2024 Light Weld Compacts, Mini Van, Truck, & Suv Rules
LIGHT WELD COMPACTS: Any American or foreign car or station wagon with 112” or less wheelbase. Six-cylinder engines or less only. RWD is permitted.
MINI VANS: Any foreign or domestic minivan, mini truck or mid SUV, no full size full framed vehicles allowed.
** Only the modifications mentioned below will be allowed to the car body and frame**
1. An approved metal, aluminum or stainless gas tank/fuel cell must be used. All tanks must have standard fuel line type fittings, tanks and lines must be free of any leaks, absolutely no exceptions. Fuel tanks must be securely mounted to the floor or gas tank protector. No zip screws, bungee cords or any sort of rubber tie downs are permitted. You may run your fuel cell/tank in the passenger compartment if you choose to do so, if mounted in the bed it must be against the back of the cab and centered within the bed. No factory gas tanks permitted under or in the vehicle.
2. The battery must be securely mounted in a battery hold down box of some kind and be located in the passenger floorboard area or to the cage. If mounted to the cage it may not strengthen the car in any way. No zip screws, bungee cords or rubber tie downs permitted. It is recommended to cover the top of the battery with a piece of rubber. Only one battery is permitted.
3. It is required that you run at least a steel pipe or square tubing behind the drives seat from door post to door post. A simple 4-point cage consisting of a seat, dash and two doors’ bars will be allowed. All cage bars must be 5” from all sheet metal. Door bars may not extend past the firewall and no further back than the center of the rear doors. Maximum diameter of cage tubing will be 4x4. You are allowed four 6x6 ¼” mounting plates or angle iron to attach cage to body. All bars must be securely welded in place, no exceptions. A halo/roll over bar is also allowed, must consist of two vertical bars and one horizontal bar, horizontal bar may be attached to the roof in two places max**gas tank protectors must be centered off the back seat bar and be a maximum of 24” wide measured from outside to outside. You may have a backing to your tank protector, but it may be no higher than the tank itself and must run vertical. The 5” rule is applied to any and all parts of the gas tank protector. ** One front window bar 2x2 max or chain is required. One rear window bar is permitted; bars must only be mounted 4” onto the roof. Front window bars must attach to cowl area only. Rear window bars must only attach at the trunk to speaker deck seam. Mini vans may also run a rear window bar, but it must be within the rear hatch glass opening only. It may not come in contact with or be attached to the floor at any point in time.
4. BUMPERS: You have three options for bumpers which is as follows:
A. You may run a factory OEM automotive bumper. Seam welding of bumpers is permitted, ends may be cut for clearance but must remain open.
B. You may run a SMW or comparable aftermarket bumper, no homemade bumpers allowed. Call with questions.
C. You may run a single piece of 4x4x1/4” square tubing on the front and/or the back, it must remain flat and no modifications to the tubing will be allowed. Ends must remain open. Absolutely no round tubing.
D. You may trim/ square the front frame to the front edge of the core support mount/core support. Bumpers may be hard-nosed. two 6x6 ¼” plates one per frame rail may be used between back of the bumper and end of frame. Bumper brackets/bumper shocks may also be used; they may only be welded to the first 6” inches of the frame measured from the back of the bumper. In place of a bumper shock/bracket you may use a 4”x6”x1/4” plate measured from the back of the bumper. If the plate covers a factory sub frame mount access hole a ½” diameter inspection hole must be drilled into the plate.
H. You may 9 wire or chain from the bumper to sheet metal only on both front and the rear of the vehicle, two spots per bumper max. This is to keep the bumper on the car, it is not intended to strengthen the vehicle in any way, abuse it and lose it.
5. The hood may be secured in 6 places using max 3/8 chain, two loops of #9 wire per hold down spot or banded. Or the hood may be bolted down in four spots with ½”x8” all thread and 3” max washers **hood must be open upon coming to inspection**Doors and trunk/tailgate may be secured in the same manner as the hood or you may weld (2) 6”x6” or (4) 3”x3” plates per seam, except for driver’s door as it may be welded solid/skinned with up to ⅛” plate, driver door plate may only extend 3” onto surrounding metal, must not be attached to frame in anyway. Solid welding of any other doors or trunk/tailgate will not be permitted. Tucking of trunk lid is allowed, no wedging or folding quarter panels over or onto trunk lid. you may pound the bubble out of the trunk lid, however the trunk lid may not be dished. Creasing will be allowed however no doubling or folding of creases will be accepted, creases may not be welded. A simple crease on the rear quarters and fenders is all that's allowed. Tailgates must remain in the factory location or removed. If running a tailgate it must be secured in two spots per seam, following the doors/trunk and tailgate rules. (2) spots of 9 wire may be used on any area of the vehicle. It may only go from point A to point B or be used to wrap a component of the car.
