Install Autopower rollbar in '87 Cab

[Brorag]

Well, it had to happen. Got it looking pretty--I guess it's time to learn how to drive the wee beasty.
Right after I got the thing painted, We did Tail of the Dragon, leaving Fontana Village early one frosty November morning. The first real curve was compound, so I'm hauling butt through the first part, then the curve got tighter(did I mention it was frosty?). Did a 180 and ended up facing the other way on the far side, looking 50 ft down at the lake. I soiled myself and my new Corinthian leather seats. All I heard from my companions was "did you scratch that new paint job?"

So I signed up for the September Carolina PCA Drivers Education course at the Carolina Motorsports Park.

.......................its time to learn how to keep the pointy end facing forward.


Turns out you can't just show up at a PCA DE in a ragtop. One must prep:

• obtain and install a roll bar that meet specs. It helps to get a roll bar that will allow the ragtop to be put back up after the roll bar is installed. Pad same.
• get a brain bucket that meets specs--wear same.
• get the rule book--read same.
• bleed brakes--do it yourself and save $$.
• get pre-track inspection. Suggest you allow some time between inspection and track day so you can get any surprises fixed. It pays to shop around; estimates ran from $220 to $50--the Porsche dealer was the cheapest!

The local Porschemeister mechanic said he had a used rollbar that would fit--I made the appt and took it over. It didn't fit--he said he didn't realise there was a difference between the coupe and ragtop rollbars. So I went home much wiser re: alledged porchmeisters and ordered one from the guys below. Got it as ordered and installed it in about 2 hours, no problems. BTW, It's heavy=solid.

I chose an Autopower rollbar with a removable crossbrace. This is not specialized, high precison work. You can do it. It helps to have someone helping to muscle the thing into place and hold it while you drill the holes to mount it. You're essentially clamping the car between 2 pieces of flat rollbar metal with nuts and bolts. The biggest watchouts are:

• lift and lower the bar into position with the top down--just don't drop the roll bar on your paint job or car--it is heavy and pointy, and will win the argument.
• get the carpet out of the way--metal to metal
• you don't need to remove the seats on a cab install--just move them as far forward as possible
• ensure the rollbar is centered in the car--I made sure the distance between the forward uprights and the seatbelt guides was equal as possible, and that those same parts were positioned equally front to back.
• the car pan area where the front mounting base of the roll bar is mounted is rounded, preventing the roll bar front mounting plate from moving back another 1 ". Being rather tallish, I chose to sculpt the radius a bit with a 5 lb hammer, allowing the rollbar to set another 1" towards the back.
• don't drill a hole into your expensive tires when drilling the holes to mount the side supports
• remember to paint everything, especially the stuff exposed in the wheel wells, or entrophy will do its dirty deed.
• I'll probably go with tougher nuts and bolts--and probably use lock-type nuts for obvious reasons.

I'm a big guy (265 and 6'3") and I can get in OK. What changed was I have to lower the seat (tough job--pressed the lower button) to assure there's enough head clearance when a straight something is placed across the windshield and the top of the rollbar (2" wearing helmet).

Now--how to paint the damn thing without having to take it all apart...............dark brown or same as the paint job?

install pics:



















and yes, the top still goes up and down.

[Dr J]

Good post. I am close to doing the same, and I see that in the first picture that the floor is not flat relative to the bottom of the roll bar. I have exactly that same problem. Did you bang it from the bottom to straighten it out, or just bolted it up and let the bolts do the work?

[Ryan H]

If this is driven on the street at all I would put some padding on any portion of the bar your head could possibly hit in a collision.

Ryan

[Brorag]

When I tightened the bolts it snugged all parts together nicely.






Padding also required, but still trying to sort out the confusion--gotta order soon.

[Dr J]

Awesome. Thanks

[Brorag]

padding ordered--using this stuff
All I need now is a brain bucket--anybody got ideas re: best bang for the buck?

[david482]

With the cross bars removed can the kids still use the back seat?

[Vin-barrett]

Originally Posted by Brorag

padding ordered--using this stuff

That SFI padding is too hard. I would suggest the cheapo soft padding because the goal is to soften a blow when your not wearing the helmet (street car).

I have an autopower bar in my coupe, it has the cheap moroso padding

[Vin-barrett]

oh... and big thumbs up on the corinthian leather!

[tquaglino]

I had my Autopower 4 point cage chrome plated before the install.

I've tried to keep a simple black and chrome theme with my 85 Coupe.

[Brorag]

Dave,
The horizontal and diagonal braces are detachable, so that removes those obstacles. The rear braces that attach to the wheel wells interfere with the seat backs being raised. The angled portion of the seatbacks come into contact with the braces.
Having said that, one needs to consider the remaining part of the roll bar that stays in the car after the braces are removed. All that stuff would need to be well padded to protect any boogers in the back seat--similar to jeep rear passengers.

The seat backs are not particularly useful other than making a flat shelf when folded, so one might consider removing them and using the surface behind the seat backs as a back rest.

nice cars! chrome worked out nice.............is that the orig paint?
love that Corinthian leather!
That's why they have a 2nd Corinthians--used up all them 1st Corinthians making leather................

[ODDJOB UNO]

make double damn sure yer fasteners are GRADE 8 AMERICAN MADE!


its yer azz not mine.


i went with DAS SPORTS and powdercoated it after fitment. made double damn sure my fastners were AMERICAN GRADE 8. then grabbed some OMP roll bar padding and placed it all over toobing(tubing). then bolted it into place.

3 people werks best. you will find out in very short order if yer car was ever in a wreck or how well fab guys welded rollbar in the jig.


enjoy your well placed bucks cuz all it takes IS ONCE! and that rollbar will pay for itself in spades.

[BlkBird]

So what is the advantage of the removable diagonal and cross bars? Is that a feature that actually gets used or is it nice in theory but not in practice?

I used to have a DAS; man I regret selling it!

[Joe Bob]

Cool.....if you ride bikes you can mount a truck bed style fork lock and you have an instant bike rack.