[Damo]

I'm thinking a bit further down the track when I need to fit my 4 month old in the zook

Currently I have the rear seats removed and a box across the front seats which has storage on one side and a 12" sub on the other. I was thinking of making a new box for the sub that is smaller so I can fit one of the standard rear seats in, or something a bit more substantial even.

So then I need a cage, here's my thoughts: front half will be pretty standard like most 6 pointers with A and B pillar hoops joined with spreaders. To cover the back i'd put in another hoop right at the back with more spreaders from that to the B pillar, a diagonal brace from the top of the B pillar forward to the wheel well, and a side intrusion bar running from B pillar to C pillar just above the top of the wheel well. Kinda like this:


Whaddya reckon?

[Scrawny]

I reckon your 4 month old will either love or really hate it!! If he/she is anything like my 3 1/2 year old girl it will be the latter.
Nice looking cage though. Maybe add in mounting points for baby seat/capsule restraining belts too?

[just_cruizin]

Where as my 3yo can't get enough of it and the 1yo likes it too, mind you they go in the cruiser not the zook, ride is a bit different.

On the cage I would make the 'C' piller go down to the floor rather then the top of the side panels

[antt]

i would put a 'V' bar in the middle of the b pillar too. i know it'll make it a pain to get into the back, but it'll strengthen it up so much

[Damo]

Macie is pretty well behaved so far, and she really likes sitting up and being able to see things, so as long as she can see I reckon she'll be fine with it.

ScrawnC wrote:

Maybe add in mounting points for baby seat/capsule restraining belts too?

Yeah that is a good idea. I'll try to use the stock seat belt mounts but if they dont work will pick them up on the cage.

just_cruizin wrote:

On the cage I would make the 'C' piller go down to the floor rather then the top of the side panels

That was my intention, my diagram is just crap I was even thinking of making the C pillar so it would hold the soft top, rather than using that PITA bow.

[Damo]

antt wrote:

i would put a 'V' bar in the middle of the b pillar too. i know it'll make it a pain to get into the back, but it'll strengthen it up so much

Yep I agree, just been thinking about that exact thing as a matter of fact. I was thinking of moving the bars around a little to make some better room. number 1 would be ideal for strength but too impractical. I'm thinking 2 would be OK as a happy medium.

[MART]

Don't know the queensland regs , but in NSW any bar work in the line of the B pillar , ie , diagonal or v stops you having backseats as it becomes a forward impact point , I had to remove my rears to pass engineering , it also makes it near impossible to get in and out , might be worth talking to a cage manufacturer for the reg'sin your state. Also front sections of the cages are being mad eillegal in NSW for the same reason , It is much safer but check it out properly before spending your coin on something that might not pass rego check , Cheers Paul.

[just_cruizin]

If you can put the 'V' with Mart's post in mind I would go for 1 as it will be easier to pass things back to the little one, toys food etc etc. My missus spends half the time facing into the back seat looking after our two.

[Damo]

just_cruizin wrote:

If you can put the 'V' with Mart's post in mind I would go for 1 as it will be easier to pass things back to the little one, toys food etc etc. My missus spends half the time facing into the back seat looking after our two.

Maybe I can turn the passenger seat around so it's facing backwards

[steve]

if you turn the drivers seat around, you'll have rear steer

[cj_zuki]

As mentioned fitting an internal cage is becoming quite an issue with new regs floating around various States. I would suggest an exo (roof/ladder rack ) and mounting a single seat in the middle. It will keep the little one away from the sides of the vehicle if things get a little hairy and they will have a much better view between the front seats when they are big enough to be turned around to face the front plus Mum will have pretty easy access.

[Damo]

I've thought about the exo, but I just dont like the look of them. I'll consider it again though as you're right about the legalities etc. The other good thing is that you dont have a cage taking up precious interior space. They still look shit though, and i'm sure getting the top on and off isn't any easier.

Putting the seat in the middle is a good idea, and that's what I wanted to do originally, but that would mean moving my sub box every time I want to put her in the back, which isn't very practical. If I make the sub box really small I could squeeze it in between a centred seat and the wheel tub. Not ideal but probably the best compromise.

[royce]

I reckon keep it simple, afterall you arent going to be barrell rolling at 200km/hr and your going to all this effort to keep it low and light then adding 50kg of pipe up top

look at most of the buggies, not a lot to the cages ans you have a bit of head room in the rear for a few years as well

[Damo]

royce wrote:

I reckon keep it simple, afterall you arent going to be barrell rolling at 200km/hr and your going to all this effort to keep it low and light then adding 50kg of pipe up top

Yeah good points Royce, my philosophy so far has been keeping things simple, I need to remember that so I don't get too carried away with the cage.

Now I need your input on making the really small sub box i've got a JL Audio 12W0 but if that's not going to work i'll go to a 10". Something with dual 4 ohm voice coils.

[Scrawny]

What about going a 8 or 10" tube?
That way you could shuffle the seat over a bit to fit the tube in between seat and wheel well.

[royce]

hehe me and small boxes dont mix, make it big, make the slot port even bigger and let it bellow

if you are only going to have 1 seat you could well place the speaker baffle right behind the front seat so the sub sits down into the well behind the seat to keep it low and then go back beside the seat till you get enough volume, build a long but thin storage box on top

or deaden the kick panels well, get some decent 8's in there and some bass engines and just pretend

[Scrawny]

You'll deafen the poor child!! I suppose it would be a bonus when she starts crying, you could just turn up the volume to drown it all out

[royce]

nah I reckon road noise and the top flapping would be louder

[Scrawny]

I suppose a sub that close to your arse would keep you regular, you could do away with the fruit then.

[Damo]

That's not a bad idea Royce but i'd be worried about it getting wet. Might have to do though...

[royce]

seal the box so it doesnt swell?
the sub will be fine, they are pretty waterproof from teh outside

[Damo]

royce wrote:

seal the box so it doesnt swell?
the sub will be fine, they are pretty waterproof from teh outside

I suppose i'd never thought that the sub would be OK. I'll raise this in another thread when the time comes, let's keep this one on track

[royce]

there is a track

Damo for mod

[Scrawny]

Penguins and ice cream.....

Opps, little off track

[dj181]

FAT PENGUIN!!!!

sorry just wanted to say something to break the ice


(yes i know that was a REALLY bad joke)

[Scrawny]

dj181 wrote:

FAT PENGUIN!!!!

sorry just wanted to say something to break the ice


(yes i know that was a REALLY bad joke)

I guess we can now consider all ice broken then...

[The_GRIZZ]

FAIRY PENGUIN!!!

(sorry couldn't help me self)

Why not hang the sub from the roof of the cage?

[just_cruizin]

ScrawnC wrote:

Penguins and ice cream.....

Opps, little off track

Looks like you've blown a seal

[Scrawny]

just_cruizin wrote:

ScrawnC wrote:

Penguins and ice cream.....

Opps, little off track

Looks like you've blown a seal

No... penguins Greg, not seals

[2stroker]

Damo look at the cage in the blue rock crawler in the "Introduce Yourself" section under "BLOWNZUK Dial up warning" He even has a baby seat in it in one of the photos. I had something like that cage (not as full on) in a swb landcruiser when my kids were small and I had the softop custom made to fit the cage work so there were no other bars required.