Style bar VS Roll bar

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:23 pm

And that is the SP hiding in a garage somewhere waiting to make a reappearance all shiny and new (that's what the story was anyway).

Boags · Postby **Boags** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:31 pm

I keep no secrets - my race car has a modified Torque Box (I had it made taller, it doesn't fit with a roof on).

I have approached MX5 Plus for sponsorship.

The ONLY TB roll bar that can be CAMS approved is the Single Hoop, Single Diagonal bar. This is the type MX5 Plus modified for my car. It is CAMS approved and my car is log booked with this roll bar.

You may think it is ugly, but it will do a better job of saving me if I'm involved in a crash, because;

It is mounted to the car far more securely.
The torque box transfers energy between the right and left side of the car, so it helps the car absorb more energy in a crash.
My spine will be compressed less by the harnesses, because of the length of shoulder straps and the angle from my shoulders to the mounting points.

The 2 points where I believe the BD does not comply with CAMS are (1) harness mounting points (CAMS Schedule I) - although this may depend on height of driver - and (2) mounting of the cage to the body shell (CAMS Schedule J).

I will look through those schedules and be more specific. I'll get measurements from the BD removed from the racer, however, the backing plates certainly did not satisfy the CAMS requirements, and with the co-driver (very tall) in the car the harnesses were at an angle that does not comply.

We're all on the same team here. No one wants to end up with the wheels pointing in the wrong direction. No one can remove all risk. It's about managing the risk.

Although after seeing the picture of the roll bar above (which someone later said might be the "hard dog" roll bar) I'd say it would be very handy (as opposed to nothing at all) to have a BD installed in the car.

Only a few more pages... :mrgreen:

StanTheMan · Postby **StanTheMan** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:23 pm

I really appreciate your thoughts Boags. :mrgreen:

91mx5 · Postby **91mx5** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:54 pm

I've just fitted an OBX stainless steel style bar for looks and a bit of bracing across the seatbelt towers, but find it limits the seat travel and recline a bit. If you are tall and need the seat all the way back, check one out before you buy. Also, the bit welded in between the hoops behind the seats have sharp square edges which will eventually cut the upholstery on the back of the seat. I've put some plastic tubing on to prevent it. The bar looks great, but not sure if it was such a good investment.
Hope I'll never find out if I should have put a real roll bar in!

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:59 pm

91mx5 wrote:I've just fitted an OBX stainless steel style bar for looks and a bit of bracing across the seatbelt towers, but find it limits the seat travel and recline a bit. If you are tall and need the seat all the way back, check one out before you buy. Also, the bit welded in between the hoops behind the seats have sharp square edges which will eventually cut the upholstery on the back of the seat. I've put some plastic tubing on to prevent it. The bar looks great, but not sure if it was such a good investment.
Hope I'll never find out if I should have put a real roll bar in!

That's why the genuine RB2 bars are so good.
As they are reclined a little, so they do not affect how far back the seat can go and they are well finished too.

You get what you pay for.

91mx5 · Postby **91mx5** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:04 pm

Where is the RB2 bar available from? Are they genuine roll bars? Are they polished or painted? I'm thinking my OBX may be coming out quite soon. My car used to fit me like a glove, now not quite so.

Old Dude · Postby **Old Dude** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 6:07 pm

Don't know if anyones interested, but I spoke to Danny from MX5 Plus today and if your after one of their twin hoop or any other for that matter, the group buy is still on so you can save yourself some dollars.
Cheers
Old Dude

sliq · Postby **sliq** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:00 pm

91mx5 wrote:Where is the RB2 bar available from? Are they genuine roll bars? Are they polished or painted? I'm thinking my OBX may be coming out quite soon. My car used to fit me like a glove, now not quite so.

you can get them from the US directly.. about $550 to $600 landed to your doorstep..

MX5-SP · Postby **MX5-SP** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:39 pm

greenMachine wrote:
kitkat wrote:
I believe your talking about a silver SP that flipped just south of the QLD border... it landed upside down in a ditch... the owner now has a sooty white SP.

There was also a green nb that landed upside down in a creek whilst trying to cross over a bridge... luckily his roof was down. That was a qld owner travelling down south somewhere.

Jackpot!

I thought I remembered it was an SP, but wasn't so sure about that bit.

Thanks Kitkat

OK...OK ! Is this what you mean?