Roll Cage Legality

[BigglesRiviera]

Hi all,

Looking for a little advice on rollcages.

I’ve searched around but for this day and age info is surprisingly lean. It seems that rollcages, I'm talking full 6 point cages are not legal to have in road cars. I’m talking about Vic, unless that are signed off by a VASS certified engineer. 

I'm wanting to tarmac rally my car but I cant find anything except old posts everywhere that say rollcages have to be grandfathered, it seems like the rules changed around 2012. 

I don’t really want a rally/track only car but I may not have a choice. 

Also keen to know peoples thoughts on how full on of a cage is needed, I’m assuming the more steel and gussets the better?

 

[Peter John]

Keep searching- if you want to tarmac rally there are rules- you will be able to find the answers pretty easily by contacting event organisers. Cams approved cages needed.
 

Cage makers know how to build them and what will comply. Road cars will need to be engineered for half cage and also vicroads will then learn its then a 2 seater. Front cage no bueno. Other states like NSW and SA I believe are more strict in other general changes to your car and engineers go to town pretty easily.  

Good luck with the rallying.

Disclaimer: I don’t compete in rallies but I’ve converted a rally approved car to road again. 🙂

https://motorsport.org.au/docs/default-source/manual/general-requirements/2021/schedule-j.pdf?sfvrsn=7721ed27_18

[OBRUT]

I tarmac rallied extensively for about a decade. Go all out on the cage - regardless of car. Trees are strong.  An older car will be slower but have little inherit strength - newer car the opposite. 

What car and class etc are you intending to run in?
 

Ps. What rallies are you intending to do?  I’d be waiting for the outcome of the current bans/enquiries etc before building a new car. There is a real chance the full comp doesn’t come back and you could be left with tour style only. 

[BigglesRiviera]

Thanks guys,

So rally wise currently the AUS Tarmac rallies which aren’t affected by the Targa Tas bans as they go through a different governing body. I just did the tour and yes I agree, even limited at 130kmh I thought there wouldn’t be much left of us if we hit one of the mountain ashes coming off the road. And class; classic modified? Maybe to begin with just Rally Sport which is limited to 160kmh. 

I have two options - My 83 SC (the one with a 964 body kit in my pic.) Its a rough job RHD conversion but its in pretty good nick and I don’t really want to lose the ability to drive it on normal roads. 

I also have a rolling shell 86 cabriolet wide body. I was planning to build a safari with this for fun but maybe I get a decent cage built into it and then buy one of the hardtops or get a coupe roof welded on, I know a guy who does these. Then it would be a dedicated rally car, which from my reading, unless I can find a grandfathered roll cage car for sale it really has to be one as yes, you cant have a roll cage in a road registered car.  

Unless I get a bolt in roll bar with the front cage ability to bolt on, but then its strength is compromised.. Ahh I think I have to build a dedicated car... 

Anyone got a rally 911 with a grandfathered roll cage they wanna sell?

[MFX]

Just get a half cage and the car engineered as a 2 seater, with a bolt in front. That is really the only way to go. Even padded you don't want to ever drive in a car with a front cage without a helmet and harnesses. Your head is just too close to the cage and if you hit it, it is game over. There is a reason you can't get full rego and it is not just the out of control nanny state

[BigglesRiviera]

Thanks Jeff,

Ive now deep dived pretty damn hard into all the rules and got onto an exceptionally infomred guy: David Brown from Brown Davis Motorsport and I found out hes an absolute authority on this. Not only is he a technical advisor to CAMs but hes also an engineer and a lawyer and helped Vic roads develop the rules. Turns out with classic porsches you can have a 6-point roll cage becasue it doesnt intefere with the manufacturers saftey equipment, becasue there basically isnt any! He has built, road registered and CAM logbooked many classic 911's.

He also manufactures them in a way where it is fully bolt in and out-able so you can remove it for normal safe driving. 

Good times ahead!! 

[Redracn]

6 hours ago, BigglesRiviera said:

Thanks Jeff,

Ive now deep dived pretty damn hard into all the rules and got onto an exceptionally infomred guy: David Brown from Brown Davis Motorsport and I found out hes an absolute authority on this. Not only is he a technical advisor to CAMs but hes also an engineer and a lawyer and helped Vic roads develop the rules. Turns out with classic porsches you can have a 6-point roll cage becasue it doesnt intefere with the manufacturers saftey equipment, becasue there basically isnt any! He has built, road registered and CAM logbooked many classic 911's.

He also manufactures them in a way where it is fully bolt in and out-able so you can remove it for normal safe driving. 

Good times ahead!! 

Did he mention the minimum head clearance requirements? This is also where a lot of cars come unstuck. Just not enough room to fit the front half between the shell and your head.