Track days without a roll bar

[GHW]

I've been keeping the MX5 off track 'til I manage to find a decent roll bar for it, but there's an utter bargain of a track day been offered to me this month and I'm rather tempted to give it a go...

So please everyone calm my fears by telling me how you all regularly use your '5s on track, without any roll over protection.... please..

[robbieduncan]

Done it once, about to do it again on Friday. I have no worries at all (but maybe I'm mad)...

[ginettajoe]

GHW said:

I've been keeping the MX5 off track 'til I manage to find a decent roll bar for it, but there's an utter bargain of a track day been offered to me this month and I'm rather tempted to give it a go...

So please everyone calm my fears by telling me how you all regularly use your '5s on track, without any roll over protection.... please..

I have a roll bar that I will probably sell soon!!

[GHW]

ginettajoe said:

I have a roll bar that I will probably sell soon!!

YHM!

[steve bowen]

I've tracked mine at combe with no roll bar

[Pierscoe1]

I've been on track many times, including Brands, Donnington, Combe, Nurburgring, Curborough.... no roll-bar.

you'll be fine.. just don't go ditch-hunting!

[GHW]

Pierscoe1: out of interest, where did you get the number plate for your '5 from? It looks smaller than usual.... I was thinking of doing the same kind of thing with mine, but not so sure about legality - have you had much hassle cos of yours?

[pikeyboy]

I've used mine on track loads without a roll bar, what sort are you going to get if you buy one? a full FIA approved one with floor plates welded in as per the blue book or just a polished chrome thing that'll prob do more harm than good if you was unlucky enough to have it upside down!

[munter]

I had a roll bar put on mine after going on a PH organised Caterham day. Took the MX5 around the cones afterwards and decided that its a scarey experiance without some thought to what happens when it's shiny side down. 1x Hard Dog bar purchased and fitted from performance5.

Edited by munter on Thursday 5th April 12:32

[furtive]

Never had a rollbar on my MX5 and tracked it lots.

Nearly rolled it at Snett once though after going off sideways at Seer onto the wet grass at speed and dug in. Fortunately had a large passenger with me that kept it the right way up.

[GHW]

pikeyboy said:

I've used mine on track loads without a roll bar, what sort are you going to get if you buy one? a full FIA approved one with floor plates welded in as per the blue book or just a polished chrome thing that'll prob do more harm than good if you was unlucky enough to have it upside down!

I've been mostly looking for a Jap aftermarket jobbie (okuyuma? something like that) - like a normal rear hoop - bolts to the rear corners of the floor and next to the rear suspension mounts through spreader plates. Some of them even come with door bars that mount to the half way up the rear hoop and the front foot wells - I suspect rather useful for chassis stiffening (and looking ing hardcore ). A harness bar would be useful too - I've got a set of Willans 4-points hanging around from my road rallying days...

I refuse to pay £350-£400 for a Hard Dog bar since they're horrendously overpriced for what they are. The same amount of cash would buy you a full 6-point FIA National-spec cage for any other car.

Whatever I get will be compromised by lack of height anyway - the only roll bars available that rit MSA regs for height don't fit under the soft top

[munter]

GHW said:

[quote=pikeyboy]
I refuse to pay £350-£400 for a Hard Dog bar since they're horrendously overpriced for what they are. The same amount of cash would buy you a full 6-point FIA National-spec cage for any other car.

Whatever I get will be compromised by lack of height anyway - the only roll bars available that rit MSA regs for height don't fit under the soft top

Yep and thats why the harddog bars cost what they do. I do wonder if you could "modify" the roof to fit over a higher bar. With a hard top you could cut holes in it and then create some kind of seal.... possibly. A soft top with an extra baggy pocket to accomodate the hoop?...

[furtive]

Might be worth speaking to Caged and see if they'll make you up one, especially if you tell them how overpriced the hard dog on is and that there are lots of MX5 oweners after one.

[GHW]

munter said:

Yep and thats why the harddog bars cost what they do.

Even the hard dog bars aren't tall enough. They cost so much because they're ordered in small quantities from the states. If I were living on the other side of the atlantic I could pick up the one I wanted for £210 - which is roughly the same price as a decent FIA-spec rear 'cage.

I've talked to caged - they've not done one before, so I'd have to deliver them the car to play with and spec up a bar for, and even after all that I'd still be looking at £300+. Looks like I'll just have to keep an eye out on eBay for unwanted jap import cages..

[magic torch]

I was looking at the hard dog ones here: www.bethania-garage.com/hardbar_sport.htm

Could we do something with the weak dollar and a group purchase?

[Pierscoe1]

GHW said:

Pierscoe1: out of interest, where did you get the number plate for your '5 from?

CraigsPlates... not had any troulbe at all.


re the comment above.. there's massive interest on mx5nutz.com for a HardDog group-buy.. but the guy that proposed it on there seems to have vanished... probably a dozen people or so that were interested though!