Stock Car Racing Homepage
 

Project Mini Stock, Part II

Building The Rollcage
By Theo James
Photography by Theo James
P173150 Image Large
Wes Filyaw sizes up another... 
   
  read full caption
P173150 Image Large
Wes Filyaw sizes up another door bar as he constructs our rollcage. We had our Butler Built seat mocked-up in place because Wes is putting just one bend in the door bar for strength, and we wanted to make sure we had enough elbowroom.
P173151 Image Large
We used 2-inch square tubing... 
   
  read full caption
P173151 Image Large
We used 2-inch square tubing as frame support rails. They ran the length of the car, which required a bit of cutting. Wes alternated his welds above and below the tubing to keep heat from causing any warpage.
P173152 Image Large
To add rigidity to the back... 
   
  read full caption
P173152 Image Large
To add rigidity to the back half of the car, Wes snaked our square tubing through the inside of the rear framerails on our Mustang. As you can see, a lot of angle cutting is involved to get everything to fit together snugly but, if you want a good stiff car, this is the way to go. We cut off everything behind the shock mount and stopped with the tubing there, too. A plate is welded onto the end, and we’ll use lighter-weight steel to fabricate the rest.
P173153 Image Large
Instead of stopping at the... 
   
  read full caption
P173153 Image Large
Instead of stopping at the firewall, we went through it to better lock everything in place. Doing it this way is more time consuming because you want the hole just big enough for your tubing, otherwise the weld won’t be strong. We’ll have to cap off the end later to keep mud and dirt out.
P173154 Image Large
After the frame supports are... 
   
  read full caption
P173154 Image Large
After the frame supports are in, the next step is locating the main four points for the rollcage. The rest of the supports are built in afterward. Notice the space between the firewall and the downtubes on the front. Because we don’t want to add weight by making the ’cage any bigger than we have to, we’re moving it backward along with the driving position.
P173155 Image Large
A piece of round tubing is... 
   
  read full caption
P173155 Image Large
A piece of round tubing is added between the stock framerails to add some lateral stiffness. If you look closely, the boxing that extends beyond the framerails is welded to a flat plate just behind the shock mounts. Hopefully we’ll never need it; but the idea is, in the event of a hard hit from the rear, everything is expected to bend up to the plate, while our center section stays intact.
P173156 Image Large
Once the rear wheelwell is... 
   
  read full caption
P173156 Image Large
Once the rear wheelwell is cut away there isn’t much to support the upper shock mounts. To correct for this, Wes put a curve into two short pieces of tubing and connected them from the shock mounts to a chassis support tube.
P173157 Image Large
Nothing fancy about this tubing... 
   
  read full caption
P173157 Image Large
Nothing fancy about this tubing bender, but it does the job. Because there is no gauge to help Wes with his angles, he is in the habit of using a coat hanger inside the car to find the curves he needs and then tracing them onto a big piece of cardboard (or sometimes even the shop floor). When the piece of tubing he’s bending matches up with the template, he knows he’s ready to roll.
P173158 Image Large
The ’cage we built to... 
   
  read full caption
P173158 Image Large
The ’cage we built to support the fuel cell is welded into place inside our frame. The cell will be bolted to the frame, and we’ll add straps across the top later. We’re using an eight-gallon cell from ATL, which should be plenty given our engine size and the short races we’ll be running (20-35 laps).
A&A Manufacturing
19033 174th Ave.
Spring Lake
MI  49456
NASFAB
Concord
NC  28025
Aero Tec Laboratories
Spear Road Industrial Park
Ramsey
NJ
Sears Craftsman
sears.com
Butler Built Motorsports Equipment
Harrisburg
NC  28075
Stock Car Steel
Mooresville
NC  28115

Discuss in Our Forums
Ford Mustang Research
Ford Mustang Consider the Ford Mustang for your next new car, and browse reviews featuring information on test drives, comparisons, options and features. The V8 standard engine in the Mustang gives you 315 horsepower with an estimated 20 mpg. It comes with a standard Manual transmission, and RWD drivetrain. You also might want to research the Toyota Prius and the Ford GT.
•  
Used Racecar Buyer's Guide - Buyer Beware!
A used stock car buyer's guide with tips to help you make the right decision... more
•  
Race Team Sponsorships - The Money Game
A guide to finding sponsorships to support your racing team... more
•  
Young Racers Club - The Premier Youths In Racing
The Young Racers Club Is Your Chance To Be Recognized As One Of The Up-And-Coming Stars In Racing - ENTRY IS FREE... more
•  
Reader's Racing Rides
Stock Car Racing's readers' racers and their careers - which one sounds like you?... more
•  
Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 - Double Duty II
Circle Track racing's Ironman Tony Stewart is at again.... more
•  
Last Race At Hialeah Speedway - Hell, I Was There!
The last night of racing at Hialeah Speedway was an action packed event ending the 50 year run of the southernmost speedway in... more
•  
Dirt Racing Radiator Protection
Learn How To Build A Simple Radiator Protector For Dirt Track Racing... more
•  
Thunderhill Raceway - One Lady's Passion
Mary Ann Naumann Runs This Texas Track With The Experience Befitting Her Racer Background... more
•  
World of Outlaws Driver J.J. Yeley - How The West Wins
Check out The World of Outlaws driver J.J. Yeley and where is career is taking him!... more
•  
NASCAR Driver Jack Sprague - Interview
Check out Jack Sprague and his great record in NASCAR!... more