So $800 you say for the cage...hmm slightly higher than my $500 expectation.

Is this place in Victoria? As I will be getting a quote from a yet to be named (as I don't know it) company in Dandenong, Vic who may be able to do it cheaper.

A friend of a friend sort of thing, runs the place - just waiting to be supplied a name and number.

humph the prob with roll cages is material cost

bloody CAMS just adopt FIA rules for role cages so ive heard, the issue being FIA requires drawn metal bars to be used

these drawn bars are not made in australia so have to be imported and the process required to make them is expensive anyway

so material costs are high

in australia we make rolled and welded tube, this tube shows the same if not higher strength in every test, and is cheap but not allowed

so yeah morale of the story is material is the big expense

my bro got a bond bolt in cage for his mk.1 esky, they are not ideal and we are not even sure if it will get CAMS approval as it didnt even come with a diagonal bar

he says the chasis is a lot stiffer with the cage in and it has improved handeling (which is suprising) but it was alot of mucking around for him to fit and i dont think it fits all that well either

i think 1500 would buy you a minimal but good rollcage, 800 is absolute minimum, i guess if your using the car for circuit there is less chance of needing the car than in rally

ive also had people with expensive cages praise them as they have rolled their car with minimal structural damage to the car, just requiring to pull/swap or bog panels

Hey thanks Mildman...yeah Ive already got the CAMS manual...I was just trying to do it for under $200!!!. Bond has given me a price of $800 for a welded bolt-in one so I might just go with them...they seem reasonable.

The 2003 CAMS manual gives very detailed specifications for a roll cage. I will admit that I have not read them but apparently since the incident at Phillip Island recently all cages will require TIG welding. The MIG is just not good enough anymore.

The CAMS manual can be bought direct from CAMS for around $40.

If your still wondering by Christmas, I'll be constructing a cage for my own Coupe come track car - as lightweight as possible whilst still meeting CAMS regs, with the goal of spending $500 or less. (maybe someone will have to tell me I'm dreaming - but that is all that is in the budget for a cage at the mo')

If you find the specs feel free to post them, otherwise I'll try an article with photos towards or straight after Christmas.

I've recently had a cage made for my sunny, you need to know that the cage has to be approved by an engineer to meet strength calculations,otherwise no homologation of cage and no cams approval for you.My papers read: main hoop is CEW/CDW Mild,actually it's all made from this material in various diameters and wall strengths.Also photographs of particular weld attachments must be provided......my sugestion is go see a reputable rollcage builder and be scared about the cost.
Al.

Anyone got any suggestions as to making a roll cage which would be CAMS approved.
eg:- What steel do you use, type of welder and welding techniques, design and PVC mockups? Its for IPRA NSW which means the suspension points cant be tied into the cage....