Thread: Tomcat Style Build

My rear hoop is a similiar shape to the picture on my racer.

As it doesnt fit into any of CAMs standard rear hoop designs I had to get in re engineered and homoligated. The cost of that alone put me off ever doing another.

Id also check specifications of the square tube used etc as its all governed by CAMs and no the UK standard.

Originally Posted by discokid

My rear hoop is a similiar shape to the picture on my racer.

As it doesnt fit into any of CAMs standard rear hoop designs I had to get in re engineered and homoligated. The cost of that alone put me off ever doing another.

Id also check specifications of the square tube used etc as its all governed by CAMs and no the UK standard.

thanks discokid, what would be the way around the engineering etc, i have no problems modifying the design, like i said, tomcat 'style' build, if i have to change things to make it cams legal, no worries

Yeah I was going to say get as much info from CAMS now and make sure you understand it 100%.

The consulting engineers are normally pretty happy to explain things and answer dumb questions

The fibre glass work is pretty simple once you get into it, just make the panels out of ply, plastasine and wax (the plug) first and make a shell and fill it in.

If you want to be really clever you can make a mould from the plug and then you have an endless supply of replacement panels....which you will most likely need a few of

cool the fibreglass thing doesnt seem so daunting now, ive downloaded the cams manual, and have a hard copy on the way

ill be joining the bendigo car club (closest one that caters for off road racing) and they have a cams representative, he will be the bloke to ask i reckon

Why try to build your own space frame and fit it to a chassis when you can buy the space frame and appropriate attaching brackets from Tomcat?
Tomcat Motorsport - Home Page

All the hard work is done, they have exported to Australia according to the their website.
Also, if the tube is $25 a meter, and you make a few mistakes, it might not take too long to get to the point where purchase of an new frame is worth it.

They must have some kind of approval because in the UK the can be considered a rebodied vehicle and as you are goign to be using an exisitng range rover and therefore the chassie, wouldn't that be the same.

There is a mob in Brisbane way doing the same with Hummers, they take a Nissan Patrol, remove the body, install their look-a-like hummer body but because its a re-bodied Patrol, there are not too many difficulties. these can be purchased as a kit as well.

I think that I read some where that the TomCat frame is FIA approved, indeed there was one in the 2009 Dakar. Whilst CAMS is not the FIA, I would imagine that if it meets FIA it would meet CAMS.

there is also this mob North Off Road Vehicle Developments - Design & Manufacture of Competition Vehicles, Roll Cages & 4x4 Accessories that have thier own space frame that uses freelander style panels

I look forward to following this thread as I have similar ideas at the moment as well......

Hay Ewe

Yes if it meets FIA regs you can get it passed by CAMS thats what I had to do

Im just pointing out costs as I was supprised at what the total cost of my cage inc homoligation was when all said and done. Let alone building a whole car

Best place to start is the CAMs regs for extreme 4wd (old class 8)

Originally Posted by Hay Ewe

Why try to build your own space frame and fit it to a chassis when you can buy the space frame and appropriate attaching brackets from Tomcat?
Tomcat Motorsport - Home Page

i have considered that, it would be a hell of a lot easier but i was concerned about shipping costs and taxes etc

does anyone have a rough idea on the cost of shipping the cage from the UK to Australia?

No, but it too was something that I considered.
There are a number of options, and as they (Tomcat Motorsport) have sent them places, they may have prefered or recomended shippers.

I am sure that there are shippers who wait for enough 'stuff' to fill a container and then send it. I think that they are called 'Consolodated'

Thinking about it, I think that the next path to investigate would be calling an international moving company (e.g. Wridgways?) (the type of companies that people use when they emmigrate) and see what they offer.

When I moved from the UK in 2002 It cost me about GBP250 from memory. We boxed everything up, they picked it up there and delivered to an adress in Brisbane. It worked on Volume but as you space frame is lots of space, it might be different.

This is what I would be doing if I was in a position right now to be looking at this project.
Hay Ewe