Beautiful 4 Point Roll Cage

[OEFvet11]

I'm looking at this has a option since it appears I've been talked into running my FiST with NASA in TTC. Since I'm going to run a full HALO seat with 6 point belt so I can wear my HANS device I need a rollbar. Limited budget so going full custom weld rollbar is probably out of the question right now. I would never even ride in a car with full bucket race seats that doesn't have a rollbar. I also currently race in Chumpcar and AER with having raced in other series for many years so fully familiar with proper safety equipment and cages. In the past year I have seen 3 very well built cages have failures in racing accidents where they went through the factory sheet metal. Two of the cages where Bimmerworld built cages for BMW CCA cars that were racing in other series. SO any factory sheet metal can fail even with a proper mounting point. That being said most of the autopower roll bars I have seen aren't bad at all. They are not nearly as good as something truly meant for racing and custom with full welded on mounting points. They work for most street cars on the track. I have had a Kirk rollbar which was a copy of a autopower in my E36 M3 many years ago and it held up great when it got tested. You just have to remember what it is meant to do and if your looking for something more, than go custom weld in. If your a track guy looking for a little more protection, harness mounting, and ability to run race seats than the autopower isn't a bad option. That my 2 cents.

 

[PBST03]

Sorry I've been away from the forums for a lil bit guys. I will try and upload pics of the mounting points here shortly. I intend on using this setup for racing. Yes it's a bolt In, not welded. I chose this option in case I decide to sell the car down the road. The setup came with base plates for each point of contact with the frame. It's solid. I chose to go with the crossmember for this reason for a lil added rigidity. I chose this route. I paid premium $ for it and the powdercoat. I'm proud of the setup. If you want to come into the forum and bash Autopower then go right ahead. Sorry you had a bad experience. The only issue I had was the fitment was a lil tight. No complaints here. I don't plan on crashing but if somthing happens, this will definitely help me. The rear seats do not fit because the upper bars that mount to the wheel well take up space where the back of the rear seats clip in. All in all, yes there is a blind factor but it's mainly for safety.

 

[RAAMaudio]

IF it is bolted to something structural then it will be far better than the one they did for the Scion that was only through sheet metal. Having the rear legs going to the wheel wells does little good but might enable the main hoop to at least fold backwards when they punch through it if the top of the car is hit hard enough. Since this is a very solid car it will take a pretty serious impact to get to the point where the roll bar has any effect but if it ever did I would want it to do more than satisfy less than adequate rules that let it be used.

It is a bit difficult to design and properly install bolted in full gussets but that is the bare minimum I would consider safe, my only plans to ever build and install a bolt in bar was with fully welded in gussets. It is why I parted to stock as far as I could and sold a C6 Vette convertible I had rebuild into a very competent street/track car as there was simply no way to install a proper roll bar without hacking up the car so much the top would not work, fuel tanks taken out for proper gusseting of the main hoop, shielded, etc...so the car just sat in the shop, cruised around 2-3 times a year, finally just got rid of it after spending at least 50 hours on designs trying to make something work properly. There were some bars available and none were even close to being safe, far worse than the AP TC bar. One claimed NASA, SCCA, etc legal, it bolted to the balsa floor, rear legs to aluminum glued to the steel frame, it would of folded forward with main hoop legs bending back into the fuel tanks on a light roll over!

Bashing? No, stating fact based on direct personal experience, the TC bar was absolutely nothing but added weight and bling, totally useless and perhaps dangerous as I forgot to mention the rear legs might of ruptured the fuel line. During install that had no warning to check before drilling the mounting holes in the wheel wheels the guy I was helping install it did not look and nearly hit the line. I had to bend it out of the way to do the install. I only sold and helped install the bar after he signed, witness signed as well and his dad was there and signed a letter stating it was only going to be used as a show car, I would not of allowed it to be bought if not for that.

Just because a cage or roll bar can pass inspection does not mean it is properly engineered or safe, generic rules and most orgs are pretty much the same, means at least in some cars and how some are built are simply not safely or properly done, just like mentioned in the post above, even big name race shops do not even get it right all the time nor are all inspectors looking at everything they should, again from personnel experience as having to cut out a cage done so badly yet raced in SCCA and NASA for several years, many welds not even finished but hidden behind things not that hard to look around. I am 5'8", the guy I bough the car from was shorter than me, he was sitting on the bare seat bottom bolted nearly on the floor just to keep from hitting his head on the main hoop it was so low.

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Your cars, your lives, at least you take it to the track which is HIGHLY COMMENDABLE, glad you do

I just want to ensure the real info on such matters is made aware of, as in all this car mod stuff there is far to much bling and far to little real performance or real safety being sold to unaware owners.

Until we see mounting points which I really hope are bolted to something substantial......it could be more bling than a real safety item, no matter what others do the truth lies in the engineering and execution alone.

 

[AntTrain]

What parts of the interior did you have to remove to install the roll bar? I just got mine back from powder coating and it does not want to go in. I’m debating just taking out the seats and center console unless you know of another way to get it in without doing so.