Bolt it in, take it out when not at the track

I'm fairly sure my Dart is going to go faster than 11.50 when I get it to the track someday... already have homemade subframe connectors ready to weld in, and I'm considering a 6-pt roll bar too.

Are the swing-out bars legal?

The classic test for "do I need substantially more chassis stiffness (frame connector, bar, etc.)?".
With the car at race weight, level on a flat floor: open & close both doors.
Now jack it up from anywhere (try all 4 corners, diff center, K member). If the door closing is different (more, or less secure, gap irregular), you need more stiffness.

no cage leaves straight throw 5 people in and ride. see if picture took

At the local cruise night tonight, cage and all....

Consider this, nobody likes getting smacked on the head with a metal baseball bat.

If you think if I put foam on the bat it won't still do some damage to your skull, have at it.

Unfortunately, there is no good low risk solution for a non helmeted driver in a caged street car, no matter how belted.

Inches matter.

Or even easier would be an exoskeloton like the off-road guys.

Bolt it on for the track, remove for the street.

Yes I've had street driven cars with roll bars, and never really liked it.

I always thought the best way (for a street car) would be to cut away the inner structure of the roof to be able to tuck the top bars that go by your head right up to the roof skin.

this is funny but so similar to the arguements going on here in Aust .
Under ANDRA its under 11.00 - 10.50 SFI 3 layer suit SA / M helmet gloves socks shoes ( until this month it was tech rollbar etc @ 10.99) @10.50 you have tech inspection and roll bar graduating to full cage under 10.00
EXCEPT for "modern"which is factory 4 w disc brakes and air bag , in which case its good to 10.00 no roll bar no harness no safety clothing $50 helmet .Under 10.00 tech cage etc .
Under IHRA Aust they proposed "modern"to 9.00 .
Local track has gone back to ANDRA and by golly the screams from some racers .And trying to discuss it is pointless .They refuse to accept any safety arguement . Grrrr
Oh yeah i have a 5 point rollbar in my daily , its legal to 10.00 .

Tex

Are swing out bars legal? If I were to install a cage, that would be my preference.

All my street cars have at least a roll bar if not a full cage..I wouldn't own one without it. If your going to do that, then buy a Hellcat.

I wrote some ideas on my site here:
http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/frame.htm

Yes, swing-out bars are legal. Legal to 8.50 anyway. My car has swing-out door bars on both sides and NHRA cert'd to 8.50.

If you're gonna go fast, you need a cage. Not only for your safety, but to stiffen up the car. Has nothing to do w/ it being a street car or not IMO.

My local 1/8 mile track has 7.40 as the cutoff and I've gone 7.56 so far. So I'm getting close to decision time after whittling down the ET over the years starting with 8.30s.

The thing is, I like to take my family for rides to cruise nights or just a trip to the grocery store and there doesn't seem to be any safe way to do this with a bar. So I'll probably try to get it to run as close to a 7.40 as possible without going under and then stop trying to make it any quicker.

I feel more comfortable making 90+ mph passes at the 1/8 mile track with just a lap belt than I would driving around in traffic with a bar next to my or a family member's head with no helmet.

I have had both and like some said its nice not to be in the way. if you want to actually want to use the back seat how do they get in it. the cage if fine long as there only 2 of you.

Like I said, you can bolt it in, look at the rule book. 6” square plate bolted to floor for the hoop, down bars bolted at floor and hoop, side bars swing out that’s bolted. Problem solved till you go 9.99 then you have a race car, period.

Can you post a link to the page that states bolt in bars are legal?

This is taken from the 2021 NHRA rule book general regulations. It looks like the cross bars and rear bars definitely need to be welded to the main hoop. Be tough to get it in and out of the car if bolted to the plates on the floor.

4:10 ROLL BAR
All roll bars must be within 6 inches of the rear, or side, of the
driver’s head, extend in height at least 3 inches above the
driver’s helmet with driver in normal driving position or be within
1 inch of the roof/headliner in the area above the driver’s helmet,
and be at least as wide as the driver’s shoulders or within 1 inch
of the driver’s door. Roll bar must be adequately supported or
cross-braced to prevent forward or lateral collapse. Rear braces
must be of the same diameter and wall thickness as the roll bar
and intersect with the roll bar at a point not more than 5 inches
from the top of the roll bar. Crossbar and rear braces must be
welded to main hoop. Sidebar must be included on driver’s
side and must pass the driver at a point midway between the
shoulder and elbow. Swing-out sidebar permitted. All roll bars
must have in their construction a cross bar for seat bracing
and as the shoulder harness attachment point; cross bar must
be installed no more than 4 inches below, and not above, the
driver’s shoulders or to side bar. All vehicles with OEM frame
must have roll bar welded or bolted to frame; installation of
frame connectors on unibody cars does not constitute a frame;
therefore it is not necessary to have the roll bar attached to the
frame. Unibody cars with stock floor and firewall (wheeltubs
permitted) may attach roll bar with 6-inch x 6-inch x .125-inch
steel plates on top and bottom of floor bolted together with
at least four 3/8-inch bolts and nuts, or weld main hoop to
rocker sill area with .125-inch reinforcing plates, with plates
welded completely. Also, the roll bar may be welded to frame
connectors that are fully welded in place and are 1 5/8 inches
x .118-inch MS or .083-inch CM round and/or 2 inch x 2 inch
x .058 MS or CM rectangular. All 4130 chromoly tube welding
must be done by approved TIG heliarc process; mild steel
welding must be done by approved MIG wire feed or approved
TIG heliarc process. Welding must be free of slag and porosity.
6” max
All cars with an OEM frame must
have roll bar attached to frame.
Cars without frame use 6” square
1/8” steel plates on top and
bottom of floor, securely bolted
together with at least four 3/8”
bolts, or top plate welded to
rocker sill.
All materials must be 1 3/4” O.D. x .118” mild steel or .083”
4130 chromoly tubing, except A, which is
1 1/4” O.D. x .118” mild steel or .065” 4130 chromoly tubing.
5” max
4:10
A
Maximum of 6”
from roll bar to
driver’s helmet.
Maximum of 5”
from top of roll
bar to brace.
Section 21, page 22 General Regulations
Any grinding of welds prohibited. See illustration. Roll bar must
be padded anywhere driver’s helmet may contact it while in
driving position. Adequate padding must have minimum 1/4-
inch compression or meet SFI Spec 45.1. All cars running 9.99
(*6.39) or quicker, SFI Spec 45.1 mandatory.

Backseat? That's just extra weight.

WOW, they are very specific instructions. Being these are the rules for legal roll bar construction; there are ALOT of cars I compete against that are not legal. Such as wrong material and poor welding just for starters . It really comes down to the track you compete at and how seriously are they going to enforce the rule. And the risk tolerance of the driver .