A friend of mine is acquiring a car this weekend that he is planning on turning into a race/street car. One of his first orders of business is to install a roll cage. He doesn't know how to weld. I am still a bit of a beginner, I have never welded a roll cage before.
Are there any tips, tricks, hints, advice that any of you that have done this before can give me? Any help would be great. I don't want to have to do it twice. Thanks.

Heath

My advice would be to not do it yourself. That's a bad place to start as a beginner. A cage is pretty difficult to weld as it is, especially on the top sections; throw in the safety issues and it's not worth it. Plus if it runs fast enough to need the cage, I doubt a beginners welds will pass tech at the track.

I've seen cages in cars that were welded up by certified welders who had no experience with cages that still looked very bad. So you really need someone who does them. Just my opinion though, you know what that's worth!!!!!! ;)

Jody

Hes right. I have been building roll bars and cages for ten years and would definitley recommend a professional install.
First you need to understand that no aftermarket company offers a kit that fits out of the box. the ends will need trimming and re-notched. Without the proper tools you can get into trouble real fast. Most cages are .134 wall tube you will need a welder with at least 150 amps to get good penetration. Notching the tubes will require either a holesaw notcher or an angle grinder and some patience. Be prepared to buy some extra tubing when you realize you cut a few tubes too short or the notch is in the wrong place. Paying $100 a point installed (8-point bar = $800.00) is a small price to pay for peace of mind. If you need advice I'm here for you.

absolutely what these guys say. don't learn on your (or his) rollcage. it's not easy, my cousin is a very experienced welder, he did a cage kit for my buddies outlaw street chevelle, and had one hell of a time. another issue, even if you are willing to take the chance and do it yourself, it still has to be certified for actual racing use. imagine not passing tech on the cage you just spent many hours welding in :mad: