posted by Leon

I'd be *amazed* if that happened, as there's no indication that MSNZ is going in that direction for any clubsport / sprint level events. It's already mandatory for most race "series", and obviously all rally events. But low level eventing ... nah, no time soon.

You may be surprised. With the amount of growing interest in people competing cars, all it will take is one person to get killed at a hill climb or something and the press will be all over it and MSNZ will end up having to take more control of it.


As for cages. If the car is going to mainly be a track car, then go for a full cage. Much safer for you. A full cage will actually protect you in a crash. A half cage is basically useless unless you roll the car (Doesn't happen very often). It may help out a bit then. But as far as a big frontal or side impact, it aint going to do anything.

[VTAKYO]

At our last CoC meeting we discussed the idea of making full cages compulsory for clubsport events, ie speed sprints. There is still more than enough of a risk of side impacts to warrant the requirement. So, I wouldn't say there is no indication MSNZ is considering it, as it will more than likely be us CoC's and other officials who pressure them into making the rule official.

[Air2there]

Now I just need to find a place to get the Cage done down here. Any ideas?

[Leon]

Automotion Engineering (Levin) did mine.

I worked at MSNZ technical for 5+ years until November, and the proposal to go mandatory cage for all events had no supporters there at that stage.

The rationale is that Stewards can decide if a specific venue (eg: Shelly Bay Wellington) is sufficiently dangerous that a cage would be mandatory. While going to mandatory cages for all events would be uncalled for, as there are many types of event (eg: Autocross, Single and Dual Sprint) where damage or injury figures are effectively zero. All it would achieve is to make less people likely to enter the sport.

Also, you will have lobby groups such as classic car enthusiasts, who will fight tooth and nail to stop their cars from requiring cage fitment.

So, no, with those facts in mind, there is so far as I am aware no move afoot to make cages mandatory.

[Air2there]

Just booked the Civic in for a 6 Point cage. Now I just have to break the news to the missus....LOL

I thought $1600 was reasonable.

[Leon]

Cool banana's. Where did you book the car in, if you don't mind me asking

[Air2there]

Automotion Engineering

A guy at my work has had about 3 or 4 cages done by them too.

[kart42]

Automotion Engineering

Top stuff. A good mate of mines father in law owns the place. Really knows his stuff. Seen a number of top cages come outer there.

[Air2there]

That would be Ken Douglas.

I've heard good things too

[EF_GTI]

Ken is a great guy to deal with, did a cage and sump guard for my civic last year. Reasonable prices and really helpful with getting authority card etc.

[Deanis]

Originally Posted by VTAKYO

as it will more than likely be us CoC's

Hall of LOL?? on a more serious note, what is a COC?

and dont say look down and i will find one.

[Joe Racer]

Clerk of Course.

Now ask what a CoW is.

[VTAKYO]

Yes, Clerk of Course think of it as the duty manager of a race event. Something you drag boys probably never hear of! HAHA

And yes, it does get shortened to "cock"... much like the shortened expressing for "ass"istant clerk of course is easy to guess~

[Leon]

Actually a COW is a COTCC now .... (Clerk of the Course, Clubsport). Which would be nasty for a person with a stutter to try to say!

[Deanis]

fark i hate it when cocks are incharge !

good times, ginge out.

[XPLOIT]

$1600 sounds like a pretty good price I thought!

*Looks out side at a potentially useless 4 door family car.....*

[Air2there]

Originally Posted by XPLOIT

$1600 sounds like a pretty good price I thought!

*Looks out side at a potentially useless 4 door family car.....*

Ken did say that he would be putting his prices up soonish though as the price of steel has gone up.

[jdmdc2]

Yea full cage, basic 6-point looking around $1500 minimum + extra bars if you wish. half cage = fail