Another option for 911 roll bars.
 

This is what I have been working on at work for the last few days. It's a weld-in roll bar system for non-sunroof coupes, and sunroof coupes (possible for Targa's too but I haven't confirmed this yet). This roll bar is perfect for the enthusiasts who are serious about track events, and want more performance than bolt-in bars offer. This bar is extremely tight fitting to allow the most head-room and body clearance possible. It is also upgradable to a full cage later on so your chassis can evolve as your driving skills and and commitment to racing increases. The bars are constructed using American made DOM steel tubing. The main hoops are made from .120 wall 1.75" tubing, and everything else is .095 1.5" tube. They are completely TIG welded with top-notch fabrication and attention to detail. They are going to be sold through my employer (I need to get permission before I give the name out) as soon as we are done with the first production run and crunch some numbers to get a price. I can say that they will be competitively priced, and available in bare metal, or powder coated with the base plates left bare for welding. Let me know if you have any questions, and PM me if you want to secure one from the first production run. Right now, we are doing 5 sunroof coupe bars, and 5 non-sunroof coupe bars. Just to be clear, I'm not personally selling these, I am just getting the word out for my employer.

The first 5 non-sunroof bars lined up...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196479916.jpg

Some shots of how they fit in the car (the car pictured was a sunroof car that is getting a fiberglass roof skin and full cage)...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480052.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480080.jpg


Here you can see some examples of the tight tollerences that are kept with every notch before final welding. This insures the very best weld quality and strength...



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480331.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480363.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480411.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480438.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480462.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480501.jpg


Finished bar ready to be removed from the fixture...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1196480615.jpg

Nice...my roll bar/cage was built by Fabcar some years ago. Can't beat good quality!

Price?

Nice welds.

Very nice!

That'd also be a great starting place for a full cage as well.

The price hasn't been worked out yet because I'm not done with the first production run. I should have a price nailed down for your guys by next week.

Only one criticism though. Most club rules state that all main (required) tubes must be of the same diameter.

That was the plan with this roll bar/cage. We wanted to make something that was part of an expandable system. There are a lot of enthusiasts who start their racing "careers" by taking their street car through the driver's education process. This usually mandates a racing seat and harness to keep your body planted in position so you can use your arms and legs for for operating the controls instead of keeping your butt in the seat :) With those key items comes the need for some kind of roll bar/harness bar, and with some sanctioning bodies, a seat back support. A harness bar is really not adequate for this kind of performance driving. With this roll bar, the owner can still retain the street-ability of their favorite car, and if they decide to continue to the next level, their existing roll bar is easily converted to a full cage.

kcpaz -
I might be interested in a sunroof coupe version. I will send you a PM.

Tom

A lot of the regulations for cages are determined by vehicle weight. Any potential buyers should check the specific rules for the sanctioning body that they are planning on participating with. If the rear hoop support bars need to be made from 1.75" tubing to be within regulation, then that is a substitution that can be made when ordering.


Here are the 2007 PCA rules for roll cages taken from their web site...

Roll Bars and Cages: The roll bar/roll cage must be securely mounted with the mounting plates at the
bottom of the hoops mounted directly to the floor and/or longitudinal members of the unibody and make
metal to metal contact. Any padding, carpet, upholstery, etc. must be removed to satisfy this requirement.
The mounting area of bolt-in roll bar/roll cage must be backed by a plate of a size equal to that of the upper
mounting plate with a minimum thickness of 3/16”. Bolts must be grade 5 or higher. The roll bar/ roll cage
must be full cockpit width, except as originally supplied by the factory for open racecars, and have two
fore/aft braces of tubing size equal to the main hoop. The braces must be mounted as near to the top of the
main hoop as possible at an included angle of at least 30 degrees. Additionally, the assembly must contain a
transverse (left to right side) brace. Roll bar/roll cage tubing in the Stock/ Prepared Classes must remain
within the passenger compartment. The removal of the driver’s side door panel and glass to facilitate side
impact protection is allowed in all classes.
Roll Bars: All provisions for Roll bars and cages apply. Note that roll bars without terminal mounting plates
braced on the frame either on or parallel to the floor are not acceptable. The top of the main hoop must be
at least 2" above the driver’s helmet when the driver is seated in the normal driving position.
Roll Cages: If a full cage is required, the top of the front hoop and the top of the main hoop must form a
plane that is 2” above the driver’s head in both closed and open top cars.
An inspection hole 3/16" in diameter must be provided in a non-critical area for verification of tube
thickness. Any portion of the assembly which may come in contact with the driver’s helmet must be
covered with high density foam 1" thick held securely in place with zip ties, electrical tape or duct tape.
Foam must be equivalent to SFI 45.1 or FIA 8857 standards for hardness.
Minimum Roll Bar Tubing Sizes Car Weight without Driver
Under 1500 lbs Over 1500 lbs
Mild Steel 1.5" x .120" 1.75" x .120"
Alloy Steel 1.375" x .090" 1.625" x .095"
Minimum Roll Cage Tubing Sizes
For cars with roll cages, the main and front roll hoops must have the following minimum
diameters and wall thicknesses:
Car Weight without Driver
Under 2500 lbs Over 2500 lbs
Mild Steel 1.50" x .095" 1.75" x .095” or 1.50" x .120”
Alloy Steel 1.375 x .095" 1.50" x .095"
Factory Roll Cages with documentation (matching serial number to certificate) are allowed.

sub'd

Very nice work. Keep us informed on price and new developments.

Just got a PM from a concerned member....

"I am not a moderator or affiliated with Pelican other than being a member, however, you might consider approaching Wayne at Pelican about selling stuff on his site, possibly in competition with him. The classified section is usually for selling used stuff that does not conflict with his business."



My response to this was...

"Thanks for the tip. I realize that using public forums for advertising is a slippery slope. I'm trying to be careful not to use this forum for this. I'm simply trying to expose people to a new product for their cars. I will be sure to contact Wayne before posting any prices of buisness names. Thanks."



Just to be clear. I do value this forum and I don't want to burn any bridges. Moderators please let me know if I have crossed any lines so I can adjust the thread accordingly. Thanks

We really need a bar for the early sunroof 911s.

Richard

Could one also request the diagonals to fix to the main hoop on the other side (for RHD car.)?

I'll look into that. I think we may have a 70' sunroof coupe in the shop but I'm not 100% sure. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the difference is between late and early sunroof cars. Maybe someone can educate me on this.

That shouldn't be a problem at all. Everyone just needs to keep in mind that custom requests like this might add extra cost and/or time. Switching the location of the diaginals would be an easy thing to do, but may require making a bar in addition to the standard production runs, unless the timing is just right.

sub'd. Awaiting further info

Swb?

probably not if they are different than the LWB cars. Just not enough market to justify making another fixture.