Re: To Roll bar...Or Not To Roll bar?...That Is The Question.

Dear Fellow Speedsters,
As I cruised along scenic PCH in So.Cal last weekend in my Speedster, I had a horrible thought...
Only lap belts...
No shoulder restraints...
No airbags...
No roll bar...
Upside down, skidding along on my head.
Sorry.
But just got out of the Trauma Ward a little over a month ago for a motorcycle crash.
Broke just about everything...
But my Need For Speed...
So...These things cross my mind.
Wanna be safe...Or safer...In The Speedy.

I know...I know...
Nothing like a roll bar to seemingly ruin the beautiful aesthetic of the Speedster...
But can any of you share some suggestions of a super safe...super subtle roll bar solution? Any fabricators/sources/photos would be much appreciated.
DB

The BMW 3 series E36 cabrio has a non visible roll bar that launches when an accident occurs (even opens when side of the tire touches a pavement a little harsh). This has a very simple mechanism that could easily be adapted to a speedster.The main issue is to find one, may be from a junk yard or else where,I am pretty sure that an OEM one would cost a fortune

I've been thinking about this as well and also trying to weigh up the options.

I was looking into the AC Cobra style that we have over here. It's a single loop, but it goes down at about a 45degree from the drivers side to the pass side.......it also includes side bars that's attached to the front foot well area.

If I was to go for a roll bar, I'd go with something that actually works, that what just looks good. The drivers car piece at least looks a bit vintage.

alot of the rollbars are for show only, do little to protect

Any roll bar high enough to actually protect you will:
a) Stick waaay up above the windshield and look a bit odd
b) Very likely interfere with the top
c) Probably bonk you on the back of the head if you get hit from behind.

I agree with Lane...

If you do decide to install a roll bar PLEASE make sure it is high enough to clear your head completely. Remember to take side to side motion into account also. The likelihood of you rolling a Speedster is minimal compared with the odds of some dope slamming into your rear end while TEXTING. If your head hits that bar it could create MASSIVE head trauma.

I think any bar high enough to protect you is going to look bad on the car and could end up actually hurting you more than a car WITHOUT a bar. Those roll hoops from the old Shelby Cobras look great but they were designed for racing cars and drivers wearing HELMETS.

I'm a Firefighter and have seen far too many accidents. The worst ones always seem to be caused by SOMEONE ELSE. I'd have more faith in YOUR ABILITY as a driver than the general publics. Most of the special interest car owners I know are cautious, pay attention, and are generally good drivers.

Just my opinion.

Wear a helmet, one of those air bag suits for motorcyclists or make out a will and just drive like you stole it.

I wish I had a roll bar ---not because of what I might do so much, but what some jerk may do to me.

I try really hard to practice the things I have learned in motorcycle safety schools over the years. Like doing a head check before changing lanes to be positive I know if it's clear. How many times have you been surprised by a loud honk right after looking only at your rear view mirrors and thinking it was clear?

No other vehicle gets close to me when I'm driving. After a panic stop with discs on just the front---and an awful zig zag stop I went with rear discs for that extra margin of safety. And the best of all--the old person pulling right out in front of you at a shopping center.
If they are sitting at the exit, they ARE gonna pull out in front of you--at least I think that way. Sometimes they really do too!

It seems like there are so many other things that are in our control that if we cover those, we have a real good chance to avoid a lot of the hazards. Things like air horns and rear third lights don't hurt either!

A real crash would be awful in one of these little cars ---be careful out there!

Maybe not the solution for you, but convex left and right mirrors expose many instances of otherwise hidden problems. After installation I spent numerous short trips learning to adjust both of them for maximum view. Not a fan of roll bars. Caution seemed to me to be the next best.

roll bars are great if built and secured to the frame properly AND you wear a helmet all the time. most accidents in our cars will occur on the streets. It is most likely you will never roll the thing over. Chances are your boney skull slamming into the steel bar will cause much more damage than if the bar wasnt there.

Use search function. This has been covered before, there is a good link to an article with respect to this very issue on the PCA/registry website.

As Paul mentioned, it has been covered many times. Personally, I have a roll bar in my IM and my Miata, which is also my track car.

I totally agree with the need for functional utility. A "functional" roll bar is going to look pig ugly, if you could even attach one to the VW pan.

That said, I have a "show" roll bar. It is eye candy. It serves as a support for my wind blocker. It is part of the visual image of the vehicle. It has NO useful function. It is heavily padded to protect my head from the bar.

I rode a motorcycle to work everyday for over 30 years. Survival is 90% mental and 10% physical ability. I use that same attitude when in the speedster. Plan ahead - evasive capability.

My speedy has a convex rear view mirror. Lousy for actual distance, but great for 3 lane rearward field of vision. So now you know.

This is my version, safety for sure, also helps with reinforcing the chassis = better handling : )

If Volvo made replicas ...

This was the one that I was thinking of.......with a full speedster windscreen it would look less noticeable.

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/9421/p8180016medium.jpg

it's on the samba.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=448585&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Looks like if forces the seat awfully far forward. In one of the pictures of that car, I noticed the owner is not a very tall fellow. That said, his car is gorgeous.

At the very least, I think you would have to make sure you have a high bow top.

Use the search tool on this Forum, and you will find more than you can possibly read on this topic. There are many renditions, and the only ones that would actually work are welded solid to the frame at a couple of key points, and use good engineering practice and employ triangulation to stiffen in more than one direction. The blue car here (a JPS, I think) is just a Photoshop rendition, using the Boxster roll bar profile as a concept. Would look really cool. Good padding against the read-end whip-lash condition would be a must. Bottom line: these cars are so unsafe realtive to the modern standard, it is scary. It does not bear contemplation. So far, I use a heavy dose of situational awareness, and try to keep some space. Car is very agile and can stop fast, so that is a help. But I know that if crunch time ever comes, I'm gonna be in trouble. If safety is the key requirement, buy a Boxster.

I you want to see more pics, look in my photos file here. I've been toying w/ the concept for a while now, and not sure how to proceed, or even if I will.

Dean my bro you have to understand that we live in So Cali by choice and that also includes morons that do not know how to drive.. that being said if you choose to add a roll bar then that's your prerogative... Personally I drive as safe as possible and hope we make it home after every run! We've already lost one good friend here and we need not lose any more... So if it makes you feel safe DO-IT!