Opinions on a cusco roll cage/bar..?

Streetkings · Postby **Streetkings** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:51 pm

Hey guys pretty new to the mx5 scene.. And was looking for a roll cage/bar for safety purposes, not tracking it or anything like that.. But I am looking at purchasing this cusco roll Bar set up for my na6 off a mate of mine.. And was just curious about pros and cons and price on what it may be worth..?

Any advice would be great :-)

Cheers

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:10 pm

Pro:
Easy fitment
JDM points

Cons:
Hinges potential weak point in accident
May not be road legal (state dependant)
Appears to not be compatible with glass softop window

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:30 pm

I'd suggest putting that off until you can get a proper rollbar since that doesn't look particularly strong and will require drilling holes into your chassis to fit which you may regret if you decide to upgrade to a proper rollbar (MX5Plus or Brown Davis).

A proper rollbar will be more expensive but you wont regret installing it (unless you decide later on to install a full roll cage) and they add significant chassis stiffness to NA/NBs which you'll appreciate every time you drive.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:33 pm

Roll cage with front bars is no longer allowed by NCOP for vehicle modifications I believe.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:42 pm

sailaholic wrote:Roll cage with front bars is no longer allowed by NCOP for vehicle modifications I believe.

What do you mean "front bars" ?
Do you mean door bars (or anything forward of the main hoop?)

The one shown in the pic doesn't have them, it's a main hoop and then rear stays with a single diagonal (similar shape to Brown Davis)
The main hoop looks to bolt to the floor behind the seats rather than the parcel shelf, so the hoop arms are longer than on a BD.

I'd still reccomend the OP buy something fully welded though, like the Brown Davis, MX5+, or AGI
Out of the 3 I'd put AGI and MX5+ on par, the Plus bar has ease of install and headroom on it's side, the AGI has looks and main hoop height going for it.

Streetkings · Postby **Streetkings** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:55 pm

What are prices usually like for a mx5+ and AGI roll bar compared to a cusco one.. Sorry all a bit new on mx5 parts lol

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:03 pm

MX5 Plus are usually $800 or so from memory (should be on their website)
AGI I think were similar, but that may have been a release price since they only came out last year.

But, those are brand new prices, MX5 plus bars and the like don;t often come up for sale secondhand since most people just leave them on the car forever.

Mazdaspeed rollbars (similar to the cusco, but slightly different in design) tend to sell for around $400-500 depending on condition.

I would imagine the Cusco to be a similar value, but bear in mind a lot of these Japanese part prices are due to "JDM tax" where people tend to be willing to pay more just because it's japanese branded.

Prices on these can be all over the place though.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:04 pm

I meant stuff forward of the main hoops only in reference to lokiel's comment about a full cage. So your right not an issue in this case.

Op your in luck mx5 plus have a special on at the moment, check the sponsors section of the forum.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Postby **mx52nv** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:23 pm

Apart from all the comments made which I agree with, another drawback with the JDM bolt-on half-cages are a restriction to seat cabin space and recline due to the positioning of where the main hoops sits at the rear of the cabin floor behind the seats and the harness bar. This is especially a problem for aftermarket seats but also depends mostly on your size and where you position your (factory) seat.

I sold my Carbing cage to purchase a Brown Davis Roll Bar back in the day but if I was to did it again today, I would buy a MX-5 Plus Roll Bar based on the engineering that has gone into its construction and design.

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:45 pm

mx52nv wrote:Apart from all the comments made which I agree with, another drawback with the JDM bolt-on half-cages are a restriction to seat cabin space and recline due to the positioning of where the main hoops sits at the rear of the cabin floor behind the seats and the harness bar. This is especially a problem for aftermarket seats but also depends mostly on your size and where you position your (factory) seat.

I sold my Carbing cage to purchase a Brown Davis Roll Bar back in the day but if I was to did it again today, I would buy a MX-5 Plus Roll Bar based on the engineering that has gone into its construction and design.

yep go for a MX5 Plus bar!

Streetkings · Postby **Streetkings** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:06 am

I appreciate all the advice.. But I ended up getting the cusco half cage.. I got it for a real good price off my mate.. Couldn't argue with that lol

deviant · Postby **deviant** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:12 am

sailaholic wrote:I meant stuff forward of the main hoops only in reference to lokiel's comment about a full cage. So your right not an issue in this case.

Op your in luck mx5 plus have a special on at the moment, check the sponsors section of the forum.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All in here: http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/ ... 011_v2.pdf

Basically anything forward of the main hoop is off limits, that includes door bars.