I was bad last winter. Didn't read the new GCR very carefully, didn't read these boards too much. I got caught without the required second door bar on the passenger's side.

It would be easy enough to find a local guy to put in that second bar and be done with it, but why not use this as an opportunity to get rid of that old, heavy Autopower bolt-in cage and have a custom cage welded in. I don't have $1,000+ burning a hole in my pocket, but it's been a while since I did much to develop the car.

The question is, how much will I gain? The car is an '87 GTI in ITB. It's about 30 pounds overweight, and usually runs mid-pack although that depends on who else shows up. Will I lose any significant weight? Will the extra chassis stiffness amount to anything like a second a lap on a 1:37 course like Grattan maybe? I'm looking around for a chassis shop here in West Michigan, but I want to know what the return on my money will be before I commit.

Looking forward to your comments!