Roll bar advice

[124ADDHE]

Hello fellas. I've been lurking around here again, starting to get some real spider passion going again.; 3 years ago in 2 weeks was when my fully restored 124 was t boned, that event really left me defeated, so much work lost and we never get the dollars when a collision happens (I will do a full appraisal before she hits the road this time). Well I bought a 73 2.5 years ago and I've slowly gotten to laying the paint (2005 Maserati grigio palladio ) and having a large part of my custom stuff/wiring/rebuilding done and am now on to the roll bar and finally REASSEMBLEY !!

So I'm hoping that someone can share the measurement from floor crossmember to roll bar top. I would really appreciate it!

[courtenay]

Hi Keith - I'm away from home 'til around the 23rd of August, but if no one has a measurement for you by then, I can measure mine.
Cheers,
Bruce

[124ADDHE]

Great Bruce!

[v6spider]

The autopower rollbar is the best one out there.. I can measure mine of you like.. it doesn't interfere with the top action and looks sharp.

Rob

[klweimer]

+1 on the Autopower roll bar. I have an '82 and it fit just fine. Key item was drilling the holes for the lower mounts and not hitting the rear axle link mounts. It's no roll cage, but it looks darn cool and better than nothing if you rolled.
Kirk

[Wagen]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have a question for those with the autopower rollbar - which models fit under the top? I need a harness bar and would like to have a diagonal brace (if not two), but am concerned the race bar will not fit under the top.

Do I need to go with the basic street bar and weld in my own bracing and harness bar?

[klweimer]

Hi Wagen,
I don't know the answer to this question, as I just have the basic street bar. If you want to get serious about roll protection, I would reach out to a shop that does this for a living. The attachment points on the street bar are limited, with the rear support legs just bolting through the inner fender wells. You could weld in additional braces, but until you have it really nailed to the frame, I'm not sure how much good that does. Let's see if some of the folks who have raced their Fiats will chime in.
Kirk

[Calman]

Due Posh, Check out Hagerty or Grundy for agreed value Classic car insurance. I don't think the large insurance companies are just not set up to adequately compensate you for the loss of a classic.

A friend just told me about the time he worked as a fireman and responded to a call about an 850 spider flipping (went off the road) fatally crushing the driver. He recommended getting a roll bar so that's my question too- the Autopower only seems to be for "performance look and style". I know it's better than nothing and a cross brace would help but does anyone have other suggestions?

Thanks!
Calman

[PhillySpider]

I have the factory option roll bar installed. I've got 28" from the middle top of the back seat bottom straight up to the top of the roll bar pad (pad is maybe 1/4" thick). The top of my back seat bottom is 4" above the transmission hump behind the center console. The roll bar top bar has about 1.5" clearence from the rear top bow with the top up. Hope that helps and makes sense

[carl]

I have the Autopower street bar in my spider and added a diagonal and a harness bar (between the rear braces). Any rollbar taller than the Autopower bar or even their own race bar won't fit under the top.

If you want a picture of my modified roll bar, send me an email

carlfriedman@verizon.net

[Sparky]

That sucks that the Autopower race bar won't work with the top. I contacted them and they confirmed that's the case.

You got me looking 'tho and I found BossFrog doesn't advertise their double-hoop roll-bar for the classic Fiat Spider, but they've apparently made them before and will make more if you ask nice. I'm assuming they lasercut something other than the MG logo
http://www.bossfrog.biz/British_Rollbars.html

Also Paeco Imports will do their Race/Slalom bar in the shorter Street height if you ask.

You may specify slalom bars without the extra height to allow the top to go up and down for street use if you wish.

http://www.paeco.com/Rollbars%20and%20Cages.htm

[124ADDHE]

Hey Sparky. I can send you some photos of my build. Just got to her last weekend, should have a few hours this weekend to maybe finish it (wife, kid's, job and acreage eat up all my time) ; ended up finding 0.12"x 1.5" or 1.75" tubing is uncommon and more expensive than .14" thick 1.25"(1.66"od) pipe and instead of bending tube or pipe, weld in 90's make her simple if you have a welder.

Before anyone says it., no, this is not cast iron
Same chemical and physical properties to the tube according to the metal shop/fab shop o/o