Installing an MX5+ twin hoop roll-bar in a 04 NB SE

[Code4]

I can't seem to open the pictures. Have they been removed ?

[Roadrunner]

Given there is no way to edit the posts I would need to completely redo the entire thread to put the pictures back in.......

Shouldn't be tooooo much trouble to do if you still have the original photos and host on photobucket/flickr etc. At least you don't have to re write the text

Copy original post (have a beer) - paste text into reply post to this thread (have another beer) - reinsert photo links were needed (yep, another ) - post

I know this guide definitely helped me out and I'm sure others would be extremely appreciative of your efforts
(not that that's an offer from me to do it )

[ENGINR]

Wow! What an awesome post to find during my first browse through this forum since joining up!

Have just purchased an Automotive Plus twin hoop rollbar for my recently acquired NB8A and will hopefully have it back from the powdercoaters tomorrow. Was planning to install on Sunday - so finding this information was invaluable!

Thanks very much.

[ENGINR]

Installed mine last week. Was a bit of a struggle at times doing it on my own and gluing the captive plates into the seatbelt mount towers was a real challenge when they kept dropping into the cavity as the silicone didn't take straight away!

I ended up using the mounting bolts and spacer towers to clamp it all together for a couple of hours until the silicone took and the captive nut was glued in place.

I found the mounting plates on the rollbar didn't align to the contour in the sheet-metal on the parcel tray properly either, and in a couple of places the base plate was almost 10mm higher than the sheet-metal! I needed to use a few spacers to take up the slack between the base plate and the sheet-metal when doing up the mounting bolts into the captive plates in the boot.

The captive plates didn't align to the contour of the sheet-metal perfectly either.

Overall, very happy with how it all came together though, looks really sharp and integrates into the car really nicely.

[KevGoat]

Installed mine last week. Was a bit of a struggle at times doing it on my own and gluing the captive plates into the seatbelt mount towers was a real challenge when they kept dropping into the cavity as the silicone didn't take straight away!

When I fitted mine I also got sick of those plates constantly dropping so I decided to bolt the captive plates and top plates in position for if I ever remove the bar for any reason...



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[ENGINR]

I was thinking of doing that too - my mind was working on the idea of tapping a thread into the captive plate somewhere and then running one bolt through the top spacer plate into it, but in the end - I just wanted to get the job done!

I like that setup though.

[3gress]

Having recently installed twin hoop hars in an NA and late '04 NB I'd recommend using the stepped type christmas tree bit in a cordless drill to open the parcel shelf mounting holes and seat belt tower trim holes.
The two spacers for the seat belt tower holes are not equal in height and can be swapped about for best fitment.
On NB models the parcel shelf is meant to be pulled into place when mounting captive plates and deform a little.
To install bar into place you can raise the soft top 3/4 up to angle bar down to get rear mounts past belt towers, and then lower into place while avoiding bar getting hung up on soft top support bars. Light force only needed to slide bar into final position. Silicone both belt tower captive nuts and teardrop side captive nuts into place, allow to cure and then loosely mount bolts before marking parcel shelf for drilling.
Using silicone to secure captive nuts allows for a little movement when installing bolts.
You can use rivets on the tear drops though they may interfere with clearance of torque tube when trying to slide bar into final position.
Remember to add the cylindrical spacers with the side teardrop bolts so the bar mounting plates don't excessively bend.
The NA had captive nuts in belt towers from factory, NB required the use of the captive nut plates included in kit.
I just sold my twin hoop bar so if anyone has another up for sale let me know!

[ENGINR]

Yeah I found the spacers were different heights too! Very frustrating. I needed to use a grinder and file to carefully shave material down from the higher one to get the side mounting hole to line up with the captive plate in the side of the tower. I don't know why they made them different heights - do they expect us all to have lathes to do a neat and even job!? If anything - provide us with a range of spacers to stack up on a central shaft or something that we could cut down, similar to what is done on the top seatbelt mounting bolts.

[3gress]

The spacers are slightly different heights to account for variations in body shells due to age or deviations in manufacturing. Usually they need to be trimmed a little for perfect fitment, however first try swapping them about to see if fitment improves.
As for seat belt bolts, the spacers help spread the load along the bolt to prevent the bolt shearing in an accident. Not relevant but there you go