# Automotive and racing metal fabrication: standards and how to choose | Best Fabricators

Source: https://bestfabricators.com/industries/automotive/

# Automotive and racing fabrication

Automotive fabrication ranges from production tooling and fixtures to roll cages, chassis, and one-off custom parts.

## Materials and processes

4130 chromoly and mild steel tube, aluminum sheet and tube, and stainless exhaust tubing. TIG welding and precise tube bending dominate race work.

## Standards and certifications to know

- Sanctioning body rulebooks: racing series publish roll cage and chassis rules, such as tube size and wall thickness.
- SFI Foundation specifications: cover many safety parts used in motorsport.
- IATF 16949: the quality management standard for automotive production suppliers.

## Questions to ask a shop

- Which sanctioning body’s rules has the shop built cages to?
- Does it have a tube bender and notcher sized for your tube?
- For production parts, is it IATF 16949 certified?
- Can it build a fixture or jig so parts repeat?

## What drives cost

Design and fit time, tube and material grade, and the number of repeat parts drive cost. One-off custom work is labor heavy.

## Metros with strong local demand

- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Buffalo, NY](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/buffalo-ny/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Charlotte, NC](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/charlotte-nc/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Chicago, IL](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/chicago-il/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Cleveland, OH](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/cleveland-oh/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Detroit, MI](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/detroit-mi/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Indianapolis, IN](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/indianapolis-in/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Kansas City, MO](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/kansas-city-mo/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Los Angeles, CA](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/los-angeles-ca/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in San Francisco Bay Area, CA](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/san-francisco-ca/)
- [Automotive and racing fabrication in Nashville, TN](https://bestfabricators.com/metal-fabrication/nashville-tn/)

## Questions

### What should I look for in a automotive and racing fabricator?

Relevant certifications, finished work similar to yours, the right equipment, and clear documentation. Start with: Which sanctioning body’s rules has the shop built cages to?

### Where is automotive and racing fabrication concentrated?

On this site, these metros have strong local demand: Buffalo, NY, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH, Detroit, MI, Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Nashville, TN.

Related: [Fabrication certifications explained](https://bestfabricators.com/guides/certifications/) · [Fabrication processes](https://bestfabricators.com/guides/metal-fabrication-processes/)

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