I'm starting to get the car prepped for some track time later this year - we have a few dates at sears point and a laguna seca date coming.

I was just down at my local race shop talking through a rollbar setup. the shop, BRRacing in Los Gatos, is big into porsches / bmw's...they also do a fair amount of prep work on ferrari's, gtr's, etc.

they've done a number of 4-point rollbars in bmw coupes, including their own personal m3 and 135i's that are very cleverly designed, in that they're modular enough to accommodate a sturdy track-day bar setup that has removable harness bar / cross braces so that the back seat remains usable when they're removed. The main hoop remains in the car but is significantly padded to protect rear seat occupants.

I know that having any additional metal in the car, particularly exposed metal, is a liability. (but have you poked around in that back seat and pulled off any of the trim pieces yet?!?!?...there's not a lot standing between people and metal to begin with!)

I am a firm believer in safety as the first upgrade for track driving (ie.I have a STRONG preference to be in a HANS / harness / fixed-back seat / rollbar setup)...but don't want to render my back seat completely useless at this point. so this seems like a great solution.

has anyone else come up with an elegant solution yet? if so, what?
would any of you be interested in such a solution if mine turns out great? the idea would be that once they've made one, it would be easy for them to make more.

 

I have the Auto Power #70262 on order and thats what I plan on using in my LS do the end of Aug. I don't know if I should paint it black or the red.

 

I had a really nice setup in my 06 Roush with removable bars etc..NEVER again..In my opinion (only) it takes a really nice streetable track car and ruins it..no matter how "removable" the bars are there is always issues with reinstalling them three or four times into it. The body stresses and flexes then things don't line up like they did when new. It got so I just left it intact and then I had a rollcage to deal with everytime I entered or exited..I'm NOT putting one in the Boss until it is a DEDICATED TRACK CAR ONLY...and I don't see that happeneing...Just my .02 worth and my opinion only.

 

I wouldn't think it would be a big deal since you don't have back seats anyway.

I plan on putting one in but undecided what it is going to be. I think it would look great painted Race Red to copy the X-brace.

I've been told that Ford used some unique points to fasten their rollbars on a few of their track cars. Rehegan Racing didn't install them but did other work to track prep them so they might be able to copy the design. Not in the market right now for the bar so I haven't checked with them.

 

Paint it red.

 

+1. Then take a pic like this.

 

Lolll

 

Thanks it is going to be red and looks like the same hoop except the unit I am getting is all 2" tube and all welded no bolts. The hoop will be bolted to the floor using additional 3/16" plate welded in place and then the hoop supports welded. Thanks again

 

Jim,

does the 3/16" plate come with the autopower unit? and do you already have mounting points identified?

 

For about $150 more +/- #100, depending on which option you pick, the Maximum Motorsports 4 point roll bars come with a bracket assembly that connects to transverse bulkhead between the base of the B-pillars of the body (underneath the front edge of the back seat). This attachment location looks stronger than than the floor pan. The installation instructions have detailed pictures. http://www.maximummotorsports.com/co...-20-1_20-6.pdf

Griggs Racing has a roll bar with similar attachment points. Instead of braces going back to the rear wheel wells, the Griggs bar has brackets that use the shoulder belt attachment points on the B-pillar. The backet is designed so the stock shoulder belts can be reinstalled.

 

No the autopower unit does not come with the additional support plates. The guy that did my grand am cars will install it for me. I dd not like the maximum because of the lack of a diag. brace and I did not want to reinvent the wheel for a roll over hoop.

 

Winning

 

MM has a welded in diagonal brace as an upgrade option for $100

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...oducts_id=1283

 

Thanks,I did not see the dig. brace but it is only still 1 3/4 " vs the 2" recomended for our cars.

 

i think it was last year that one of the cars that was on the cover of 5.0 mag got into an accident not long after the issue was put out. it was a grabber blue 10GT IIRC. anyway, the accident it was in was rather odd it hit a tire wall and flipped **** over nose and landed on the roof, the roll bar probably saved the driver's life. i do recall it was bolted to the floor pan and the impact was so hard it drove the roll bar though the floor.

 

Yes interested. It would need to be something a local shop could replicate since you're in Norcal. I have a good speed shop locally but they build mostly drag cars. That said they've installed many a cage.

 

I'm no expert but bolting your cage in would be the least desired scenario, IMO. I BARELY rolled Mad Max, my dune buggy, in sand and it bent the old mild steel 1.5" tubing "more than I'd like." It's got a much more robust design going in currently. Triangles are your friend! The buggy was made in 1977 and was clearly designed for style and not protection.

 

they've done bars for other cars, like the gtr, where the 'ginuea pig' customer (you have to have you car down there for a week or so...for measurements, fitment, etc) gets theirs for 'cost'...after that, they'd sell a kit to anyone who wants to install it. (or have their shop install it)

so it would be easy for your shop to install....absolutely.

these guys share my philosophy of investing in safety first and helped me prepare porches in the past.

I've seen the video that Shane references...and seen many cars beat to crap at the track. I, myself, have had a car taken home on the back of a AAA wrecker. S$%T does happen at the track. It's ok to have the car crumpled...but not the driver.

from my soapbox - invest in safety.

the only other mod I'll do to the car before tracking it (other than installing a good FIA-certified seat that I have, along with a harness)...is to do some brake tweaks...sounds like a floating rotor setup up front (DBA 5000's), stainless lines and SRF, and some PFC pads (01's or 97's). oh...and some wheels / tires (street compound for now)...I'll probably go with the bbs wheels and dunlop star spec 275's all around (...I already did a set of pedals from SRP...they're nice)

 

We too plan to have a roll bar. First priority is finishing the oil cooler. Already working with a well-known fabricator for a bar. We have 3 LS's to do and so will have all kinks worked out before go to market.

 

I'll wait to se what YOU GUYS come up with on BOTH before I make a decision!