Well... the roll bar's in
04-21-2007, 01:39 AM
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Okla.
Posts: 2,060
Well... the roll bar's in
Well we finally got around to putting the roll bar in. I ordered the roll bar off of dallas mustangs. Its an autopower roll bar and it took FOREVER to get here.. took slightly over a month from the day I ordered it to the day I got it... apparently it had to be custom fabricated and it took way to long.
I REALLY do NOT reccomend this bar. If I could do it over again, I would with out a doubt have something custom fabbed by a shop for around hte same price and probably much quicker. The install wasnt great by any means and I am still going to have to work on some stuff.
I got in in a couple weeks ago, and intended to have a shop install it incase it needed to be cut/welded/etc... the one shop I took it to said the metal behind the seat was to thin to even support it (they really didnt want to do it).. so I decided to go ahead and take care of it myself.
First.. here is the description from dallas mustangs with a picture from the site:
The key to great handling is a stiff body structure. Our four point roll bars not only improve handling they also help in preventing squeaks and rattles. They also allow the rear seat and interior trim to remain in place and do not interfere with convertible tops.
MUST BE SHIPPED BY FRIEGHT LINE. ADD $100 MUST BE SHIPPED BY FRIEGHT LINE. ADD $100 MANUFACTURED FROM 1.750 X .120 ERW TUBING. REAR SEATS AND CONVERITIBLE TOP STAYS IN MANUFACTURED FROM 1.750 X .120 ERW TUBING. REAR SEATS AND CONVERITIBLE TOP STAYS IN DESIGNED FOR 4 POINT MOUNTING. BLACK DESIGNED FOR 4 POINT MOUNTING. BLACK
The instructions with the bar were crap.. no detail, no help on removing seats, on removing panels, on where to actualy mount, nothing.
So we go to install the roll bar.. I removed hte rear seats and the side panels in advance so we could do it this evening. 3/8" drill bit and a 14mm socket/box end is all the tools we needed to do it.
The install portion wasnt bad. We found some decently thick metal on the bracing behind the seat that just happened to fit perfectly with the plates that were provided, so we marked it properly and drilled. We mounted the bar and drilled throught he plates in the floor. All that went according to plan.
Now the trouble started when it came to reassembling the interior. nothing fit right. We had to bend the hell out of the interior panels to sqeeze them past the bar. The seat bottom fit fine, but the backing of the seat was just a little off.. okay.. just a lot off. No way it will go in unless you cut giant *** holes in it... something that aws not mentioned in the instructions or in the description. The side panels only have to be trimmed a little bit. and the bar sits a little off as well.its centered correctly, but just not that well. it should have been bent outwards just a slight bit more.
Im unhappy with the way it turned out. It should have sat forward just a bit more to be closer to the head rests, should have been about another 2" or so shorter to allow more clearance for the top.. as it sits right now the top closes, but you have to pull it down into place to get it to clamp. The back seat is just not going to work. I am either oging to have to have it cut and reupholstered to make it look right, or I am going to put some black material over it.. just double sided tape it into place all around hte outer ridge of the back seat area to fill in the big empty hole. I may also look into a seat delete but I would much rather not do so. Overall, the bar should have been angled a little more so more of the trim would have to be cut, leaving the seat intact instead of the way it was. They could have easily designed it that way.
Here are the pics.. I'll take some daylight shots tommorrow. We have to touch up the bar still.
I REALLY do NOT reccomend this bar. If I could do it over again, I would with out a doubt have something custom fabbed by a shop for around hte same price and probably much quicker. The install wasnt great by any means and I am still going to have to work on some stuff.
I got in in a couple weeks ago, and intended to have a shop install it incase it needed to be cut/welded/etc... the one shop I took it to said the metal behind the seat was to thin to even support it (they really didnt want to do it).. so I decided to go ahead and take care of it myself.
First.. here is the description from dallas mustangs with a picture from the site:
The key to great handling is a stiff body structure. Our four point roll bars not only improve handling they also help in preventing squeaks and rattles. They also allow the rear seat and interior trim to remain in place and do not interfere with convertible tops.
MUST BE SHIPPED BY FRIEGHT LINE. ADD $100 MUST BE SHIPPED BY FRIEGHT LINE. ADD $100 MANUFACTURED FROM 1.750 X .120 ERW TUBING. REAR SEATS AND CONVERITIBLE TOP STAYS IN MANUFACTURED FROM 1.750 X .120 ERW TUBING. REAR SEATS AND CONVERITIBLE TOP STAYS IN DESIGNED FOR 4 POINT MOUNTING. BLACK DESIGNED FOR 4 POINT MOUNTING. BLACK
The instructions with the bar were crap.. no detail, no help on removing seats, on removing panels, on where to actualy mount, nothing.
So we go to install the roll bar.. I removed hte rear seats and the side panels in advance so we could do it this evening. 3/8" drill bit and a 14mm socket/box end is all the tools we needed to do it.
The install portion wasnt bad. We found some decently thick metal on the bracing behind the seat that just happened to fit perfectly with the plates that were provided, so we marked it properly and drilled. We mounted the bar and drilled throught he plates in the floor. All that went according to plan.
