JP,

I'm interested but have a few of questions:

Is padding available?
Is it safe for "un-helmeted" street use for 6-foot+ tall drivers?
Will there be a local installer in SoCal (besides Comptech... per Tony)

Thanks,
Craig

 

I don't know. I seemed to have plenty of head clearance with my Cusco 5-point and I'm 6' tall.

-Chris

 

Comptech is in Sacramento. John Coffey has done a couple of these installs and is a great guy! Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to install rollover support in street cars at the time I had my install done. There is padding available; it's not pretty, but it's the good SFI stuff. I'm sure Wael or JP can give you more info, as I'm not sure if the source of the padding is public or not

 

Craig,

Standard SFI padding is recommended. If there's enough interest we might look into making an optional kit. This would only happen after we get the bar details squared away.

Next time you see Richard or The Reverend at an event (they both run the Elda bar), have a seat in their cars and see whether you'd feel comfortable on the street with your size and the proximity of the bar. I'm only 5'7"so I can't really relate to where your head would be or how far back the seat is etc.

Obviously Comptech is not the way to go. I'll have to talk to Wael and Ry to see if we can find someone reputable for the installs. Richard and Rev did their own installs, so at worst case there is some local knowledge.

We're still in the planning stages of this undertaking, so details are not readily available yet.

J.P.

 

To be honest, my happiest customers have always been the ones that did the install themselves, like George Fratian who said watching the DVD twice made him feel comfortable enough to tackle the install, even Richard Lai Fatt who had or very first bar, prior to the DVD's completion, was happy and found it pretty straight forward.

I think it would be nice to have an installer, but I know for a fact that most would rather have the piece of mind of performing the install themself.

As far as padding, there is plenty of padding colors and styles to choose from. I believe Summit Racing has a very wide selection, and in So. Cal there is Baker Precision (http://www.bakerprecision.com/rollbar.htma) whom I like supporting whenever I can.

We have a source for custom formed padding but its expensive (about $45) and tends to discolor from black to purple then begins to fade. I have that custom SFI pre-formed padding on my bar. I figured few are willing to spend that much on padding so I will offer it as optional.

cheers

W

 

Have you ever seen accident footage?
Look at some of the HANS videos and notice the crash speeds (35-45 mph). You move way more than you ever think possible. Rally drivers hit thier heads and necks on steering wheels all the time an that's with competition belts on.

That being said I drive around in my rollbar equiped M3 all the time, but I don't delude myself into thinking it's not a safety issue. I also ride motorcycles, not the safest thing in the world either.

 

Are you within 6" of the bar? if you are, you're too close.

 

We are in the same boat.

I have seen sled tests with 3-pt, 4-pt, 5-pt and 6-pt belt set ups, and I have to say every time they are shown I find it hard to believe the damage and the amount of movement at those reduced speeds. The crash test dummy looks to be made out of jello with the way it bounces and stretches; amazing stuff.

I had to put the rollbar into my S to continue driving with the group that I teach for, and although it seems like my head is always away when I'm just driving around on the street, I'm not fooled, I know how close my pumpkin is. But like you said, is sure seems safer than when I'm out on the bike, and I sure ain't going to start living my life in a closet.

 

Even 6" is not enough when you see how a body jerks forward and then snaps backwards in a crash test.

 

No I haven't. I'm going by what I remember being in the car and seem to remember having at least 6" of clearance. But I could be wrong.
I also take into consideration it being a safety issue. I just keep myself aware of it.

-Chris