Roll Bars

[blue731]

So, out of curiosity, I took, my T-bird to a shop near my house that specializes in fabricating custom roll bars in cars, particularly track cars (this would include Rally cars). They wanted to take a look at my T-Bird to see what needs to be done to install roll bars (hoops). After nosing about for 20 minutes, it was determined that there were many challenges to installing a functional, workable setup.

Pretty much, they would have to cut up the rear interior, and most likely permanently remove the soft top and all mechanisms. Cutting up the rear interior would mean a drastic drop in value for the car, even it it was "prettied up" with trim and such. However, loosing the soft top option is a deal breaker. This would make it a true Roadster, with no weather protection.

They did say they could keep the car and tear apart the interior to check other options. Of course, I don't need a roll bar, this was basically an exercise, so thanked them for their time. So, it looks like for a functional roll bar, it's really not doable without extensive modifications. Someone could probably tig something that "looks sporty" and functional, but it would not be functional at all, and the company wouldn't do it for liability reasons.

As an aside, he said his company has removed many OEM roll bars from convertibles, and that they would not survive a roll over. For me, the question of "roll bars" is pretty much answered.

[Brad]

Re: Roll Bars

The real key in a roll-over is making sure you're going fast enough to do a complete 360 so that you land back on the tires!

[Sumerbird]

Re: Roll Bars

Has any one in ThunderbirdNest seen or have pics of a Tbird on its back?

[snowbird]

Re: Roll Bars

Watched a segment on the show "GEARS" recently and they fabricated one for a Miata. After the instalation, the top was still functional. The rollbars looked quite sturdy and would have done the job of "roll over' protection quiite well.
MartinB.

[5bird7]

Re: Roll Bars

Haven't seen one on it's back but there are pictures of them here after they've had a roll-over accident and are resting in junk yards. Not pretty when there's no top up at that time of roll-over. Seem to do ok in their interior compartment with hardtop on. would have to go thru those pictures again to find one that rolled over with softtop up.

[Leroy]

Re: Roll Bars

Our Thunderbirds are true Roadsters. All two seater convertibles, soft tops or removeable hard tops, are Roadsters. Leroy

[blue731]

Re: Roll Bars

Our Thunderbirds are true Roadsters. All two seater convertibles, soft tops or removeable hard tops, are Roadsters. Leroy

Partially correct. A true Roadster historically has no top, an no option for one (think Cobra). In the 1920-50's, quite a few more cars did not have tops, and had rumble seats, which also defined a roadster. The definition has more commonly been used for all convertibles nowadays, though, it is technically incorrect.

Sort of like all raked out bikes are now refered to as choppers, when in fact, they are customs. Choppers by definition means that you have taken a hacksaw to the frame and modified.

[blue731]

Re: Roll Bars

Has any one in ThunderbirdNest seen or have pics of a Tbird on its back?

I haven't seen one myself on it's back, but my uncle just rolled his 2002 Tbird 3 weeks ago, which had me revisit the option. He was hit by another car, his Tbird rolled twice. The hard top was on. He and his wife only sustained scrapes and bruises. I'd hate to have one rolled without the hard top.

[crmpuf]

Re: Roll Bars

I thought about taking the hard top latching devices out of a old hard top and welding them to a roll bar but it would be only ornamental not functional in any regard but it would be removable

[Babsman]

Re: Roll Bars

I was told by the salesman (I know, I know....)that the windsheild frame was designed to withstand a roll over and act as a roll bar. Anybody else heard this?

[Lonestar]

Re: Roll Bars

I was told by the salesman (I know, I know....)that the windsheild frame was designed to withstand a roll over and act as a roll bar. Anybody else heard this?

Auhhhh, no - many pics on this site of roll overs and the pics clearly show the windshield frame does not act as a roll bar. Probably better then nothing but, that is about it.

[bwlewis]

Re: Roll Bars

The basic idea is to keep the shiny side up, or in some cases the oil change side down.

[Daktari]

Re: Roll Bars

Hi there,

I was trying to resist posting on this thread because I had a long thread going around 2 years ago on this same subject. (I know there's lots who remember that one-fondly, ha,ha)?

Thing is, in the day of air bags, seat belts, all kinds of collision protection, my opinion is that any convertible should by law have some kind of roll over protection built in as part of the original design.

It's easy to say keep the shiny side up and well, don't roll it over. Like someone pointed out earlier, there is now lots of evidence of retro birds that have rolled over and the top completly squashed in. Lots of these have been posted on this site. I'm sure the unfortunate drivers of these cars had intended to keep the shiny side up when they set off too. That's why accidents are called accidents, because nobody wants to roll their car intentionally.

Just my humble opinion.

Gordon.

[Icebluebird]

Re: Roll Bars

Well, when I was adding some insulation in the rear of the car, I noticed that the area behind the seats is a great big box frame. In my humble opinion a roll bar could be situated on that box and would function very well.

I wouldn't think that it would be necessary to "take the car apart" to install a roll bar.

Would also give a nice place to install a rear windshield!

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Roll Bars

I posted this in the past.