New ITR SCCA 300zx

[Tristan Smith]

Just some proof I am actually working on something. ha

Here are some pics of the z-car stripped ready for the cage. That should be done in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6020/newzracecarprecage004bz1.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5008/newzracecarprecage003hb6.jpg

Interior stripped out.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/1238/newzracecarprecage002vb0.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2826/newzracecarprecage001ap6.jpg
__________________

[JeffYoung]

Alright -- looking good!

[erlrich]

Looks like a race car is born. Keep the updates coming.

Geez, I don't look forward in the least to the day I have to start in on the Camaro...

BTW, love the bucket seat :D

[seckerich]

I think the date is out on that FIA seat so you might need a back brace.:D

[tnord]

when it finally runs please have in car video, and post it up here so i can listen to that thing.

<----once had a 1990 Z32 and enjoyed it very much.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Please tell me it's gonna get the same paint scheme as the 240....

[chuck baader]

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "bucket seat":026: Sorry, could not resist....CB

[DavidM]

Cool. Why'd you remove the dash? Planning on having a cross bar? Whose doing the cage?

I stripped the interior of the new 240 body this weekend as well. I have to get all the sound deadening out, but everything else is gone. I put the stock seat back in though. :) Gonna get it to the body shop to get the rear quarter fixed then it's cage time.

David

[Tristan Smith]

when it finally runs please have in car video, and post it up here so i can listen to that thing.

Will do. It's running now without the mufflers. Sounds very nice.


Please tell me it's gonna get the same paint scheme as the 240....

Yep the paint scheme will look pretty much the same. Hey, it's team colors!


Cool. Why'd you remove the dash? Planning on having a cross bar? Whose doing the cage?

I stripped the interior of the new 240 body this weekend as well. I have to get all the sound deadening out, but everything else is gone. I put the stock seat back in though. :) Gonna get it to the body shop to get the rear quarter fixed then it's cage time.

David

I do plan on putting in a dash bar. I am going to have Richard Martin build the cage. He did the cage on the 240sx and I like his work.

So what are you guys saying? The bucket seat isn't GCR compliant??????

By the way, if anyone has a driver's side manual seat rail for this thing your willing to part with, let me know!

[JeffYoung]

I might just have one. Let me see what is on my car this weekend.


Will do. It's running now without the mufflers. Sounds very nice.



Yep the paint scheme will look pretty much the same. Hey, it's team colors!



I do plan on putting in a dash bar. I am going to have Richard Martin build the cage. He did the cage on the 240sx and I like his work.

So what are you guys saying? The bucket seat isn't GCR compliant??????

By the way, if anyone has a driver's side manual seat rail for this thing your willing to part with, let me know!

[Tristan Smith]

Ok first pics of cage. I'll great better pics soon, these are off a phone camera.


http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/215/img00074.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/710/img00075.jpg

More to come.

[Ron Earp]

Hey hey,

Looking good! I was wondering how things were coming along with the project. Looks great thus far!!

Ron

[timo944]

Looks great! Saw it a few weeks ago but the cage wasn't in yet.

[quadzjr]

Looks good!

Is that transverse bar between the two rear stru towers legal? In the pic it looks like it is seperate from the roll cage and is acting as a rear strut "stay bar". Which I don't believe is legal.

[Tristan Smith]

Rules say you can attach as many bars as you want to the cages plates as long as they are part of the 8 attachment points allowed. I don't think I have seen a cage that doesn't have that or something similar.

[Greg Amy]

Legal, for the reasons Tristan stated, assuming his plate(s) meet the rules. - GA

[quadzjr]

I completely agree. I was just being on teh anal side of the argument playing devils advoacate. It is really hard to tell from the pic but it looks like the bar doesn't even connect to the main cage. That is why I brought it up.

[Greg Amy]

Here's an even more blatant example...

http://www.kakashiracing.com/images/rollcage/DCP_4724.JPG


...from my car, circa 2003. The legal-size plate wraps around the strut tower. - GA

[Andy Bettencourt]

Lee-gal. And cool!