Now the trouble started when it came to reassembling the interior. nothing fit right. We had to bend the hell out of the interior panels to sqeeze them past the bar. The seat bottom fit fine, but the backing of the seat was just a little off.. okay.. just a lot off. No way it will go in unless you cut giant *** holes in it... something that aws not mentioned in the instructions or in the description. The side panels only have to be trimmed a little bit. and the bar sits a little off as well.its centered correctly, but just not that well. it should have been bent outwards just a slight bit more.
Im unhappy with the way it turned out. It should have sat forward just a bit more to be closer to the head rests, should have been about another 2" or so shorter to allow more clearance for the top.. as it sits right now the top closes, but you have to pull it down into place to get it to clamp. The back seat is just not going to work. I am either oging to have to have it cut and reupholstered to make it look right, or I am going to put some black material over it.. just double sided tape it into place all around hte outer ridge of the back seat area to fill in the big empty hole. I may also look into a seat delete but I would much rather not do so. Overall, the bar should have been angled a little more so more of the trim would have to be cut, leaving the seat intact instead of the way it was. They could have easily designed it that way.
Here are the pics.. I'll take some daylight shots tommorrow. We have to touch up the bar still.
04-21-2007, 02:04 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Okla.
Posts: 2,060
RE: Well... the roll bar's in
ORIGINAL: MustangDavid
That ain't gonna do **** pal. It looks like crap and will perform even worse should you flip your car, which shouldn't be a concern at the HP level your at.
That ain't gonna do **** pal. It looks like crap and will perform even worse should you flip your car, which shouldn't be a concern at the HP level your at.
Its bolted to some pretty decent metal on the inside and through the floor.. how is it not going to do anything? Its not much different in design from any other 4pt roll bar other than the down bars need to be spread out a little more.
04-21-2007, 02:16 AM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Okla.
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RE: Well... the roll bar's in
ORIGINAL: MustangDavid
Structural integrity brah. If you are truely concerned about rolling your car you want an 8 pt cage. I GUARANTEE that will fold like a napkin if you flip
Structural integrity brah. If you are truely concerned about rolling your car you want an 8 pt cage. I GUARANTEE that will fold like a napkin if you flip
04-21-2007, 02:32 AM
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Okla.
Posts: 2,060
RE: Well... the roll bar's in
ORIGINAL: MustangDavid
****ing noobs. I'm explaining to you that a 4 point won't do ****. I've been driving mustangs since you were probably in diapers. A 4 pt will crush like a pepsi can.
GL to you though.
Unsubscribing.
****ing noobs. I'm explaining to you that a 4 point won't do ****. I've been driving mustangs since you were probably in diapers. A 4 pt will crush like a pepsi can.
GL to you though.
Unsubscribing.
A 4pt is an IHRA requirement for any convertible going 13.5 or faster.. and as I am running mid/low 12's, I have to have one..
And noob? Come on now.. This is the 5th mustang ive owned, ive pulled and rebulit multiple motors, I race on both straights, road courses, and auto-x, and Ive helped build multiple cars that are well into the 400+hp range, from my friends subaru were currently in the middle of rebuilding to a KA 240SX thats pushing 450 to the wheels.
04-21-2007, 02:43 AM
#8
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,381
RE: Well... the roll bar's in
ORIGINAL: HaV
You know, you've been rude to mulitple people on here and completely missed the point in numerous posts.. wtf is your problem?
A 4pt is an IHRA requirement for any convertible going 13.5 or faster.. and as I am running mid/low 12's, I have to have one..
And noob? Come on now.. This is the 5th mustang ive owned, ive pulled and rebulit multiple motors, I race on both straights, road courses, and auto-x, and Ive helped build multiple cars that are well into the 400+hp range, from my friends subaru were currently in the middle of rebuilding to a KA 240SX thats pushing 450 to the wheels.
ORIGINAL: MustangDavid
****ing noobs. I'm explaining to you that a 4 point won't do ****. I've been driving mustangs since you were probably in diapers. A 4 pt will crush like a pepsi can.
GL to you though.
Unsubscribing.
****ing noobs. I'm explaining to you that a 4 point won't do ****. I've been driving mustangs since you were probably in diapers. A 4 pt will crush like a pepsi can.
GL to you though.
Unsubscribing.
A 4pt is an IHRA requirement for any convertible going 13.5 or faster.. and as I am running mid/low 12's, I have to have one..
And noob? Come on now.. This is the 5th mustang ive owned, ive pulled and rebulit multiple motors, I race on both straights, road courses, and auto-x, and Ive helped build multiple cars that are well into the 400+hp range, from my friends subaru were currently in the middle of rebuilding to a KA 240SX thats pushing 450 to the wheels.
04-21-2007, 03:26 AM
#10
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 6,448
RE: Well... the roll bar's in
Mustangdave, If you werent so rude with your responses maybe you could get your point across better. Stop being an internet thug and try helping someone.
To the original poster, have you checked to make sure that bolt in 4 point is legal? I know most tracks around here require welded in roll bars.
To the original poster, have you checked to make sure that bolt in 4 point is legal? I know most tracks around here require welded in roll bars.