Maximum Motorsports Roll bar in a Hatch (start)

[85GT2NV]

Do all of the kits require cutting of the interior plastic? I'm really not interested in doing that, has anyone modified a kit that mounts more inboard of the hatch area?

i just put the quater trim in this 92, no cutting involved...pain in the azz to get in without damaging though.

[martin0660]

Its been a while since i have done anything with this (traveling for work). Last night, I pulled the interior out of the car and fitted the bar up. On my car, after the kickers are welded in, it will only come out the passenger side becasue of my A-Pillar gauges, but it does fit (with like nothing to spare). I got the kickers welded up tonight, and sprayed some black paint on it.

A few pics..........







More pics to come, but I need to clean them up and upload them to my host.

Bob Myers

[anthonydalrymple]

Look'in good!

[martin0660]

Further update...........

Basically the install is done I still need to paint the door bars, I waited on that until the install was done to save some scratches. I also need to intall the padding on the halo bar, but overall I'm REAL happy with the install. With the side bars removed, its a normal driver. I up;loaded a pile of pictures here.........

http://rides.webshots.com/album/562275869RfkbjA

Tie in to rear wheel well.........
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2094...66453426iUaEGk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2143...66453426ymbfwX

mounting at rear bulkhead.........
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2776...66453426XuuRqB
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2798...66453426UmhzRs

Door bar plates..........
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2287...66453426LKLPvn

Plates under car (pics look upside down from takingthem laying on floor)
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2213...66453426Eauobu
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2186...66453426mqWKXt
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2620...66453426fmCUIv

Quarter trim cut for rear bars..........
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2012...66453426nHFmru
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2121...66453426nXAFWA

I didnt cut as MM instruction say. I cut a little different so I can have a screw on each side of the vut into the floor riser. Also, the rear seat hides these cuts almost completely when up.

Overview, mostly installed...........


Rear seats installed............







Passenger seat installed...........



And the driver side (plus harnesses)



I will have some better finsihed pics once I get the door bars painted, and get the car outside. I have a bunch more pics on the directory from the first link, and have more to upload from my camera.

Over-all, I'm really happy with the bar and the install. The fit is really goot, and was basically small hassel. We did have to replace of few of the provided bolts (3/8" x 1") with 1 1/4" long to get things to draw together. This sure wasnt the kit, more deforms in my floor pan, especially around the rear bulkead. Once we got everything drawn in, the 1" bolts would have worked, I just left the longer ones

Any questions, please let me know.

Bob Myers

[anthonydalrymple]

Looks great! Glad it went as uneventfully as expected...

[82mustang]

is the front being a slip fit like that NHRA legal? also same for the top and bottom 6" plates, from what i understand you only need to weld the top plates fully in order to have to bottom plates, right? maybe you dont have a rule book, me either. but i looked it up online to help with the install of 8pt roll bar, looking at yours it makes me wish i spent the extra money(mine was 240 picked up with the rear bars bent to clear the seat) for the MM one with all the fancy bracketsry and bends, my door bars are straight along with the main hoop horizontal bar,.. but i have a swing out kit for the drivers side, no seat belt tabs either

[martin0660]

is the front being a slip fit like that NHRA legal?

Swing outs are completely legal.

Also the rules require 6 x 6 x 1/8" plates, with matching plates on the other side, with 3/8" bolts. all of that is adressed with this bar. The rule book says this is the PREFFERED method for a uni-body car, and it can be welded alternately, but bolt in is the basic method.

This bar is sold as NHRA and NMRA legal if installed correctly. I run IHRA locally, and have read the rule book in detail. Their requirements are the same as NHRA so I'm golden.

Bob Myers

[82mustang]

cool, i knew swing outs were legal but some tech might give you a hard time because the tube is not physically welded to the 6"x6" floor plate up front..

[martin0660]

One last update on this.

I have been driving the car daily for the last couple of weeks (with door bars removed). Over-all, it not very intrusive, and pretty easy to live with. Getting the seat belt out is a bit of a pain, my wife complains more than I notice it, probably got used to it already myself. The roll bar makes it tight, but what really complicates it is the roll bar padding. With the padding in place, my halo head rest just fits inside the bar / padding. Its fine, just makes that a little tight.

I have also been throwing the door bars in for driving around in the evening, just getting used to driving the car with them in there. I was not real thrilled by the swing outs for a while. It would seem everything was lined up, then all of a sudden the pin would either fight going in, or comming out. Not coming out scares me, with the shape of the bar, its a little tough to get my self out without using the swing out feature.

