Project 2007 Shelby Ford Mustang GT500 - Shake 'Em Up - Tech

Bob Carroll of Carroll's Rod and Racecraft (Spotswood, New Jersey) dove in to help with the disassembly. Carroll will be designing and installing the cage.

After two days of work, the entire Shelby GT500 was reduced to a bare rolling shell. Now the buildup can begin.

At first we thought about going with a tubbed rear or mini-tubs, but the huge wheelwells on the S197 Stang offer room for serious sneakers. We'll probably go with 29.5x10.5-inch Mickey Thompson tires in our quest to run low-nines or eights with a stock-type suspension and no nitrous.

The first order of business was fitting in a mock block so we could attach the Lakewood blowproof bellhousing and the G-Force GF-5R transmission. This entailed cutting some of the floor for shifter clearance.

Carroll notched out the floor and a part of the console; he then slipped the transmission into place. He fabricated a transmission crossmember that was far stronger than stock.

Carroll widened the transmission tunnel for the G-Force's external shifter rods.

With the transmission in place, Carroll began work on the cage. We decided on a full cage that would be NHRA/IHRA-legal to 8.50 seconds, however Carroll will add extra bracing and a Funny Car-style cage for driver protection. Here, he welds the required 6-inch x 6-inch x 11/48-inch plates to the chassis.

Like most rollcage installations, the main hoop was first bent and fit into the car. Carroll's goal was to build the cage as tight to the body of the vehicle as possible.

Because we planned to retain the stock suspension, Carroll fortified the area where the single upper rear control arm mounts with steel plates. Kicker bars from the main cage structure will later run to the plates.

This angle shows the kicker bars in place, as well as the required firewall to seal the driver's compartment from the trunk. Notice the one-piece firewall.

With the back portion complete, Carroll moved to the front. He first fabbed up the dash bar and attached it to the body of the Mustang between the A-pillar structure.

The rear portion of the cage will feature the two required back bars plus an X-brace for added strength. Two back bars support the main hoop and are attached to plates welded to the rear framerails. The X-brace also supports the rear hoop and is welded to the shock towers.

The A-pillar bars were bent and installed along with the down bars and the side bars.

Here's Carroll at work welding up the main hoop crossbar.

Carroll's fitment was spot on, as the cage was really taking shape. While we hope to never put its strength to the test, the unit will reinforce the chassis, and that's bound to help the car resist flex.

After the main portion of the cage was fitted to the car, it was time to fit the driver seat. We went with a 17-inch-wide Kirkey drag-race seat that we ordered from Summit Racing.

Carroll blocked up the seat, and yours truly hopped into position. Shortly thereafter, I made some really cool race-car noises.