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Since we were doing that, we had to shave the rain gutters and cut into them to make it work. Problem is the structural integrity of the unibody car had already been compromised by cutting the roof (which has 3 crossmembers which keep the car in place), the hole in the trunk for the hydraulics, as well as the front control arm holes. It was decided that a rollcage was my best bet, so it was off to my friend Jim Fry’s house to get a custom cage. It was attached to the roof at 4 points and the firewall, floor and rear trunk. My painter hated the cage because it was a pain to paint, and I was unsure about it because it was such a pain to put my interior in. In fact, Jim and I joked around that the cage was my new “frame” and not designed to survive a rollover. Turns out we were wrong. On April 3rd, at 10:52pm, I rolled the Civic. The details are still sketchy, but I was cruising home from the International Auto Salon, and somehow the car started going sideways while we were doing 75 mph just 25 miles outside of Blythe, Ca. The car ended up going into the median which was primarily made of sand, hitting a bush, and rolling onto the roof. Next thing I know, I’m suspended upside down and held in by my seatbelt. I disconnect it and climb out the window (which was broken) and make sure my passenger, Jamez, was ok. After rolling the car Jamez had a bruised shin and head (my spare tire which was sitting in the back seat hit him in the head) and I had a cut finger. Ironically enough, just 10 minutes prior Jamez and I had a conversation about the cage and how safe it would be in a rollover. As you can tell from the pics, the Bad Apple is no longer. Say what you will, Apple Turnover, Applesauce, or whatever, that cage saved my life. If it had not have been there the roof would have crushed onto me and crushed my passenger and myself underneath the car, where who knows what would have happened. I would like to formally thank Mr Jim Fry for his expertise in the building and designing of my rollcage. Remember guys and gals out there, you may think like I did that it may never happen to you, but always prepare for the unexpected. When you’re building your ride, make sure that whenever you drive it, no matter if it’s from the trailer and off again, build your ride so that you can survive an accident in it. Remember if you don’t, you may not walk away from it. Happy cruising, and remember, if you can’t drag it…
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