6. There must be a minimum 12” diameter hole cut out in the center of the hood and trunk. Station wagon inner decks must be visible for inspection purposes. You may use 12 3/8” bolts around hood and trunk cut out hole.
7. Rear frame rails may be notched or dimple to allow trunk to bend. No other frame modifications allowed.
8. You must maintain a 1” gap minimum between the body and the frame. No STEEL spacers may be utilized between sub/k frames. All Body mount BOLTS may be changed but must utilize the factory body retaining nut. You may replace up to 4 body mounts using ½” dia 6” long bolts with 3”x3” washers; the bolt may only pass through one layer of the frame and must maintain a 1” gap minimum between body and frame. Beds must be secured to the cab in a maximum of 8 places. ½” bolt with 3” washers max or 6x6” plates welded to the cab and bed. You may use the combination of the two so long that you do not exceed 8 mounting spots.
9. Core support mount may be changed in addition to your 4 body mounts: maximum core support spacer height is 4” with ½” dia bolt max 6” long.
10. Engine and transmission swaps are allowed. Engine mounts may be welded in place. You may use two pieces of 3/8 chain to help secure the engine. Chains must only be secured to engine crossmember.
11. You must use an oem transmission crossmember. You may use a chain or an oem rubber mount to secure the transmission to the crossmember.
12. No distributor, carb, midplate or transmission protectors of any kind allowed. However, you may run a simple lower cradle with a pulley protector. If you choose to run a lower cradle with a pulley protector, you must remove the sway bar. If running a lower cradle, you may not run solid motor mounts.
13. All cooling systems must be original equipment or less and must be located in the engine compartment, under the hood. No cooling system fluids (motor oil, transmission or water) are permitted in the driver's compartment. No auxiliary tanks are permitted. You may use any fan of choice, but steel fan blades are not permitted.
14. Any oem passenger car suspension may be used. Front suspension may be locked in place. Strut equipped vehicles may weld or clamp to the strut stem only. No metal may be added to the strut outside of welding the stem. A arm equipped vehicles may lock suspension in one of two ways. Option 1: weld (2) 2”x4”x1/4” straps per upper A-arm one in front one in back.
Option 2: remove factory shock and run 1” all thread in place of the factory shock. Must have working shocks/struts in the rear, however, shocks may be stuffed or clamped. Tie rods and ball joints must remain factory or oem replacement only. Coil springs may be changed, suspension must move no locked/solid suspension or snubber bars. However, spring spacers/ risers are allowed. No leaf spring conversions or relocation of leaf springs. Stock leaf spring packs only, no adding or flipping of leaf springs. Two aftermarket or replacement leaf clamps permitted per side. Please call if performing a watts link conversion. No hump chains of any kind will be allowed.
15. Any factory 5 lug semi float rear end may be used. Rear may be locked or welded to achieve posi traction, any gear ratio of your choice. Absolutely no axle savers, braces or any strengthening of rear end housing. The only welding allowed on rear end housing is bracket swaps (leaf springs rears used in coil spring cars). Pinion brakes are allowed but may not be used to strengthen cars in any way.
16. Any tire will be permitted. No studded tires, no split rims, all wheel weights must be removed. Air only in tires no solid or foam filled front tires. Simple weld in centers will be allowed, no full centers, plated rims or bead locks allowed. Fwds may run solid rear tires.
17. Aftermarket shifters, gas and brake pedals and slider driveshafts will be allowed. You may also run any steering column setup of your choice. Upright headers are also allowed but must point straight up. Any of the following bolt in pieces may not strengthen the car in any way.
18. Officials reserve the right to re-inspect any car at any time, before, during or after the event. Any cars due to receive prize money will be subjected to a re-inspection before money is paid.
19. This is to be a stock style show with limited welding. Any extra welding will be completely removed or result in disqualification depending on the severity of the rule infraction.
If you are unsure of how to do something or have questions pertaining to the rules or build, please call or text. Josh Charles @ 814-934-2164 or Tyler Smay @ 814-615-7272