---
title: "Building a Roll Cage For Our $2,000 BMW"
description: "Before Ryan can take the cheapo Bimmer on a punishing stage rally, we have to sort out a very particular series of tubes."
date: "2017-03-31"
modified: "2017-03-31"
authors:
  - name: "Mike Spinelli"
    job_title: "VP of Content"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/mike-spinelli"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/video/8779/building-a-roll-cage-for-our-2000-bmw"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "after/drive"
  - "BMW"
  - "BMW 3-Series"
  - "E30 BMW"
---

# Building a Roll Cage For Our $2,000 BMW

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/03/cage_match.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

If you've been watching The Drive's video series /BORN A CAR, you know producer Ryan Symancek has been [pulling double-overtime shifts](<https://www.thedrive.com/video/8642/turning-the-2000-crapcan-bmw-into-a-cheap-rally-car>) at Broken Motorsports to get the $2,000 1988 325-*whatever* ready to tackle its first grassroots motorsports event: A real-live stage rally.

But the first thing we have to do, even before sorting out all the moving mechanicals (or at least at the same time) is to figure out a plan for the most important, non-movable part: the roll cage. Naturally, the added structural integrity a roll cage provides is an absolute for any kind of motorsport. It's also a very particular rulebook spec that must meet the tech requirements for any event you plan to do with a car -- especially one that's getting a new life -- or else you'll be sitting it out. Doing a cage right is best left to the pros.

On this special episode of AFTER/DRIVE, we go to to Broken Motorsports to talk through roll-cage planning and execution, and check up on the BMW as it's getting its full tube-otomy.

E-mail the writer at [mike.spinelli@thedrive.com](<mailto:mike.spinelli@thedrive.com>)

## Author
A sucker for Ford-era Jaguar XJs and glitchy, early-90s BMW V12s, Mike was the founding editor of car culture site Jalopnik, and a former editor-in-chief of 0-60. He's also a co-host of the TV show /DRIVE on NBC Sports, which can be seen from time to time on NBCSN, usually after midnight.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/mikespinelli>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/mikespin>)