What rollbar do you lot have? And thoughts on this?

[lockey1995]

Hey,

I'm looking to get a roll bar for my 97 mk1 first of all I was looking at hard dog but it'd have to be shipped from the us and I reckon postage wouldn't be cheap aha.

So looking around I found a company down the road from me and they look just wanted to get a second opinion on what you lot think, obviously you can't put a price on safety and beings as I will be hitting the track this year it's going to be an essential.

Now the thing is you can't test them unless you roll you'll never know aha anyways here's the site I'm looking at.

Cheers, jack
http://www.5race.co.uk

[Oldandslow]

Don't have one myself. It's on the list.

Looks like a decent rollbar. Only thing I'm not that keen on is the harness attachment. Looks like a single bolt on one of the side plates. It's probably fine but I'm more used to seeing harness bars.

I'd been looking at TR Lane. They do a similar one with an integral welded harness bar. They're in Gloucestershire if that's handy to you. Don't know if they'd do the same range of colours. It'll have to be shipped across the Irish sea either way for me.

[Hanslow]

Again, no direct experience but I've been looking as it's on my list of things to get around to adding. I think I've settled on getting a GC Fabrications one, just not sure exactly on which one yet. If nothing else you can add it to your list of options.

[HorneyMX5]

Those 5Race ones are pretty poor. TR Lane or GC Fabrications every single time.

[lockey1995]

Yeah looking around on GC i like the look of this one not too bad either for £290

http://www.gcfabrications.co.uk/Mx5_GC2_Roll_Bar/p...

[Actus Reus]

Had a GCF bar on my S-Special and can't recommend Grant enough - good to deal with and excellent workmanship.

EFA!

Edited by Actus Reus on Tuesday 21st February 14:15

[Gad-Westy]

Actus Reus said:

Had a HCF bar on my S-Special and can't recommend Grant enough - good to deal with and excellent workmanship.

HCF?


Interested in this topic too. My car currently has "style" hoops. Wouldn't fancy relying on that if I found myself upside down.

I looked at the 5Race option but there is quite a bit of negativity around about it. of particular concern to me would be the angle of the rear stays. They don't look like they're doing much.

I'd not heard of GC. They look good. Anyone know how that compares to TR Lane's stuff?

My main criteria are going to be ease of fitting, appreciable safety benefit and still being able to use hard and soft top.

Do any of them allow you to carry on using the standard hardtop side latches?

Edited by Gad-Westy on Tuesday 21st February 12:09

[Actus Reus]

Sorry, GCF!

I think they make replacement latches too - I can't comment on the comparison between TR Lane, but from what I read on Nutz the general consensus was that GCF were better. I think, though I stand to be corrected, that GCF's tubing is a higher quality steel. Something like that anyway.

[Gad-Westy]

Actus Reus said:

Sorry, GCF!

I think they make replacement latches too - I can't comment on the comparison between TR Lane, but from what I read on Nutz the general consensus was that GCF were better. I think, though I stand to be corrected, that GCF's tubing is a higher quality steel. Something like that anyway.

Cheers. Food for thought.

[Actus Reus]

He has a Facebook page as well which has quite a bit of info - I was very happy indeed with the whole experience and I've recommended them unreservedly since. I've sold the '5 though.

[binnerboy]

As others have said TR Lane or GCF.

Harddog do one but that is more spendy.

TR Lane used to use a lower quality steel, it is now to the same spec as the GCF ones , or was last time I checked which was a while ago so probably best check.

You will need to cut the parcel shelf to allow fitting.

[mikey P 500]

I thought the 5race bar was ok. Owned an mx5 with hard dog bar fitted before too and the 5race was pretty similar not sure why so many negative comments from those who have only seen photos online of them.
Here is a fitting guide.
http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1...

[Actus Reus]

Isn't the oft-advanced argument against the 5-Race bars that they don't bolt on to the car as securely as the TR-Lane and GCF Bars? Certainly on the Facebook Nutz group I saw them utterly rubbished by a lot of people claiming that they're little more than style bars (which people argue are more dangerous than having nothing at all).

Personally I'm not sure, so don't shoot the messenger.

[griffdude]

TR Lane. I've had 2. Not had the opportunity to test them but they certainly bolt in securely.

[Baskey]

Iv a TR lane

Seems ok

[Brads67]

GC Fab

[HorneyMX5]

Actus Reus said:

Isn't the oft-advanced argument against the 5-Race bars that they don't bolt on to the car as securely as the TR-Lane and GCF Bars? Certainly on the Facebook Nutz group I saw them utterly rubbished by a lot of people claiming that they're little more than style bars (which people argue are more dangerous than having nothing at all).

Personally I'm not sure, so don't shoot the messenger.

The 5 race bars are made of cheap tubing. Avoid like the plague.

[Actus Reus]

Well that seems to fit with what I've heard about 5 Race bars.

Here's my old GCR3 bar - these accept normal seat-belts and are a bit wider than the cheaper GC bars. Felt and looked like good quality, and stiffened the car up a bit too.

[smm3008]

http://www.projectem.co.uk/products.php

Do any of you have any thoughts or experience with the retro offset rollbar found in the above link?

Cheers, Sam

[binnerboy]

from the little description CDS is the right stuff to use though they need to say which spec exactly.

And from the picture it looks like they are mounted on the monocoque which is also good.

other than that difficult to say.