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School me on full roll cage pricing

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39
58
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SF Bay Area
Hey everyone,

I'm looking to make the jump to a full cage in my 2004 Cobra and im curious what others have spent on theirs. I know it may be difficult to give me a decent guesstimate but ill try my best to give you all the info I have.

1. Im from the bay area so i expect the prices to be a bit higher than some areas
2. I would be bringing the car to a respectable shop with no glass in the car as well as stripped interior minus the dash still being installed just enough to get the car on a trailer.
3. Price would be for a full cage ( rear x brace, tied into rear shock towers, door bars, a dash bar unless it would effect the dash re-installation )
4. Time is not an issue on their end of completion if it saved me some $$$

I've tried to get into contact with some shops in my area and i haven't had the best luck with them responding to me.
I'm open to any more info you guys might have that would help me come up with a ball park estimate

A bonus question: Has anyone removed the entire rear package tray/ support from their car? Any issues with structural rigidity? This would be done just prior to roll cage installation. It would include removing everything in red up to the rear window pretty much ( see picture for reference )

IMG_5423.jpg
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
I was just subscribing to the thread...but your sketch made me think of the Buttonwillow track map.

C195CE9A-B93B-4285-9F6F-A23B77742E1F.jpeg

IIRC, @ArizonaBOSS removed his parcel tray on his Boss. I think it’s fine to do assuming your cage will support everything that the tray used to. SN95s aren't all that strong or stiff to begin with, so the cage is definitely a good idea.

@Fabman is in the Bay Area, and might be available to help...with pricing or performing the work.
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
@Grant 302
That will be forever stuck in my head now! lol
Thanks for the input! Ill shoot him a PM

@Tonymustang302
Hmmm. I'm hoping that price is for the labor of R+I interior and glass pieces. I may go half cage in that case with intention of completing at a later time. Thanks!
Message in your inbox. :)

67809000_10157497495048535_4878991236603576320_n.jpg
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,424
8,350
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Key aspect please read/check the rules for SCCA and NASA to make sure they comply with steel requirements ( thickness ,etc. ) , anchoring points, side bar issues , etc. Just throwing this out there because a friend of mine saved a few bucks on his cage only to find it was not legal with any of the main sanctioning bodies -- spent another 2K to get it legal.
 
Last edited:
39
58
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SF Bay Area
Key aspect please read/check the rules for SCCA and NASA to make sure they comply with steel requirements ( thickness ,etc. ) , anchoring points, side bar issues , etc. Just throwing this out there because a friend of mine saved a few bucks on his cage only to find it was not legal with any of the main sanctioning bodies -- spent another 2K to get it legal.

I defiantly want it done right the first time. Appreciate the input Bill! this is my first time looking into getting a cage done and I honestly overlooked a few things to say the least.
I now have the NASA and SCCA rules bookmarked to look over in more depth. Thanks again!
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
@Apex Media if you are in the SF Bay Area check out TC Designs or Blackbird Fabworx for cage fab. Those are two top-notch shops that will do proper NASA/SCCA-compliant cages and will look great on top of that. They aren't cheap but those are two of the best shops I've seen yet.
 
39
58
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SF Bay Area
@ArizonaBOSS I emailed TC but never got a response back from them, they were my first choice. I'm sure they are busy with other projects. BBFW is a bit far to travel to, looks like they are closer to LA. Appreciate the suggestions!

@302BOB Agreed, i want in done right the first time, i have someone lined up and will be going over details a bit later down the road to make sure everything is up to what i'm expecting.
 
82
145
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Los Angeles
I cut all of the area you show out of my American Iron car. It was 30lbs of steel, no rigidity issues at all with a cage. You can also cut all of the inner sheetmetal out above the rear tire wells from the B-pillar into the trunk, that's another 60lbs, but I would only do that with Lexan windows, looks like yours are still glass. I'll try and dig up the photos of a 2014 body I have that has all the excess sheetmetal cut out, If I remember correctly it was almost 275lbs of steel from the interior.

