Yeah I'm pretty convinced (and my cage builder was too) that the bulkhead is structural enough to mount the bars to with the reinforcement plates. He said this is pretty common practice in Miatas that want rollbars without losing the convertible top. Going with this setup vs the factory bars also moves the rollbar several inches further above the top of my helmet, assuming it functions properly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jns_e85
#In4cageMeasurements 
... I may also want to do this, as my limiting factor on holding of on a half cage has been not having a hardtop. How much did it run by the way? |
It was about $900 for the hoop fab, paint, and install. I did all the interior stripping work myself before dropping the car off. Then he also made some 6 point crotch mounts that would attach to the VAC Motorsports seat mounts for $75. I also bought two Ultrashield 6 point harnesses from him. They were a little pricey to buy through him, but I thought the rollbar was such a good deal I was happy to buy the harnesses through him.
And yeah, my plan is to run the car like this for a year or two. If I can ever source a reasonably priced hardtop for the car I'll ditch the softtop and get a full cage welded in, with proper rear bars extending down to the chassis in the trunk. If I can't ever find a hardtop without spending $5k+ for it, I've also thought about having some kind of bimini top made that could replace the factory softtop, cover a full cage without ruining the lines of the car, and provide a minimal level of rain protection. At this point, this car is pretty much a dedicated track car, so fuck it? I probably should have sold this car and bought a coupe, but its too late for that.
Something like the Porsche Boxster Spyder