Installing a Bolt-in Rollbar and Race Harnesses
Turning your S2000 into a safer, track ready ride isn't as difficult as you might think thanks to aftermarket support. Follow along to see how to add a bolt-in roll bar and four point race harnesses to your open top Honda roadster.
1. From Daily Driver to Weekend Warrior
We've all been there. You're modding your car, and wondering just how good it would be on a real race track, but the thought of something going horribly wrong is always in the back of your mind. So you look into installing safety gear, just in case you aren't quite the professional apexer you think you are. That is exactly what Speed Academy did to their former S2000 daily driver by adding a Rock Star Garage bolt in roll bar, bulkhead bar, racing harnesses, and Recaro race seats.
2. Strip It Down and Stiffen It Up
To get the Honda ready for her new threads, they started by gutting the interior and removing the soft top. They planned on replacing all of that anyway, but they also needed to make room for the shiny new RSG 4-point roll bar. This bolt in piece is SCCA and NASA legal for track days, and sports strong mandrel bends, plus comes with everything you need for installation. Also added is a bulkhead bar, which bolts in place of the bulkhead to stiffen the chassis and retain the OEM seat belt retractors. To install the roll bar, simply line it up and drill the necessary holes in the floor of the car. Install the bolts with the included backing plates in place and you're in business.
3. Bolting in the Bar
Things get slightly more difficult when you go to install the front mounting points for each side of the main roll bar hoop. You'll have to cut a large rectangular opening on the underside to access the portion of floor under the base plates. The trick? The job is much easier if you use the included backing plates as a template, and trace around where to cut, then bust out your Dremel or cutting wheel. Once finished, the backing plate slides in and even features a notch which indexes on the body seam to enables it to bolt right into place.
4. Sealing It All Up
To keep things nice and water tight, Speed Society filled in the openings where they had to cut with expanding spray foam. Alternatively, you could weld some plates over the holes to seal them up. Afterwards, a few coats of Tremclad rust paint went on everything underneath to prevent any erosion. From there, finishing up the bulkhead bar installation is a piece of cake. The bar is designed to use the OEM threaded bolt holes, so it's a simple plug and play job.
5. Installing the Seats and Seat Belt Harnesses
Fitting the Recaro Profi SPG racing seats couldn't be much easier, either. Speed Society opted to use a set of Buddy Club USA Super Low Down seat rails which bolt right in to the S2000 and offers an impressive range of adjustment. This is good not only for making extra room for the driver, but also for fitting the large seats into such a small space. Next, the team installed a Takata Racing Race-4 harness on the driver's side. Though not a difficult installation, but have a professional shop do the job if you're not experienced with it, because screwing it up could cost you your life.
You can also find an excellent how-to video here, courtesy of HMS Motorsports and Speed Society.