Purely Hypothetical Cage Question....?

THIS IS PURELY FOR MY OWN KNOWLEDGE AND SAKE OF DISCUSSION, atleast for now.

Ok, so I would like to build a dime to race open road and land speed trials cause apparently the group that ran the Maxton Mile has found it's new home in my state and it just looks like a hole lot of fun... Anyway, I like things that look as close to stock as possible.  Very much a fan of the old-school sleeper look.  Anyhow, I'm just wondering if it's possible to build a cage that doesn't have the main hoop's rear supports exiting through the back window and have it still be certifiable and functional.  Figuring either 6 or 8 point, but I would have to research the rules to know what is needed/acceptable. Or should I be looking at a Extended cab or blazer for this project.  Trying for lighter is better here, but it would be fun to make the first gen fast since they really do look like a brick.

James.   

I remember reading a topic on this a little while ago and the consensus was no, to have it be legal you need the rear supports at an angle that exits through the back window/cab wall.
You could always run a cap and hide them though. That would definitely add to the sleeper look.

Yeah, I suppose I could, but I'm just not sold on the looks of a cap.  Screams old man or heavy soundsystem to me.  I think if it comes down to it, I'll prob go with a 1/2 cab or a gutted 2dr blazer so I can hide the cage better.  I'd be ok with coming out the back cab wall, but I just don't wanna have it in the window.  Anyway, thanks for the response.

I have a clean 2dr 89 blazer that's screaming to do 9's... come get it

Just throwing this idea out there, you had would have to verify the angles. You could always go with an ext cab and cage it like a reg cab, that way the bars would be further towards the front and possibly not through the window.

And if you wanted to keep a shorter wheelbase on a second gen you could use a quad cab bed with an extended cab frame with pretty minor modification to a short bed frame and extended cab.

And if you wanted to keep a shorter wheelbase on a second gen you could use a quad cab bed with an extended cab frame with pretty minor modification to a short bed frame and extended cab.

I've always thought about how weird a 2door blazer frame, extended cab, 4door bed combination would look.

can you fit that? i thought a 2dr blazer was more a std cab + shortened 4dr bed kinda wheelbase

Yeah, I had thought about doing the ext cab and cagin it like a regular cab.  I'm just not sure how that would come across on the rules.  I know they want the main hoop behind the driver to support the roof for a roll over, but I'm wondering if they'd require the ext cab to be braced as well.  Guess it's time to start measuring and researching rules to see what would be legal.
 
My other choice would be something like the 81 2 door Malibu I had when I started driving.  That would be a perfect race car, but it was unfortunately a casuallty of my college tuition bills and a lack of good employment around here.  If I ever get another good job, I'm gonna go looking for another one to build. (figure its appropriate as it shares a lot of front suspension with the s10's).  It's HEAVY, but solid frame and BIG engine compartment.  Like twin turbo big block big. 
Explains my avatar too.

So long as there are no seats in the back, I can't think of a ruling body that would care, so long and the driver and optional front row passenger are fine. I've ridden in several four door cars that still had back seats, with four points installed, but the main hoop of the cage was right behind the front row of seats and so long as no one tried to ride in the back on the course, they didn't care.

Cool, good to know.  There really is no culture for this kinda stuff around here.  Everybody either drives 4x4 with 6+" of lift or a modified import.  Closest I've ever been to a caged car is a bronco with a 4 point bar in it.  This is all completely new to me. 

I've been in the process of talking with the local SCCA to find out what the requirements are for the IT truck class on cages.  Any chance you found out any more in your searches?

I have a 98 ext cab that I am trying to keep from going through the window also.

Robert