[Parrish57]

Sweet ride! I'm looking forward to seeing one on the track...

[quadzjr]

so the bars of the cage don't have to meet up, they just have to all attach to the same plated area? like in your I am assuming NX200 example. The "cage" all welds to the point in front of the rear shock tower, and the rear brace is welded to a plate on the side of the rear shock tower. What makes this legal is as long as those plates touch or are built as one piece then it can be considered as part of the cage and not a seperate piece?

An alternate example. What if yoiu were to have a cage and plate welded to teh cage, then have anothe rplate closer to the top of the strut tower that does not touch the plate for the cage. This would be considered illegal correct?

another example/question.. for the first gen MR2 that I am building right now. IT is almost impossilbe to weld in a bar similair to this design in quesiton becuase it woudl go right through my engien, and would also make working on it more difficult. Since it is an uncessary bar, would you be allowed to add a bar in similiar fashion to your NX200, and then make it removable?

[Greg Amy]

so the bars of the cage don't have to meet up, they just have to all attach to the same plated area?
Correct. The plate is considered the mounting "point" (IT cars are restricted to eight total). Further the rules specifically state:
Any number of tubes may attach to the plate or each other.
...and...
Any number of additional tube elements is permitted within the boundaries of the minimum cage structure.

...the rear brace is welded to a plate on the side of the rear shock tower. What makes this legal is as long as those plates touch or are built as one piece then it can be considered as part of the cage and not a seperate piece?Yes. There's no restriction that the mounting point be one contiguous (bent) plate versus welded-together plates. In fact, the rules state,
Plates may be on multiple planes but shall shall not be greater than fifteen inches on any side.
...explicitly allowing it.


An alternate example. What if yoiu were to have a cage and plate welded to teh cage, then have anothe rplate closer to the top of the strut tower that does not touch the plate for the cage. This would be considered illegal correct?No. I suggest that any plate that is not welded in some way to the true cage mounting plate (and following min/max side requirements) is likely flaunting the rules.


another example/question.. for the first gen MR2 that I am building right now. IT is almost impossilbe to weld in a bar similair to this design in quesiton becuase it woudl go right through my engien, and would also make working on it more difficult. Since it is an uncessary bar, would you be allowed to add a bar in similiar fashion to your NX200, and then make it removable?Sure, why not? I'd suggest following the "removable roll cage bracing" requirements (though those requirements are unclear as to if they refer only to required elements and/or all elements). When we were working on the cage design for the SW20, we were going to do basically that, and attach the bar to the rear strut using "PIP" (single action ball lock) pins (though, again, I'm unclear if the PIP pin part is legal. The rules clearly illustrate a minimum bolt requirement).

GA

[benspeed]

I drove two nice 300ZX examples while looking at what to buy for ITR - these cars will be awesome. Can't wait to race against one!

I like to cage - big and safe - some nice work.

[jdraper08]

lookin good
i cant wait to see the finished product

[Tristan Smith]

Thanks. I am looking forward to getting it out too at some point. Seems like years since I have been able to get out for a full season of racing.....oh wait, it has been years. Hopefully I can start to speed up the build process now. I have a lot of what I need to put it together, just have to put in the hours. Hopefully winter will finally end here in Atlanta by the end of the week and I will get a chance to take a few pics.

Quick question. I have a Sparco seat with an FIA sticker, but I think it is from 1999. Is this seat exempt from the seat back brace rule? Or does the seat need to be within a certain build date?

[Greg Amy]

I have a Sparco seat with an FIA sticker, but I think it is from 1999. Is this seat exempt from the seat back brace rule? Or does the seat need to be within a certain build date?
SCCA is not enforcing the 5-year FIA cert expiration on seats. That one came straight from the top... NASA, however, does (and is TOTALLY inflexible on the idea). - GA

On edit Make sure your seat is built to the 1999 standards, otherwise you'll need a brace.

[Tristan Smith]

Thanks Greg, I'll recheck, but I thought it had a 1999 certification.