My FE3 progress thread

[irishkev90]

It just adds weight guys, come on

[FE3-323]

^ lolz

[D323]

saves you from a concussion in a semi major accident at least

[bogaut]

Or he could just wear a helmet every time he drives

[Racerboy]

Honestly guys..........what good is an inch or less of foam padding really going to do.
In any serious accident it won't matter

Yes it will. It helps. And it's just a few bucks. Your head is worth more than a few bucks, right? Might as well spend a little and help protect it. Look at this: http://www.stbarinc.com/orange-aid/index.html

[SgtRauksauff]

It's the difference between being in an "Assisted Living Facility" as a drooling vegetable draining the resources of your loved ones vs. having a few bumps and bruises.

The argument reminds me of motorcycle drivers only wearing open-face or little beanie helmets, when 34% of all impacts are to the chin.



When I was in my accident back in '05 the seat snapped back and my shoulder shattered the B-pillar trim. And this was in a chevy impala, all soft and cushy inside. A 323 has even less distance between you and the hard parts, and no NVH padding behind the plastics to absorb stuff.

plus, if you're a vegetable, who'm I supposed to call to ask obscure Mazda questions?

[FE3-323]

Cage "tacos" gussets

started mocking up placement/fitment of the roll cage gussets or as i like to call them "tacos"

Thanks again to Jim - JPMotorsports for supplying me with these

At first i started trimming up some near spade shaped tacos thinking to put them in the center of main hoop......
After looking @ them i didn't like what i saw/how it looked. so i decided to try other places.
I tried the outside side joint of the main hoop- but figured the direct 90 joint was strong enough despite the gusset fitting pretty nicely

I eventually stuffed them slightly tweaked into the joint of the rear kickers to the mainhoop to which im pretty damn happy with.

put some unmolested tacos in the corners of the cage above my head as shown

[Wilyb]

Gotta hand it to ya, Ryan... You are perseverant...keep it goin'

[FE3-323]

thank you phil!

[Mazda_Powered]

mmmm tacos, looking good man!

[JPmotorsports]

Hey Ryan---I'd do the a-pillar to mainhoop joint for the safety/strength in crash, and then of course a-pillar to roof spreader like your planning---please don't put them in the diagonal (unless your going to add another diagonal and make it an X), we'd all likely throw up...(!) If you've got door bars going, I'd save the other two for those---a little more strength on a side impact is always welcome---everything's looking good!

[FE3-323]

ah ****!!! i didn't even think about the door bars. you don't stock these do ya???

& yes i didn't like look placed in the mainhoop either. that went out the window real fast.
im putting in a taco respectively in all 4 joint points above my head A-pillar to mainhoop & A-pillar to spreader on both sides.

Jim what are your thoughts about placement @ the rear kickers to mainhoop joint? like pictured above^^^

[JPmotorsports]

They look great---as long as there within 6" of the a-pillar point they're legal/considered safe (I believe 30 degree angle from the hoop is still considered safe as well) ---I usually don't bring them directly off the back of the a-pillar point either---I think I try an overlap them a little bit, but they sit below most of the time---and that probably gives your passenger more room if ever needed because they're outboard. I really like the rear strut bar integration---you can pop that out in a minute and fold the seats down and fit a ton of stuff back there. Doorbars---you know the bends would be so subtle---if you've got extra tubing, I'd run one parallel to the sill and as low as possible---and then one higher on the mainhoop and then angle it down towards the front a-pillar---the kicks outboard would be so minimal I dare say you could have any muffler shop with a bender/1 1/2" die do them without any tube deformation rather than deal with shipping/have me do them, but I'll certainly help if needed.

Oh-if you need more gussets, yep have a ton now since I last ordered them.

[FE3-323]

in terms of the door bars. i have one running @ a downward angle meeting just inside of the door sill box.
in terms of reaching the gas/hatch release or the OEM lap belt - or more so the window crank i opted for this route VS a straight horizontal bar.
IDK- its a little close to the seats VS what id preferr but thats life.

i probably will use a couple more gussets in the door bars-mainhoop (should i put them top or bottom side when i do?)
Take a look back a few pages to see the door bars

[JPmotorsports]

Cool---I'd put them where it's easier to weld---probably top, I don't think it'll make a difference...