Dug into that a little bit. Actually thought it was the floor flexing for a while and was getting ready to wels some stiffeners off my SFC's (still might). But then I really found out what was going on. The swing outs kinda move up and down in the reciever sockets a little. Just a small movement there equals a big mis-alignment at the main hoop. I went and picked up a pair of 1 3/4" shaft collars from Fasten-All, put the bars where I wanted them, tightened the screws, and they have been great ever since A few pic's of that mod.





You will probably notice I still havent painted the door bars. Well, I decided to send them to be powdercoated so they wont scratch as easy as paint. I hope to race this weekend, then will be traveling for work for a few weeks, so they will go out then.

After living with the bar for a while, I'm pretty happy with it

Bob Myers

[Henson]

the mathis book has all the angles in it. i will take the pic and add the angles to it some time tomorrow. Should be easy to follow.

Yep.

But how would that change if you don't have interior and want to go closer to tie the car B pillar in?
Hmm?

I think I'm going to plot on paper and hang in the car first.

[anthonydalrymple]

One last update on this.

Dug into that a little bit. Actually thought it was the floor flexing for a while and was getting ready to wels some stiffeners off my SFC's (still might). But then I really found out what was going on. The swing outs kinda move up and down in the reciever sockets a little. Just a small movement there equals a big mis-alignment at the main hoop. I went and picked up a pair of 1 3/4" shaft collars from Fasten-All, put the bars where I wanted them, tightened the screws, and they have been great ever since A few pic's of that mod.

You will probably notice I still havent painted the door bars. Well, I decided to send them to be powdercoated so they wont scratch as easy as paint. I hope to race this weekend, then will be traveling for work for a few weeks, so they will go out then.

Bob Myers

a) Good idea on the locating collars. Odd that the bars don't seat fully into the front "sockets" and therefore change the pin installation\removal orientation. I only have that problem if I accidentally switch the bars.
b) Another good idea on powder coating the door bars.
c) I have a hard time dealing with the door bar location in my daily drive \ use. It is simply a bit of a pain to both grab the seat belt and there is no room for my left arm \ elbow. But, I like how much more stiff the chassis is with them in; I welded in larger bottom plates that tie into the front rocker sill and frame rail,(trust me; it's every bit worth it in a 'vert). I think I'm going to have some new door bars fabbed that are more "out of the way" for daily driving. They will not need to be swung out to get in or out of the car. When I decide to go racing; I swap in the "legal" door bars......

[martin0660]

A) - No doubt the issue is in my floor. When you swing the bars, you can actually flex it up there a little. I'm going to cut some 2" tubing and run it from the sub frame to the rocker, right through them iddle of that mounting plate. The flex isnt the problem with the alignment through, as you said, the bars dont seat int othe bottom of the pocket, I think its just how my car is twisted from time.

B) - I hope it keeps them a litle nicer. My buddy painted his, and they are already scratched up pretty good from his lap belts and such.

C) - I understand in a vert for stiffening. They dont do a lot for me, so I just have them out for driving, toss them in at the track. BTW - The set screws on the shaft collars tell me what bar goes in what side

D) - Good idea on low riding door bars for driving.

I'm used to the seat belt thing now,, just reach for the bottom part first and it pulls right up. Passengers complain becasue they dont know the "trick".

Bob Myers

[anthonydalrymple]

A)
I'm used to the seat belt thing now,, just reach for the bottom part first and it pulls right up. Passengers complain becasue they dont know the "trick".

Bob Myers

Heh, heh..... Yeah, I do just that to pull the belts forward. I'll update on the work I've done & the bars I'll have fabbed... P.S. MM may still make low mount bars for the hard tops & hatches..... I called & inquired specifically for my 'vert; they said there was not enough demand to warrant maken 'im fer me IMHO.....

[BBR]

Ancient thread I know....

I jacked around on the web looking for install pics in a 4-eye and lo and behold pics of the exact stuff I wanted to see were right here under my virtual nose..

[BBR]

HOOOOOOLLLEEEEE CCCRRAPPPPPP it was hard getting the 1/4 plastic back in this thing...

If I had half a brain, I would have tack welded the nuts to the plates for the back down bars. Then slip the quarter plastic in place and bolt the bar down. This is what I will do if I *ever* have to pull that plastic out again.

[ustahava67]

I have had my rear 1/4 panels in and out a couple of times.... It is a pain. I will be cutting then soon to make a firewall. I gave up on my car.... it has become a track only race car, so it's getting a fuel cell but I'm keeping the panels from the firewall forward. I'll try to get some pics as I fab the firewall