Installing a AutoPower Roll bar.

[IROC]

Chuck's got the right idea! Body-colored roll bar!! Gotta do it!!

As for whether or not it adds stiffness? I vote no. It's only a bar and not a cage and it's only bolted and not welded. I wouldn't count on alot of additional stiffness...

Mike

[thrown_hammer]

Last night I removed all the interior that was in the way.


Next I put the bar back in and wedged everything into place.





Now I just need to blow some holes in the pig and bolt her down!

I am ordering Orange rollbar foam from Summit soon. I plan to wrap the main hoop and struts.

[thrown_hammer]

I was gonna cut the carpet to go around the bar feet so it was all pretty.....then I remembered whose car it was and just drilled right thru the carpet. My pillar seatbelt bolts are the eyebolt style so I had trouble getting the bolts in. If you have the standard bolts it shouldnt be an issue. So here is a pic all bolted in. And a shot of the backing plates.

[atlporsche]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
Although that would be a ton of work, putting in zippers, fitting etc. I think a nice black leather sheath going over the padding would look great. I'm imagining nice black leather with diagonal diamond pattern stitching. For fun, the quilting thread could match the car's exterior.

AND ZIPPERS!!!

hmmmm WONDER where you could find BOTH leather and zippers?

you'd have to name your car "the gimp"

sjd
hoping you're laughing as hard as I am...

[Don Cothard]

Looks good you may want to double up on the nuts so they can't loosen, just for added security.
Don
That just doesn't sound right LOL

[Lukesportsman]

drilling straight through the carpet, you must've been a cable TV installer in your past life. Keep us updated.

[thrown_hammer]

Foam showed up yesterday. It is rollbar safety foam with an offset hole so you can put the most padding where it counts.


Four 3' lengths is just the right amount to cover the main hoop and wheel well struts. It helps to put the split thinner part towards the roof.


Cutting the foam to go around everything was a nightmare and took some time. I used a grease pencil to mark my cuts. I used one piece for each leg, a piece across the top and cut the last one in half for the struts.


So here is the thru the back window view. My work is done here!

[GeorgeK]

You may want to check that these nice long bolts in the rear wheelwell are not in the path of the tire when the suspension compresses.

[Rot 911]

Shawn, nice work! Two comments. Make sure you put anti-sieze on all the bolts before they rust. Second, rotate the zip ties so the clipped ends are not exposed. They will reach out and bite and cut you when you least expect it. Don't ask me how I know.

[85eurocarrera]

How come you have to pad the bars going down to floor and back seat? It looks like I would save a little foam for the diagonal brace bolt head at the top. Just wondering, no disrespect intended.

Joe

[trj911]

Looks good Shawn! Will bolting it onto the carpet allow movement in the bar? I mean, wouldn't the unit snug down tighter directly to the floor pan without the carpet?

I'm looking forward to seeing it Saturday!

[mark_d_mcguire]

Shawn, Not sure if you plan to race the car, but the carpets may be a problem for others that do.

This is from the safety section (page 7) of the PCA Rulebook:

5. All cars must have metal to metal mounted roll bars of approved materials and tube size as outlined
in Appendix A. A roll cage is required in all cars in GT-1 thru GT-5 and all drivers who elect to run
Prepared in the Stock Classes must equip their vehicle with a full roll cage. It is strongly
recommended that all cars be fitted with a roll cage.

[thrown_hammer]

You may want to check that these nice long bolts in the rear wheelwell are not in the path of the tire when the suspension compresses.

If the tires touch those bolts I am on the way over anyway!

Second, rotate the zip ties so the clipped ends are not exposed.

I rotated them away from the back seats cause the kids are gonna ride back there ocassionaly. I can rotate them away from me if it becomes an issue.

How come you have to pad the bars going down to floor and back seat?

The foam is purly for the back seat occupants. Since the bars dont extend to the front passenger compartment I wont need any foam padding like I would if it was a full cage.

Will bolting it onto the carpet allow movement in the bar?

