Section : Bodywork and Interior

Chassis, bodywork, interior, instrumentation.

Double hoop roll bar

Posted By : Charlotte Tupman, 15-May-2006, 09:27pm

Has anyone successfully fitted a 'double hoop' roll bar to a Spitfire 1500, and if so, do the hoops fit with the soft/hard tops? For safety reasons I'd like to fit a roll bar (someone down the road has miraculously just survived a horrible accident in a Midget without a roll bar and it's got me thinking about it), but I much prefer the look of the double hoops to the single bar. Does anyone have any suggestions or opinions on the matter?

Charlotte

Followups :

Double hoop roll bar

Posted By : Andy Cook, 16-May-2006, 01:02am

Charlotte,

I've never seen a double hoop roll bar fitted to a Spitfire, however TRGB are certainly selling double hoop roll bars for TRs (see link and picture below) so it may be worth enquiring if they can do one for a spitfire.

http://www.trgb.co.uk/specials.htm

Andy Cook

Double hoop roll bar
- Double hoop roll bar
  
  Posted By : Charlotte Tupman, 16-May-2006, 07:52am
  
  Thanks Andy. Have sent them a message, and will post again when they have replied, in case anyone else is interested.
  
  Charlotte
- Double hoop roll bar
  
  Posted By : John Davies, 16-May-2006, 07:56am
  
  Charlotte, Andy,
  A rollover bar is there to stop your head and brain being spread like strawberry jam along the road.
  Any convertible car needs the strongest bar possible and the greatest strength comes from a wide base, with proper diagonal bracing. These bars have a narrow base, have no diagonal brace, just a poorly angled rear strut and are essentially weaker than a conventional, full width bar.
  You may never consider racing, but in motorsport rollovers are mandatory for exactly to the same reason - safety. The racing authorities (the MSA scrutineers) would not allow a car with double loops to race, because it would not be considered safe.
  
  Please consider this. And the fate of your neighbour, Charlotte.
  If you want to be stylish, fine.
  If you want to survive a rollover, fit a conventional bar.
  
  John
  - Double hoop roll bar
    
    Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 16-May-2006, 10:39am
    
    Those trgb bars will fit into a spitfire, I've got a couple (but not in chrome yet - so not fitted yet!) , they will need to be raised off the deck by about 3 inches though, in a structurally sound way (ally block with drilled holes? fabricated solid box? - so not a straight forward fit even though they have enough space behind the seats and don't foul anything.
    
    John's right of course with it's comparison over the race bar, depends what your looking for (decisions decisions.....)
    - Double hoop roll bar
      
      Posted By : Clive Speaks, 16-May-2006, 02:44pm
      
      I will have an unmaked braced Jigsaw racing roll-over bar available soon if interested? Certainly safer but does impeed access to passenger seat
      - Double hoop roll bar
        
        Posted By : Charlotte Tupman, 17-May-2006, 10:54am
        
        Thanks for all the replies - point taken about safety! For general interest, TRGB replied saying that they had plans to develop the double hoop roll bar for the Spitfire, but that there was no timescale for it at present.
        
        Charlotte
        
        Double hoop roll bar
        
        Posted By : Andy Cook, 17-May-2006, 11:15am
        
        Charlotte,
        
        I was just looking at the Jigsaw website searching for something unrelated and noticed that they sell double hoop rollover bars for a Spitfire, see weblink:-
        
        http://www.jigsawracingservices.co.uk/other.htm
        
        Double hoop roll bar
        
        Posted By : Phil Letchford, 18-May-2006, 09:44pm
        
        Â£175.00 Your having a laugh!!! I bet they took 15 minutes to make and I bet there aint 10 quids worth of metal there either.
        Being in the fabrication game, I can't believe what people are charging.