Da Hapa said:
Even though they were mailed from S. CA, I only got mine on Sat. Great issue, btw.
Maybe a stupid question but how do I contact the writer of the article about the rollcage in his NSX-T? I'd really like to see pic's of that installed!
Thanks to everyone involved for another great issue. I've already read it twice cover to cover.
Hi,
Glad to hear you enjoyed the article. As you can likely tell from the article, overall I like the product.
As many are aware, while a full custom fabricated 6/8pt SCCA or NHRA approved chromoly race cage is great, they do have many disadvantages. They tend to prove very costly due to the custom plates, the NSX'es aluminum chassis results in a complicated installation, they normally require a lexan partition making the car essentially uninhabitable on long club drives, are permanent/un-installable, the designs are often miserable to get in and out of- not prissy high maintenance chick friendly, typically require the NSX left for weeks/months at a fab shop, interior dash cutting for fit, ugly, etc... In the end, unless you are fielding in a pro race series, overall the compromises are difficult to justify in a street/track car.
IMHO While obviously not in anyway comparable to a full race cage or pro series race prep- for an off the shelf bolt-in on a street/track application this cage is very good both in terms of performance as well as safety. Okuyama, more commonly marketed as Dash Sports is a top name brand in Japan. Dash Sports products are MOT and are used by almost 100% of the Rally teams in Japan, they comply with every Japanese racing regulation, and are considered among the best in the industry.
In practice, JDM bling aside, it has worked very well for me for my application (late model street/track targa) which is what prompted the article inclusion. It's very light which was very important to me (the cages are available in both steel and aluminum- as an FYI the weight of the aluminum is approximately 50% of the steel). It was priced right, offered a good extensible design that I can work with and weld/add bars/reinforce later if needed, had sufficient clearance for the targa removal even with padding, and is adequate to do its job on a light roll over scenario as could potentially occur on a casual HPDE or track day. I didn't require approval past my own and the occasional tech inspection (which I can usually get anyway with just coffee and donuts).
Moving on, Larry mentioned you had an inquiry for pics. So, I've attached a few pictures to give you an idea of the layout of the Okuyama Carbing Roll Cage I had referenced in the article. I removed the thick black NASCAR style BSCI padding prior to the shoot so the bars are more clearly visible. Unfortunately I was not able to get the images submitted earlier, in time for the cut off date due to an e-mail snafu.
While we are on this topic- I wanted to have the opportunity to mention, there has been a lot of chatter on various forums (s2ki, civic, bmw, corner carvers, etc...) lately concerning the safety of bolt-in cages (mugen, cusco, etc..) in general. Most specifically concerning the potential for un-protected head injuries during street use on both front and side impacts. Apparently some of the enthusiasts were pimping around town wondering if that big steel tube within inches of their head was safe.
Well, for all of the bolt-in cages designs I've either used or seen for both the NSX/S2000 it should be near (but of course typically isn't) common sense that to be safe after any cage install (bolt-in or otherwise) that you will now be essentially forced to wear a helmet in the vehicle pretty much at all times due to the side piping along the roof line. If either you or the chick in the seat next to you aren't, it is as the motorcycle guys say- 'your life in your hands'.
If you've seen the special on discovery about crash course dummies and noted the actual head motion during even 35mph side impacts from an Escalade into a car you'll quickly get the idea of what I am talking about. The G forces to the head/neck are staggering even at low speeds, and given the lower roof line/cabin design we have it's a significant bug/issue for that scenario. From what I am told from my neighbor (a brain surgeon)... even if you live- the stories of serious head injuries are sad and their services are usually pretty expensive.
Thus... all that said... I am also of the opinion that in the event you opt to install a bolt-in cage in exchange of the factory setup (stock belts, seats, tensioners, srs) it is important to be aware of all the 'critical little details and compromises' of the newly added safety equipment; as it works as a cohesive system, and you may well find yourself putting your life on your installation work in the most unexpected of circumstances. You'll likely not have the benefits (experience, testing, FFT analysis, x-ray inspections, etc...) like the big dollar race teams and series do in your garage/shop.
The best you can do to be as safe as possible is to start by using the good stuff... (a good bolt-in cage, tested/approved single piece bucket seats, FIA approved 5/6pt harnesses, critical- use SFI/FIA approved BSCI roll padding instead of the cheap worthless foam I often see, use excellent heat treated hardware/good epoxy/fitted plates, again a $$$ helmet/hans device etc...).
Finally, during install, it is absolutely critical to think things through, take your time, and worth it to have a pro check/double check everything you did. Done right, it could prove far safer than stock and well save your life. Done wrong, you'll likely never get a second chance to figure out what went wrong.
Hope that helps.
- John
Have a great trip :biggrin:
The last one I got was NSX Driver issue #3.
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