Probably. I didnt think that thru. I will see to that before any DE stuff.

Shawn, Not sure if you plan to race the car

Just some DE's and Auto-Xing. But I am going to fix the carpet thing.

[mark_d_mcguire]

Shawn, you may also want to rethink having backseat passengers. Aside from the access problem, the rollar presents a safety issue itself.

The padding you have on the bar may reduce injuries to a helmeted passenger, but it offers almost no protection to a regluar passenger. In addition, I don't see shoulder belts in your pictures, I think anyone in the back is in great danger of head-to-bar contact in the event of an accident or even an abrupt stop.

I cart my kids around in the back of my 77, but have installed shoulder straps, and use older car seats that fit perfectly. I can't imagine squeezing them in with a roll bar.

Your best option is to go out tonight and buy your wife that '72 she has always wanted, and let the kids ride in the front passenger seats. They probably like that view better anyway.

[dd74]

Originally posted by IROC
Chuck's got the right idea! Body-colored roll bar!! Gotta do it!!

As for whether or not it adds stiffness? I vote no. It's only a bar and not a cage and it's only bolted and not welded. I wouldn't count on alot of additional stiffness...

Mike

Hmmm...I couldn't exactly remember how TRE installed my Autopower rollbar, so I called Dave with the question of whether or not it adds stiffness. He said unquestionably "yes." But that's due to the way TRE installed the bar for me. Yes, it's been bolted in, but they also welded it down as well. I'll have to check to see where the welds are, since carpeting covers up much of the area where the bar attaches to the floor. By my recollection, a welded piece was extended from the bottom door sills then welded to the bar itself - I don't know. I'll have to check.

In any event, Dave stated the bar now acts as if it were "half of a full roll cage."

[IROC]

Well, there might be ways to get a bolt-in roll bar to add some stiffness (like TRE may have done), but generally I wouldn't count on it.

Without the ability to react shear loads at the bolts (as in close tolerance shear capabilities), you're relying on friction to react the shear (and consequently add some rigidity to the structure). Picture a strut brace with big, sloppy holes that mounted it to the car. As soon as the external loads overcome whatever friction existed in the joint, it moves and your stiffness is gone...

Welding helps, but really unless the bar is tied into some strategic points on the chassis, it might add some local stiffness but in a manner that won't really translate into lower lap times.

Just my 2 pfennigs...

Mike

[thrown_hammer]

Shawn, you may also want to rethink having backseat passengers. Aside from the access problem, the rollar presents a safety issue itself.

Mark, I realize your concern. The crossbrace/diagonal brace will be out of the car when I carry passengers. I cut the foam so all the tabs will be covered when the brace comes out. I believe this set-up will be as safe or safer than the back seat of a Jeep Wrangler. People ride in the back of Jeeps all the time. I think the foam I have used is safer than the foam used in the Jeeps. Also there are several members on this very board that drive streetable cars around with full cages. They have roll bar foam and as far as I know don't drive around town with helmets on....Although a couple may every now and then.
One child sits in a very well fitting car seat with the 5 point belt system. I agree with you on the lap belt....I will check into a 3 or 4 point belt for the passenger that isn't in a car seat.

DD74,
I am very interested in the cage bracing. Any info please.

[dd74]

Originally posted by thrown_hammer


DD74,
I am very interested in the cage bracing. Any info please.

Shawn: from what I can see when just now looking at the welding, the front mounting plates were welded to the floorboards in addition to being bolted through. There is no piece extending from the sill to the bars, so I stand corrected there.

[Zeke]

Tomorrow is my turn in the barrel. My roll bar arrived today. I'll update the thread with any new findings. I'll probably set the thing in and mark the carpets for holes to place over the plates. I'm not sure what I'm going to do on the wheel wells. I hate to ruin my interior as tan is hard to find. I'll let you know about that as well as I progress.

[thrown_hammer]

Zeke,
I have the wheel well pieces in grey that need recovered. You can have them for shipping. Then you can save your good ones.