I’m a new mx5 owner and would like to fit a substantial roll bar as I don’t like the idea of having absolutely no roll over protection. The GP series of roll bars by TR Lane seems to be the best option, but I am a little worried about how well the roof will fold down when it is fitted.
Does anyone have a TR Lane roll bar fitted? How well does the roof fold down? Is anyone able to take a few photos of the area around the roll bar with the roof down so I could see how much clearance there is?
Typhoon, thanks for the photos. Looks like it does fit in there fine. Does your car have a glass or plastic rear screen? Do you have any handy tips for installation?
It has a glass window. This bar is the bigger TD Roll bar, the front mountings located differently to the GP Roll Bar but fitting is essentially the same. As you can see from the picture you are likely to need something to push the legs apart or pull them together (ratchet straps) to get to them to fit perfect. For the rear legs I used a punch to indent the metal from the top and drilled the holes from the bottoms as there is no room to get a drill there from the top. Iuse a smaller drill bit and then a 12mm tapered reamer bit to enlarge the hole. I drilled everything in situ - no measuring - just put the bar in and drilled the holes while the bar was in place. Use some rustproofer/underseal on the reinforcment plates and bolts under the car. It is pretty straightforward really - took about 60min (I had the carpeting out before hand).
can i piggyback this thread - i share the same concern as peterlg.
I have no intention of using the car to race, purely road fun. I am interested in the additional bracing a bar would provide as well as the upside down protection. My concern is that i am a tall guy, my head is not far off touching the roof when up - will my head be likely to bang against the bar in normal use? I accept it will if its all goes wrong, but then presently i would be decapitated!
If your are tall and have seat right back then the TD bar wont for you as your head will hit the bar. The GP series bars should be fine as they sit inline with the seatbelt towers so behind your head. Your head probably going to be above the bar with standard seats so any roll over will require a bit of quick ducking down towards the passenger seat! A lot of taller folk remove foam from the seat base or fit aftermarket seats direct to the floor to sit lower down.
I have a TR lane roll bar fitted and I’ve also fitted two more, one for my brother and one for a friend . So we did a pictorial step by step of fitting one and posted it on you tube .
Just to edit i found this pic of the line from window frame to roll bar . I’m six foot one and my heads level with the line, but i reason that without a bar i wouldn’t have a head
I would thoroughly recommend fitting at GP roll bar from TR Lane. I’ve had it in the car for months now and I’ve never hit my head on it. It does ever so slightly obstruct the seat back movement, so without it rubbing, I can’t get the seat back rotated as back as far as possible, but we’re talking one notch of rotation. I’m 6’3", and I’ve not had any major problems with head room in the car.
I really have noticed the difference in structural rigidity in the rear of the car, and it’s nice having the peace of mind that the bar would support the weight of the car if it did happen to go over. It’s a fair amount of work fitting the roll bar - took me three evenings. Nedski’s pictorial guide is definitely worth a watch too.
As you are far more likely to have a collision and the car stay upright all the rollbar will do in these situations is cave your skull in as your head bounces off it, unless you are going to wear a helmet on the road, if you are tall and your head can contact it, forget it!! Race cages are taller and you cannot fit a hood or hardtop
Well I disagree there . I’ve been in a rolled car twice,the first was a road car and the roof squashed to the headrest’s and was not nice. The second was a race car with roll cage and all was fine. I don’t see how not having a bar is safer .
your views and experience are really valued, thank you.
I am 6’4" and even from my first drive yesterday dropping the seat pad height would be a good idea - getting low is good i reckon and that would help with the rollbar as you identify.
I will only be using on the road (without a helmet) but wanting a bar is a no-brainer if i can find one that doesnt impede my head. I’ll look in to the GP.
So now i have a couple of questions - im still interested in you rollbar experiences, but any views on lowering / changing the seat too.
Changing the seat for anything like a bucket seat is a non-starter - I’m a tall guy and in proportion - i’ve got to be able to get my arse in to the seat and i’ve got to get in the car with long legs when the roof is up!
They were GP bars that i fitted and they don’t go down the seat backs, so you can get the seat just about all the way back. Your right about bucket seats the box section in the floor won’t let them sit low enough. Ive read that Lotus elise seats sit low so i guess some google research might help there.
Ive just bought another mk1 with a differnt cage but its in my workshop now . It has legs going down to the floor behind the seat and really does restrict seat movement probbably by 5 or 6 cm which when your tall makes life difficult.
I’ll update you on my cage when it arrives from TR Lane if you like, although I don’t think a roof would fit over it. Happy to measure up though if you like, so that you’ll know for sure.
Tim (Lane: TR Lane) is a very helpful chap though, I expect he’d be able to assist you with something to suit you specifically