Don
 
39
58
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SF Bay Area
Thanks for the info @Don Lariviere
Thats a good chunk of weight savings! Ill probably be removing the package tray area and some of the sheet metal back of the B pillar. I have a rear lexan window already and plan to run lexan for the quater windows after the cage gets built. Yes, if you have some photos please post them here
 
Hey everyone,

I'm looking to make the jump to a full cage in my 2004 Cobra and im curious what others have spent on theirs. I know it may be difficult to give me a decent guesstimate but ill try my best to give you all the info I have.

1. Im from the bay area so i expect the prices to be a bit higher than some areas
2. I would be bringing the car to a respectable shop with no glass in the car as well as stripped interior minus the dash still being installed just enough to get the car on a trailer.
3. Price would be for a full cage ( rear x brace, tied into rear shock towers, door bars, a dash bar unless it would effect the dash re-installation )
4. Time is not an issue on their end of completion if it saved me some $$$

I've tried to get into contact with some shops in my area and i haven't had the best luck with them responding to me.
I'm open to any more info you guys might have that would help me come up with a ball park estimate

A bonus question: Has anyone removed the entire rear package tray/ support from their car? Any issues with structural rigidity? This would be done just prior to roll cage installation. It would include removing everything in red up to the rear window pretty much ( see picture for reference )

View attachment 58294
I spent 6 thousand on full roll cage on my s197. Nascar door bars on drivers side x bar on pass. Dash bar as well
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
I cut all of the area you show out of my American Iron car. It was 30lbs of steel, no rigidity issues at all with a cage. You can also cut all of the inner sheetmetal out above the rear tire wells from the B-pillar into the trunk, that's another 60lbs, but I would only do that with Lexan windows, looks like yours are still glass. I'll try and dig up the photos of a 2014 body I have that has all the excess sheetmetal cut out, If I remember correctly it was almost 275lbs of steel from the interior.

Don
How do you handle all the the debris that the tires pick up...did you close the wheel wells back in with aluminum or are you just letting it fly? I'd think that would be tough on aero too....like driving a parachute.
 
82
145
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Los Angeles
How do you handle all the the debris that the tires pick up...did you close the wheel wells back in with aluminum or are you just letting it fly? I'd think that would be tough on aero too....like driving a parachute.

I didn't cut the wheel wells out, just the inner body panel above it, as well as all of the header and cantrails. With a cage tied back to the body at all the pillars and lexan windows all of that factory structure becomes redundant. Re-using the Buttonwillow photo from above the blue line shows the area removed.

Buttonwillow.png
 
39
58
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SF Bay Area
I didn't cut the wheel wells out, just the inner body panel above it, as well as all of the header and cantrails. With a cage tied back to the body at all the pillars and lexan windows all of that factory structure becomes redundant. Re-using the Buttonwillow photo from above the blue line shows the area removed.

View attachment 58384

I plan on removing most of what you marked in blue as well. Not sure if ill take that entire area out, but most of it. Thats a huge chunk of weight savings. Did you have any pictures of car gutted by chance? I like a good visual before i take a grinder to the car lol
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
I didn't cut the wheel wells out, just the inner body panel above it, as well as all of the header and cantrails. With a cage tied back to the body at all the pillars and lexan windows all of that factory structure becomes redundant. Re-using the Buttonwillow photo from above the blue line shows the area removed.

View attachment 58384
Yeah we cut most of that area as well and covered the holes in aluminum...I like a nice finished look and thin aluminum is pretty light, so I splurged. We went into the roof area and took material as well but didn't get every bit.
I feel like we could have done quite a bit more but the the car has a very expensive paint job on it and we were afraid of damaging the paint so we erred on the side of caution. If I had a less cherry donor I would have done a LOT more cutting on it.

8399_10156266699993535_5145677811486796977_n.jpg
36525262_10156496145598535_1402914761879846912_n.jpg
 

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