Continuing my efforts to make my car, which does double-duty as a semi-daily driver and a frequent track and autocross car, safer in the event of a roll-over, I've dropped my car off to have a local expert ponder putting a roll bar in it.

Preliminary measurements indicate that the very tallest he could make a roll bar, which still would allow the top to operate, would leave my helmet top sticking at least two inches above the plane of the roll bar and the top of the windshield.

This is about three or four inches better than the way things are now, but I am not sure if that would be buying me any real safety (or ability to qualify to drive on tracks that require full roll protection on convertibles). Slightly less dead is still dead.

I'd be curious to hear opinions, and why.

Thanks.

 

which vendor? Speedware? Fordhal? Cascade?

I'm going to do the same next week

 

I would guess he means Doug Chase.

Mark, keep in mind that if you went this route you would probably also want to install a race seat which would sit several inches lower than the stocker.

 

You won't have quite the same issue that Mark has....

 

I'm assuming you mean b/c I'm not 6 foot 4 hell not even close..

who's doug chase? never heard of him.

 

http://www.chaserace.com/

Nice guy. Has a shop in Duvall. Does quality work.

 

I second that!

Bassem

 

The problem is that a race seat takes me out of stock for autocross, so I'd rather not. OTOH, it might well be worth it, since I don't fit too well in the car anyway.

And, yes, it is Doug Chase.

 

Do you really care where you are classed in autocross?

 

Also keep in mind that if you install a bar and a race seat, you can install harnesses. That's a big performance advantage. But you would probably have to install two race seats and a second set of harnesses if you intend to have instructors -- most instructors require "equal restraints" before they are willing to get into a car with somebody.