Anybody have the CMC "cosmetic" roll bar kit?

As someone who has one (no, it’s not for sale), I’m wondering how you think it will help you get in and out of the car?

Gordon...always appreciate your input on this site!  Now imagine you are a big ass 77 year old with arthritic hips and shoulders and very bad knees...on still waiting list to get knees replaced since Covid started.  Now imagine not being able to get any help from the  windshield assembly...and cannot always count on my lovely, little wife giving her best tug out...and finally crawling out on your hands and knees in parking lots to the free amusement of others...and scaring their little children.

I am hopeful that a careful butt swivel and a pull and shove off a roll bar will launch me into a somewhat vertical position and people will be able to focus on the car I have spent 20+ years working on...and not some invalid old man crawling or face planting on the pavement.

So glad I have a "guinea pig" with similar "car" situation to test my theory.  Have to assume you are in much better shape... pretend!  you are in similar physical condition....and give my "planned routine" a shot on your car and see if it can be a possible improvement on my entry and exit.  No video will be necessary!

Fondly,   Gary

Ah.....,   I suspected as much.  Thanks for the mental picture and I now unnahstan what's goin' on.

I have a plexiglass window in the back, framed by my roll bar and used as a windbreaker, so I cannot reach up through the bar to wrap my hands around it as an ejection aid.  That said, I'll get you some photos after I get my morning chores done so you'll know what you're dealing with.  

I am a kid in comparison - a sprightly 73 years old - but I've been riding a bicycle for decades, only stopping last Summer because of an injury caused by a bike crash back  in the 1980's that still haunts me as arthritis.  I have no hip or knee issues, so my getting in and out is probably simpler than what you might need and I'll test this out later today.  My method is:

I slide my right leg in, aiming for the gas pedal, holding the steering wheel for support til I get my butt on the sill and seat to slide across, using my left hand on the sill for support.  Once my butt is in I pull my left leg in, using my left hand on the leg anywhere that works to get everything inside.  A small celebration ensues.....

Getting out is the opposite:  Swing my left knee out enough to grab the leg and pull the foot out over the sill.  Place my left hand on the sill for support, left foot on the ground and rotate my shoulders to the left so that my right leg is moved out over the sill.  Keep the rotation going until I'm standing, but facing the towards the rear of the car.  

That's it.  I know - This might not work for you, but I'll get photos from different angles to show whether you'll have any decent leverage by using a roll bar.  As you've probably seen from the build manual, the roll bar bolts in but mates to some attach points under the body made specifically for that car and roll bar.  It would be possible, if the bar aided your getting in and out enough, to have a nearby chassis or welding place fit you with a non-CMC bar setup.  That's what Bob Carley did on his IM Roadster build, seen here (it shows up at 2:34)    

I'll try some different methods that might leverage the support of the roll bar and get back to you.

Nice video!

Hi Gary, I have a black one that I would be willing to sell.  PM me and lets discuss.
-steve

@Gary Hafner

Here's what mine looks like.  Remember that I am 5'6" tall, about 150#:

From the passenger side.  The seat backs run up against the bar.  When I take the bar out, I can recline the seats a lot more.

The next two shots show the mounts on top of the rear seat fiberglass

The forward mount is under the seat cushion.  With some easy mods, you could move the bar rearward 2" or so to get more seat travel, but that's about it.

This shot shows the width of the bar versus the seats.  With my cabriolet-style seats, the seat out edge is actually wider than the roll bar.  If you have typically narrow "Speedster" seats, the seat back might fit inside of the roll bar.

My rear seat cushion is anchored but this is the forward mount at the edge of the seat.  

Next, is the same as shot #1 but from the Driver's side.  I guess my concern would be getting the needed leverage above and behind your head to maneuver yourself out of the seat.  It's a very rugged roll bar so I'm not worried about pulling or pushing on it - It's going to stay put - but it's kind of an odd position to get any needed leverage from, but maybe I'm not seeing something that you might.