|
moffspeed
Original Poster
521 posts
76 months
|
A few weeks ago I nabbed a Safety Devices roll-bar off ebay - both the vendor and I assumed that coming out of an S2 there wouldn't be any compatibility problems fitting it to an S3 (how naive of me !).
So disappointment today when offering the 'bar up to the seat belt mounting points on my car. The 'bar sits too high to allow the hood to be erected and the rear stays sit a good few inches proud of the rear parcel shelf (or whatever you call it).
So I'm guessing the seat belt mounting points on an S2 are lower than on the S3 - is that right ? If so then you S1/2 owners might want to keep an eye on ebay in the next few days...
|
|
|
phillpot
5,335 posts
52 months
|
|
|
gifdy
1,277 posts
110 months
|
Can it not rotate/pivot back ? I have a rollcentre bar and found that the rear stays had to be pushed a long way back for the bar to clear the roof. Sounds like you have a similar problem but without pics it's hard to say.
|
|
|
jwoffshore
319 posts
123 months
|
Do you have the rear stays going through holes in the parcel shelf to locate on the chassis? This is normally how the roll bar should be mounted. If you have the feet of the rear stays just sitting on the carpet, that will maybe push the main hoop forwards too much
|
|
|
moffspeed
Original Poster
521 posts
76 months
|
Sorry to bump this up again but need to decide whether to consign this roll bar to the classifieds...I've spoken to Safety Devices and they have no data so that's not helped me. Didn't take any photos during the aborted fitting but this image shows the foot of the cage which is designed to fit onto the top of the seat belt mounting :  whatever you do with the rear stays etc the bar sits way too high. I can only assume that the seat belt mounts are lower on S1/2's altho nothing in Steve Heath etc to confirm this. Anyone got any final ideas ?
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
Roy C
3,024 posts
153 months
|
AFAIK S1/2 & S3 are slightly different chassis. TVR modified the rear suspension top mount - that's why the seats go further back on an S3. I'm not sure if this information is in the bible (I no longer have a copy). Edited to add: I found the sample Chassis chapter, but it's not much help: "The S3 chassis was slightly changed to cope with the increased door length." http://shengltd.com/shpub/tvrbooks/Chassis.pdf
|
|
|
swimmer27
290 posts
51 months
|
If all else fails have you considered having it modified by a profesional welder?
|
|
|
jwoffshore
319 posts
123 months
|
Certainly on the S3 and V8S the body moulding needs to packed up by a good inch or so of rubber on top of the chassis bracket at the seat belt. Maybe the S2 body is a closer fit down onto the bracket and does not use so much rubber packing? In terms of the chassis itself, I have a spare back end chassis section from an S2 and it looks much the same as the S3 and V8S on that bracket detail.
I have a Rollcentre / Tower View bar in my V8S and in my opinion it is of a very poor design. Your picture of the Safety Devices foot mounting looks a lot neater than mine. I would persevere with it and probably it just needs some simple cutting and welding to make it fit. Why not give the car to a suitable workshop and see if they can modify it to work. I see you are in Kent. Must be loads of places you can try given Brands Hatch and Lydden Hill both in your area.
|
|
|
phillpot
5,335 posts
52 months
|
Mine's an S3 so guess yours is like this with the seat belt reel sitting just above a little "shelf" about 4 or 5 inches from the floor?........  So, either earlier cars were different or is the roll bar designed to sit forward of that shelf and then bolted through the floor (would it pick up the outrigger corner strengthening plate there)  Ashford's a bit of a drive but I'll pop down and give yer a tenner for it 
|
|
|
phillpot
5,335 posts
52 months
|
Bump
getting anywhere with it ?
|
|
|
Geoff38
355 posts
115 months
|
|
|
moffspeed
Original Poster
521 posts
76 months
|
yep - took a bit of a knock on the sale but it's gone to someone who can use it. Eventual consensus via Safety Devices/here/mates was that S2 into S3 doesn't go.
After Alonso's near miss yesterday I am keener than ever to protect what brain I have left - particularly as I seem to have explored the outer limits of S series handling quite a lot recently...
|
|
