Best Roll Bars for Chimaera

[AD77]

Has anyone fitted rollbars? Not for racing and I still want to be able to put the roof up etc. Which are the best ones? I'm 6ft so nothing that requires you to loose too much leg room...

These look pretty good?
http://tvrengineer.co.uk/tvr-upgrades/rollbars/

[QBee]

I have the Rollcentre Racing one. Far enough back not to bang your head, high enough to give you protection. Fixings for harnesses? No loss of leg room. Clamp in rather than weld.

[AD77]

Hi QBee, sounds like i just want your car!
Don't suppose you have a photo/ link? And do you mind sharing the cost?

[Andy JB]

Considered this so many times before. Its a fine line between roll over protection (yes I've seen the photos) and a rear shunt (more likely) in which case you smash the back of your skull on the roll hoop in any moderate impact.

I did fit one to a previous sports car & it did stiffen the chassis and provide a nice camera mount, however, although wanting to with the Chim, the benefits of not doing it outweighed the advantages.

May largely depend on your use.

[MPoxon]

Andy JB said:

Considered this so many times before. Its a fine line between roll over protection (yes I've seen the photos) and a rear shunt (more likely) in which case you smash the back of your skull on the roll hoop in any moderate impact.

I did fit one to a previous sports car & it did stiffen the chassis and provide a nice camera mount, however, although wanting to with the Chim, the benefits of not doing it outweighed the advantages.

May largely depend on your use.

I agree with you on this one, many roll bars IMO increase risk of hitting your head on something solid in the event of a shunt. The Roll bar need to be far enough back for this not to cause an issue. I have seen Qbee's roll bar and that is a very good design and one I would consider. This is the same one Qbee has but on MartyV8's Griff:



However I think that this is the best option from Chris Issac Racing, the issue is you need the Tuscan seats to go with it.

[QBee]

Thanks Matthew. The previous poster had a good point - you do need to keep the headrest high enough to protect your skull from a rear impact.

[MPoxon]

Yes I agree completely Anthony. Yours is sufficiently behind the seats to protect you in a shunt if the headrest is in the correct position. Some of the other designs I am not so sure. This is one of the reasons I have gone for Tuscan seats in mine.

To the OP have a look through this thread, it has some good ideas for roll bars and lots of pictures:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[QBee]

How good is the side support in the Tuscan seats?

[NickOrangeTVR]

The problem with most that sit far back (rollcentre ones included) is that in the event that the car does roll over the bar is too low and your head will be ground against the floor. The ones my Dad designed are far enough forward and sculpted to go around the seat and high enough that you do not hit your head (I am 6'2 and I cannot hit my head) - the key is they do need to be very carefully shaped if you want this far forward, and most are machine bent (to make it cheap to make) but you cannot make the design we have used in that way.

[NickOrangeTVR]

AD77 said:

Has anyone fitted rollbars? Not for racing and I still want to be able to put the roof up etc. Which are the best ones? I'm 6ft so nothing that requires you to loose too much leg room...

These look pretty good?
http://tvrengineer.co.uk/tvr-upgrades/rollbars/

These were made for my Car - and yes they are the best

[SILICONEKID345HP]

AD77 said:

Has anyone fitted rollbars? Not for racing and I still want to be able to put the roof up etc. Which are the best ones? I'm 6ft so nothing that requires you to loose too much leg room...

These look pretty good?
http://tvrengineer.co.uk/tvr-upgrades/rollbars/

Have you found what they cost ? Been on the website ,there are no prices .

[Chuffmeister]

Are they difficult to fit?

[QBee]

Chuffmeister said:

Are they difficult to fit?

My RollCentre one (in the pale blue Griff above) was £350, and I had it fitted by Mat Smith for, as far as I remember, about £200. He had to cut four holes in the glass fibre body shell, two in the back of the parcel shelf behind the seats, and the other two ditto, just behind the seats. He then had to clamp it to the chassis in four places, two at the back, top of the diff cage, and two on the chassis tubes that run diagonally down in the wheel arch to the rear outer corners of the outriggers. Then make good the holes and refit the carpet. Awkward job, easier with the car in the air.

[MPoxon]

QBee said:

How good is the side support in the Tuscan seats?

Certainly better than the standard seats, you are more than welcome to try mine out on the next trackday.

[QBee]

MPoxon said:

QBee said:

How good is the side support in the Tuscan seats?

Certainly better than the standard seats, you are more than welcome to try mine out on the next trackday.

Thanks

[TheRainMaker]

MPoxon said:

Yes I agree completely Anthony. Yours is sufficiently behind the seats to protect you in a shunt if the headrest is in the correct position. Some of the other designs I am not so sure. This is one of the reasons I have gone for Tuscan seats in mine.

Not a chance, 30 mph rear end shunt with that fitted and you will be a dead man.

Have a quick look on youtube for 30 mph crash tests and you will see how much your head moves around in a relatively slow impact, and most of those are modern cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-1cjw25E7A

Roll bars for these cars should not be fitted for road use.

[SILICONEKID345HP]

TheRainMaker said:

Not a chance, 30 mph rear end shunt with that fitted and you will be a dead man.

Have a quick look on youtube for 30 mph crash tests and you will see how much your head moves around in a relatively slow impact, and most of those are modern cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-1cjw25E7A

Roll bars for these cars should not be fitted for road use.

What about side impact ? same problem ,even without a roll bar .

[TheRainMaker]

SILICONEKID345HP said:

What about side impact ? same problem ,even without a roll bar .

Wouldn't be pretty, you won't be walking away

[SILICONEKID345HP]

TheRainMaker said:

Wouldn't be pretty, you won't be walking away

Have the doors ever been tested?Its only very thin fibreglass ..Are we driving death traps ?

[TheRainMaker]

SILICONEKID345HP said:

TheRainMaker said:

Wouldn't be pretty, you won't be walking away

Have the doors ever been tested?Its only very thin fibreglass ..Are we driving death traps ?

Not sure if you're taking the mick but if you're not:

The Chimaera has no side impact protection, or any roll over protection (the windscreen is not reinforced).

As far as I know no crash testing was ever done on these cars.