10 replies to this topic

[Hillclimb Junior]

Hi, I saw this mini listed for sale which is equipped with this 6 point roll cage (Images attached). The owner does not know the brand/specification of the cage as it was acquired second hand. He suggested it might have been purchased form RipSpeed back in the day. He also stated the following:  as can be seen from the attached images the main hoop sits outside the read pockets. The main hoop tubing is 50mm whilst the diagonal, back stays and front half of the cage is 40mm tuning. The cage seems to be made out of seamless tubes. It separates into two halves only ( front and rear).

 

I would appreciate any knowledge about the cage. 

Thanks 

 

Attached Files

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Edited by Hillclimb Junior, 03 January 2025 - 08:32 AM.

[mab01uk]

Probably also worth asking on the Mk1 Forum:-

https://mk1-forum.net

 

[DeadSquare]

A "Roll Cage" was just that.  Something that helped reduce deformation as the car rolled, should driving be too exuberant.

 

It has become expected to be a safety cage.

 

If you ever get a chance to look at a NASCAR safety cage, it is an internal chassis.

 

At one of the first Brands Hatch "Race of the Champions", I saw visiting US cars being rejected by the scrutineers because the safety cage was adding too much stiffness to the cars.  Incredibly, drivers were cutting through tubes before practice.

[Avtovaz]

i think back in the day the cages had 38 or 40mm tubing, if that has 50mm, id say its a later cage, and also by the design it looks like a sparco cage.

[mab01uk]

1960/70's brochure for reference below for the early Aleybars roll bars and cages.

Some other makes on sale in later years were by 'Club Equipment' and 'Safety Devices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mab01uk]

A "Roll Cage" was just that.  Something that helped reduce deformation as the car rolled, should driving be too exuberant.

 

It has become expected to be a safety cage.

 

If you ever get a chance to look at a NASCAR safety cage, it is an internal chassis.

 

At one of the first Brands Hatch "Race of the Champions", I saw visiting US cars being rejected by the scrutineers because the safety cage was adding too much stiffness to the cars.  Incredibly, drivers were cutting through tubes before practice.

 

Race saloon cars with full weld in cages becoming too stiff was noted by the Mini 7 Racing Club in the early 2000's, when it was found the lack of any crushable energy absorbing zones in a race Mini bodyshell, during high speed impacts was transmitting life threatening forces straight to the drivers body and internal organs. This was also when the HANS neck device as used in F1 eventually came in to common use, to help prevent fatal injuries to a drivers neck due to whiplash during an impact....also made worse by the extra weight of a crash helmet.

Edited by mab01uk, 03 January 2025 - 12:29 PM.

[imack]

My old Safety Devices bolt in cage that I bought new in the mid 80's is 38mm tubing. It fits down inside the rear bins, no diagonal (it was a clubman spec rear hoop rather than the fia version)
Front end is 3 piece, 2 front legs back to rear hoop and roof bar above windscreen.

Edited by imack, 03 January 2025 - 12:28 PM.

[DeadSquare]

Thank you, "mab", for taking me back down memory lane.

 

In the early 70s, the chequered tape on the bonnet had become 'old-hat' and 'Boy-Racers' with a little more money, made their statement by fitting a straight-through exhaust and a "Model A Roll-Bar".

[Spider]

While only 1/2 cages, these were the factory offerings;-

 

 

[Hillclimb Junior]

i think back in the day the cages had 38 or 40mm tubing, if that has 50mm, id say its a later cage, and also by the design it looks like a sparco cage.

 

I found someone a couple of years ago who posted a roll cage just like it and said it was a Sparco cage. However, I haven't managed to find any documentation of this. I have seen a couple of cages just like it that as it is quite distinguishable design, with the main hoop located outside the read pockets, but I have yet to get some concrete information. 

[Avtovaz]

 

i think back in the day the cages had 38 or 40mm tubing, if that has 50mm, id say its a later cage, and also by the design it looks like a sparco cage.

 

I found someone a couple of years ago who posted a roll cage just like it and said it was a Sparco cage. However, I haven't managed to find any documentation of this. I have seen a couple of cages just like it that as it is quite distinguishable design, with the main hoop located outside the read pockets, but I have yet to get some concrete information. 

 

 

 

 

its the way its 50mm hoop says its not historic, the door bars are on those ends you weld into the tube, and the way the over sleave bolts the front to the rear with 4 bolts. Its exactly like a cage i had in my first bmw rally car.

 

;)