After getting referrals from no fewer than 4 local racers in the Central TN / KY area, I dropped my '69 Barracuda off with a reputable builder about 10 days ago for an NHRA +9.99 roll bar install. The examples I found online of this guy's work appeared to be well-engineered with very nice welds.

Unfortunately I am less than impressed with his work on my Barracuda. Am I being too picky?


For starters the main hoop is just plain weird-shaped. It is 51" wide at the floor, 54" wide at the crossbar, and probably another 3"-4" wider at the bottom of the windows - leaving very little room for the interior panels.











I told him I was running stock interior, but I've got zero room for armrests on the front doors, as seen here looking straight down the passenger door.



So... the main hoop is "funky" and the front bars need to be moved. Now let's check out the rear bars. For starters, neither rear bar is even close to being square to the floor, especially the right side.






.... which results in both bars leaning very noticeably to the left, causing them to also be off center. At the point where the bars bend forward, the right bar measures nearly 1-1/2" inches further from the same interior measuring point as the left one.





Wasn't able to get a good side shot through the back glass, but the rear bars also don't follow the lines of the car whatsoever. Kinda looks like someone just tossed a set of crooked monkey bars in the back of a fastback Barracuda.

The welds are also nothing like I had seen in his other work. I know - not all good welds are pretty and not all pretty welds are good. But this is not the quality I was looking for. There are holes big enough to hang a pencil in them.

[img]http://i1367.photobucket.com/albums/r796/SRTinc/20170130_201724_resized_zps3hiyo0ef.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1367.photobucket.com/albums/r796/SRTinc/20170129_190115_resized_zpsji3gpykn.jpg[/img]


There's no way I'm gonna start a nice street car build with a foundation like this, so I'm cutting it all back out.

The guy has agreed over the phone to give me a refund. To be fair I don't expect a 100% refund because some of the floor work and braces under the floor will probably stay, but I don't think anyone would be happy with this kind of work.

A frustrating setback, for sure.

Yeah those welds are horrible looking.

On my cage the bars were wedged in with a hammer with a tight fit before being TIG welded in.


If you do decide to get your cage re-done it will be a pain to cut everything out.

Yeah, my main hoop started out close to that. I took it back out and bent a new one. Then, I had to change out my funny car hoop. Maybe a good idea would have been to leave some of the interior components with him for test fitting before final welding. Sometimes on a custom build there is a lot of throw away, I know first hand.

The fit in the above picture is pretty loose.

I won't say much about the welding.

Yeah, but I'm not real comfortable with dropping the car off and leaving it for HIM to cut it out. I've had visions of picking it up with big torch holes everywhere.

I talked with B&B Race Cars in Hohenwald TN today, and I put the Barracuda on their waiting list. More time and more money, but hopefully the end result will be a lot better.

Terrible craftsmanship.

I offered to bring him the seats or anything else he might need but he said he didn't need them. He's been doing this stuff for over 40 years so I didn't argue.

My thoughts exactly.

Darren at B&B is one of the best......good choice

I would be ashamed to let that out of my shop, at the very least get the bars straight, square.

40 years??? Maybe retirement is in order. That was a HACK job!

But hats off to him for agreeing to a refund. That's unheard of these days.

Sorry to see this, definitely not great work. At least he is willing to make it right. Maybe a new employee proble. As stated B&B is one of the best out there.

What shop did the work? PM me if you don't want to post it please. I'm going to be in the market for a roll bar soon.

Dennis

My S&W kit was way better fit than that. Also my guy builds dragster chassis and wanted my seats for trial fit.

PM sent.

Been there done that....Cut it out.

I am not liking those welds. I worked for a speed shop for a few years and welded in cages back in my early 20's and with 3 years of welding experience I was laying beads a lot nicer than that.

Not tooting my own horn, and we all know looks aren't everything when it comes to welds, but some of those welds appear to be structurally flawed and you'd think with that much experience he'd get them looking a lot better than that.

Also please don't tell me the pic that Rylispro posted is from your cage. If it is, I wouldn't go near that guy again for any welding work. Nothing should ever leave a shop looking like that.

Unfortunately that pic IS one of welds, in the area right behind the driver's seat.

All I can say is Wow!

If a shop can't fit and weld like these pics go fin someone else!