I have a 4 point roll bar at the moment. My Mini is right hand drive. The top of the diagonal is on the left side and my seat fits nicely. I spoke with Autopower this morning and they told me they place the diagonal on which ever side does not interfere with the seat.

Is there a requirement or some reason other than the seat interference that governs the placement of the diagonal?

I do have to add a cross member to mount the 5 point harness but I do not want to waste time with this if its not going to be acceptable. I plan to add the front bars to make a proper cage too.

P.S. I just read the latest SCCA rules and it does not specify anything about which side the top of the diagonal is placed.

There is no "rule" as to which side the diagonal mounts, indeed, many cages utilize both making an " X ". My cages (I have fabbed many over the years) mount the diagonal behind the driver side making for easier access to the rear chassis (door slammers) and, in the early days, a place to mount the head rest. That is no longer a 'big deal' since almost all the racing seats have built in head restraint. You will still need the horizontal bar behind the seat to mount your harness and for structural reasons.

On the same page, re SCCA roll cage requirements...It is currently acceptable to use 1 3/8" x 0.095" DOM, but I still prefer to use 1 1/2" tubing...personal preference based on past experience on my head ;o)...I do feel that a full cage with proper side intrusion protection is mandatory for a safe racing Mini...Most every race car you will ever come in contact with (heaven forbid) will be BIGGER than you!

EDIT: If you would like to see how my cage and 7 point harness held up in 2003 incident at Willow Springs, have a look at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGIQ85maG2w

Rod # 130 Mini Cooper (Rusty Booger)

Thanks Rusty. What I have so far is 1.75 inch seamless tubing for the loop, diagonal and the rear down tubes. Are you talking about the dia for the tubing for the cross member?

Another question - where in relation to the shoulder strap holes in the seat and/or the drivers shoulders should the cross bar be located - the bar the shoulder straps mount to.

At Autopower, he told me the bar should be slightly lower than the holes and shoulder. I read some where, I thought, it should be at the holes are slightly above.

He told you right, it should be slightly lower. That way it keeps you pinned to the seat, which is where you want to be. Autopower makes harnesses, too. I have their stuff in my MGB.

Thanks, this forum is great for someone just starting in Vara. All of my questions have been answered so far. I will be attending the July race with my Mini but not racing until September. I am sure I will learn a lot at Fontana.

This is a good site for general information, especially on construction of roll cages and tubing sizes. I would suggest you get a copy of the General Competition rules from SCCA (on line in PDF form) and read up.

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/english ... 0301rb.asp

Rod

Rod Davis wrote:This is a good site for general information, especially on construction of roll cages and tubing sizes. I would suggest you get a copy of the General Competition rules from SCCA (on line in PDF form) and read up.

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/english ... 0301rb.asp

Rod

I have them but VARA is not always the same.

With the recent acceptance of the VARA competition license for SCCA regional competition it makes it possible for VARA members to compete in SCCA Regionals (It has always been acceptable for SCCA competition license holders to compete in VARA).

Of course, it should go without saying, VARA entrants will need to pass all SCCA safety standards, including, but not limited to, ROLL CAGES!

In my experience, there is no legal SCCA roll cage structure that is not also legal for VARA competition.
I have seen several "cages" that are "vintage" in nature in VARA legal race cars and that would definately NOT pass current SCCA rules.
The very nature of vintage racing brings about the question of "how safe is safe?" in a fourty or fifty year old "legal" race car? I believe that VARA tech does a commendable job of keeping some of the really old and bizarre race car creations of the past under control. However, the British Extravaganza last May, with the rollover incident (Morgan 3-wheeler) stresses this "legal vintage " issue to the limit.

Sorry, I wandered slightly off topic. I have no real answers as racing is inherently dangerous. My position is that these truly vintage machines, prepared to the correct era, should be for exhibition only and strictly limited as to speed.

Rod