Windscreen A Post Strength

[TaSmania]

Is the A post on the Convertible different from the FHC in terms of strength. The FHC only has foam inside the GRP box section. Does the Convertible have any additional strength (steel surround or other??). Or where can I find out?
Ta,
GB

[rev-erend]

No - I don't think so.. if it roll's...

DUCK !!



or have a roll bar fitted !

[Nacnud]

Agree with Rev.
When driving with roof on and windows down you should see the top of the windscreen bounce around

Got my roll-bar

[TaSmania]

Thanks chaps. I intend to get a bar fitted to the road SEAC (I was waiting to see yours at Mania Duncan - doh!). The Rally car has a mega cage anyway but want the extra reasurance of a solid screen surround and intended to fit a mix and match of bodies for max strength (I've got a mega SEAC style chassis and smacked SEAC body and was thinking of fitting it {with the repair}) or a FHC body - right now I'd settle for getting it finished - Objective: Jeff Statham style car with a roof on the Tarmac stages - ooer!!.
GB

>> Edited by TaSmania on Wednesday 20th August 22:06

[HeyAndy]

How many people do you know who have rolled a Wedge?

[grady]

As in "and lived to tell about it" or (despite recent video to the contrary) wedges never slip-slide around?

[streaky]

HeyAndy said:

How many people do you know who have rolled a Wedge?

Having seen a Mini flattened by roll of paper that came off a lorry it's not just in a roll-over that a roll bar/cage gives protection. The roll cage in my rally car protected myself, wife and daughter in a major accident many years ago.

Streaky

[lazyitus]

I think rollbars are a good idea in any 'soft top', especially a TVR.

I do the occassional sprint so I had one in my 350i and now have one in the Griff. Even if I didn't sprint, I think I'd still have one.

Better safe than sorry .... etc.

[HeyAndy]

I think its a good idea if your into the sporting side of TVR but if you're using your car for road use isn't an unnecessary spend? Just a thought that's all.

[TaSmania]

Andy,
The roll cage is a nice to have but in reality if rolled there is no protection as the screen will collapse. I posed this question as I have a choice of DHC or FHC bodies to fit to the SEAC chassis for the Rally car and dispite the big rollcage I was interested to know if the dHC had a stronger screen rail as the one on the FHC is just foam filled (mind the A post on my SEAC wobbles around like a "Pri*k in a shirt sleeve". If any Wedge/Tiv owner has circa £500 spare a roll bar is a real good thing to have as it's peace of mind and stiffens the car dramatically. Ohh and yes I've seen many a car rolled and have a heavily smacked Wedge.
Cheers,
GB

[HeyAndy]

Ok....point taken!!

[stainless_steve]

HeyAndy said:

Ok....point taken!!

Don't worry about it Andy, i'm not going to cut holes in my car. Been thinking about it for a while.Decided against it keeping mine the original shell will no holes.
Guess its up to the owners though

[seamus]

stainless_steve said:

HeyAndy said: Ok....point taken!! Don't worry about it Andy, i'm not going to cut holes in my car. Been thinking about it for a while.Decided against it keeping mine the original shell will no holes. Guess its up to the owners though

Me neither, and agree. Tis an interesting point though - I have an old mag (1994) that covered several convertibles in a roll-over - unsurprisingly, the BMW 3/Audi 80/Renault 19 all squashed the screen and kn*ckered the dummy occupants - the only survivor was the one with the roll hoop = VW Golf. having said all this - how many 3's/Audis do we see with roll cages? Personally I find a nappy to be more protection when out in the wedge.

[stainless_steve]

seamus said:

stainless_steve said: HeyAndy said: Ok....point taken!! Don't worry about it Andy, i'm not going to cut holes in my car. Been thinking about it for a while.Decided against it keeping mine the original shell will no holes. Guess its up to the owners though Me neither, and agree. Tis an interesting point though - I have an old mag (1994) that covered several convertibles in a roll-over - unsurprisingly, the BMW 3/Audi 80/Renault 19 all squashed the screen and kn*ckered the dummy occupants - the only survivor was the one with the roll hoop = VW Golf. having said all this - how many 3's/Audis do we see with roll cages? Personally I find a nappy to be more protection when out in the wedge.

LMAO is that for the passenger or the driver

[jmorgan]

As to Wedges flipping, I have seen a piccy (paper not digy) of one flipped on a track day/sprint (?). Showed a wedge supported by the boot on a bit of crash barrier. The screen was flattened on the tarmac. The boot being supported saved the noggins. It was a piccie passed around at a meeting years ago.
Not sure how it ended up that way though.

[ralph dodds]

I'm not aware of anyone who's rolled a wedge, but a friend of mine did flip his S3 and walked away. As he told it afterwards, he was driving down the M3 in winter and couldn't understand why the ICE signs kept flashing as the main carriageway seemed fine. When he braked in the slip road however, he found himself sliding totally out of control at about 80mph straight towards the sloping end of the armco barrier on the far side of the slip road. Hit it square on which forced the car into the air where it rolled and landed on its roof. Luckily the roof was up and the hoop collapsed breaking the impact. He got away with light cuts and bruises but the car was a write off. A sobering thought.
As a footnote it should be added that this was his third accident in this TVR in as many months (his first was within minutes of taking delivery) and after this one no insurance company would cover him at any price.

[TaSmania]

Torque! Thats the reason for the Nappy!!
Often the passanger and many a driver get the shi*s when the application of the right foot envokes torque and yeha the back end steps out.
We had a 385hp Roush Stg 3 Mustang at work and it got smaked twice cos of this. "Mild right foot, loadsa Supercharged torque, sideways, shi*s, lift off the right foot, car snaps back - BANG armco at the front end".
I've seen a 400 thats slid wide and smacked a curb and by all accounts it was a hard bang which the owner thought would flip the car - it ripped of the wheel and lower arm - it was a mess but fixable - low down C of G, I guess.
I agree with Seamus and Stainless and with Nacnud and Jason- the cars look good if kept original but in the case of the later two can be made to look good with a rollbar - personal taste at the end of the day - it probably won't impact resale value either way.
GB

[19560]

I saw a 390 that had been rolled on the A6 neer Bolton. About 20 of us were looking around RRR's repair shop in Little Hulton; there was a slightly sad looking dark green 390 in the corner. When we were told that it had been rolled a few of us had a closer look because the car had stood up remarkably well with minimal distortion to the windscreen frame. The occupants had walked away unharmed.

If you do fit a roll bar then why? Most of them are for style only and are sold as style bars because they have no safety function. If it is for safety then first fit a harness to keep you in your seat then read the RAC regulations on roll bars. From memory I think that they need to be 6" above your head.

Most aftermarket roll bars are really style bars and are not performance or safety aids so probably reduce the cars value. Go carefully.

[d p]

My 400 has a tower view roll bar fitted which im probably going to have removed over the winter because i think it spoils the cars lines. I know full well it'd be safer to leave it in but for the type of driving i do i dont really need a roll bar.

[shpub]

TaSmania said:

Is the A post on the Convertible different from the FHC in terms of strength. The FHC only has foam inside the GRP box section. Does the Convertible have any additional strength (steel surround or other??). Or where can I find out? Ta, GB

The convertible screen will fold flat if rolled. No strength what soever.
Before anyone says that won't happen because I don't drive competively, I've seen cars roll at around 30 mph. Clip the curb the wrong way and over the car will go.