I here what you are saying there but you might have overlooked this one line in the 2012 schedule J.
Quote:
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8.5 Material not in Compliance: CAMS may accept other steels and sizes not in compliance with this article through the process of safety cage structure certification.
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This very brief one liner opens the door for the process of being able to certify cro mo/T45 cages. You can use a cage structure that is certified to the current FIA standards by a recognised testing agency. But this process does have its pitfalls and you really need to do your homework to be sure the cage you intend to use can be certified. Many assume this is the case because it is advertised as a FIA compliant cage. The reality is (especially with early model cars like a GC8) it might have been a FIA compliant design back in say 2000 when it was originally designed, but since then the design requirements have moved on and the cage doesnt meet CURRENT standards. The cage MUST meet CURRENT standards to be able to be certified. One particular area of change is minimum tube wall thickness. If it doesnt meet this (1.5mm main hoop for memory) it will need to be redesigned and engineered.(Will cost more than the kit cage itself) CAMS will allow the addition of some minor bars and gussets to meet the current stanards. Some of the cage designs have been updated if there is current demand for them but you need to check. CAMS are very helpful in this regard and the simple advice is. Talk to them in detail before your buy your kit.
That aside, schedule J does make it very easy to do a CDS or CDW cage. You just follow the guidelines and no engineering is required. A much more cost effective and simple way to get a very safe cage into your car.