Door Glass Removal Rescind?

[spnkzss]

I preface by, I'm still in the build stage. Here is what I have done. The thing is, my door bars go withing 1" of the door beam. I still have to do something with the door latch and I plan on doing the same thing Tom did with the cut edge. I thought the hole turned out huge, but I took just what I needed out for the door bars + padding.

[Speed Raycer]

I think that the inspector referenced above is referring to an old IT rule circa 2002???? When I first started IT racing, due to the wording of the rules, you had to have a .06 alum skin covering the door opening even w/Nascar style bars. Seems that went away around 04/05?????

[joeg]

Very nice cage. I don't see what the issue here-- great looking job.

[lateapex911]

The rule doens't require anything that limits the amount of removal, it just says that you may modify, but not remove. In other words, it says you can do it, so you can bloody well do it.!

[jimbbski]

Regarding the covering of the hole in the inner door. I had planned on using aluminum sheet to "clean up" the inside of the door afte cutting the inner door panel for clearence for the Door bars.
Is this still legal?
'
I would hope so as I can't see why it wouldn't be alowed. I don't want my arms etc exposed to those sharp edges. Even it you just covered the cut edge with something I'd rather cover up any holes in the sheetmetal that can catch something (Me) in a rollover etc.

[tom91ita]

it may not be obvious with my photo but the door reinforcement member is right at the height of one of door bars and it just hits/touchs enough that you have to make sure you give a bit of a shove to close the door.

[joeg]

I actually retain the top half of the stock door upolstery with my bars. Why? Two reasons. The first is that I don't like jagged sheet metal and thick aluminum is not very appealing. Secondly, the top of the OEM door upolstery has a rubber window channel which seals the bottom of my Lexan transport window.

This probably costs an extra pound of weight, but I like dry transport

[jumbojimbo]

It seems clear that everyone agrees that if the door bars extend into the door (mine do) then the entire door panel cover can be removed and the door panel cut to "accomodate" the bars.

Which is exactly what my dpo has did so it seems clear I am legal.

But, the one thing I learned in elementary school is never argue with a policeman. And the one thing I know about tech inspectors is that the one thing you never say is "the car has been running like this for years and no one ever complained about it before." Which usuallys sounds to him like "you're an ahole".

So while I don't think I need a panel to make the car legal, I can see the tech's point that there shouldn't be any sharp edges in the door area which would slice my arm like a Christmas roast.

I will be fixing something up before annual tech to cover at the very least the inner door handle. You probably can't see in the pics below but the door handle does have some edges on it. And just as a data point, the prior owner cut only enough of the inner panel to accomodate the door bars, no more, no less. One plus is that the door handle has somewhere to hang without having to fabricate something.

Some of you probably know this car as Keith Hamilton's old ITC Civic.

jim

[Z3_GoCar]

Here's a cheap and easy solution. Take some rubber fuel line and clear or black silicone sealer. Split the hose with a knife and glue it on the cut door edge with the silicone and let dry. Viola, no more sharp edge and you don't need the aluminum sheet. As for the door opener, I have the stock pull rod run through a split clamp and bent at an angle to make a little pull lever with a short length of fuel hose glued on the end.

James

[JoshS]

Here's mine. This was during the initial build, I hadn't cleaned up the wires yet. Driver's side is the same.

[mustanghammer]

Here's a cheap and easy solution. Take some rubber fuel line and clear or black silicone sealer. Split the hose with a knife and glue it on the cut door edge with the silicone and let dry. Viola, no more sharp edge and you don't need the aluminum sheet. As for the door opener, I have the stock pull rod run through a split clamp and bent at an angle to make a little pull lever with a short length of fuel hose glued on the end.

James

I use the panel edging that Pegasus sells. It is made for various panel thicknesses and holds fast. Makes for a very nice looking fnish.