WTB: FIA Rollbar

[Kitcat]

Interesting Croc. I have to say I am not impressed with the Caterham cage. It hugs the contours of the car so there is no "crush" zone. My Caterham's custom cage sticks out 6-8" on the driver's side so, if hit and deformed, it still stays out of the narrow driver's seat.

 

The Caterham cage is better than no cage (where, basically, your left elbow is the barrier to intrusion), and I am sure is decent in a roll over or, "climb over" (where another car lands on top of your car), but still, the driver's left arm is at risk, even with arm restraints.

 

I think the odds of something catastrophic happening at a track day are very minimal, given the point-by rules and policy against aggressive driving. I'd be much more concerned in competition.

[lotsats]

Lotsats: I don't think so. Based on my ever worsening "memory": the Caterham FIA bar weighs 31 lbs, the standard bar weighs 11 lbs. I weighed both on my bathroom scale many years ago. So, it is much stouter than the stock bar. An occasion where adding lightness is not a good thing. A knowledgeable Caterham pro once analogized the protection provided by the stock bar to being similar to that afforded by a Kleenex box....

 

This was for a '97 Caterham, so its very possible that the current "stock" roll-over bar is far superior to the flimsy unit offered in '97?

 

So—————-in 1969, I bought a used Formula Vee and went SCCA racing. After my first driver school, I removed the rollbar to add a taller one with better reinforcements. Upon inspection, the old bar was made out of electrical conduit. I don’t thank that even Colin Chapman would have done something that reckless during his quest for lightness.

[panamericano]

BWTM. One year at the Carrera Panamericana, a beautiful (German team) 300SL roadster showed up with just a single driver side roll bar. Tech rejected it and informed them that they needed a 6 point cage. They went to a muffler shop and had one fabbed of exhaust pipe. Their further disregard for sanity was shown on a top speed stage where the navigator unstrapped so he could get completely out of the wind stream (small aero screens).

 

PS Back in the day, there are countless photos of Jim Clark et al with helmets higher than the roll bar.

[tajordan]

Sadly no. A driving instructor described it as the metal equivalent of a cardboard tube in a chat earlier this year. So clearly no improvement over 1997.

 

 

Also interesting to note, that the original options included an FIA bar. Looking at a 2019 420R order form with option list today it is:

- standard

- "track day roll bar"

- roll cage

 

The FIA option no longer considers a roll bar adequate. You have to be in roll cage territory to get any FIA label.

 

My understanding is that the "track day roll bar" plus the petty strut meets FIA requirements. The bar alone does not. I'm sure someone can confirm.

[fastg]

I was not going to post until the roll bar was powder coated and finally installed but as a roll bar post was started. Dan Lipperini of www.racelabz.com user name w650gb500, did an amazing job on my custom cage, exactly what I was looking for.

 

Checkout

 

 

http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20387&p=251842#p251842

Edited December 7, 2019 by fastg
Add picture

[Vovchandr]

I think you might be on to something here. I found some photos that may agree with that.

 

Straight:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16222[/ATTACH]

 

Sloping:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16223[/ATTACH]

 

Yep.

 

Even your top one appears a bit more sloped that what I've seen

 

Here is my old one vs random

 

 

[Croc]

Is it an S3 vs SV chassis difference?

[Kitcat]

Here is a shot of my custom flared-out roll cage. As you can see, it allows for some crush space before a driver compartment intrusion can occur. Seem like all se7en cages should be designed this way?