[DeTomaso] roll bar /roll cage question

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Putting the rear bar loops on the engine side gives a little more interior 
room, which in a normal Pantera is sparse for tall drivers. But since the 
entire interior including the dashboard will be gutted to weld-install the 
system for the tightest possible fit to the roof sides and windshield posts,the 
max gain is only the OD of the tubing used. So I wouldn't bother mounting 
the rear posts outside, personally. 
In pro-racing production cars, its not unusual for the whole roof to be cut 
off so a cage can be tightly fitted, then the roof is replaced. And on a 
Pantera, there's usually two rear bars off the rear loop that penetrate the 
rear window and weld to the area of the bay-brake mounts. A Lexan rear window 
is usually substituted since boring big holes in glass is tricky at best. 
You're correct that adding a properly designed 6 or 8-point cage and 
welding it to the body, an extremely stiff and safe structure can be built. 
Seam-welding the rear of the body without a cage also vastly stiffens the Pantera. 
Both will completely change the car's handling for the better. Good luck- J 
DeRyke