The big boss, Campy, came into the office yesterday with a rather strange set of bars. Apparently Mrs. Campy had him clean out the garage last weekend and he found a pair of side bars that belonged to The Horse With No Name project car, which was given away to a lucky reader back in the late ‘90s! Thanks to its turbocharged status, the car was a consistent 11-second runner so the magazine guys at the time added a roll bar to it. They did a nice job and added swing-outs, to help the driver and passenger get in and out of the car and not have climb over a roll bar.
It reminded me how easy Mustang owners have it when it comes to NHRA legal six-point roll bars. Most people weld a roll bar in by using plates welded to the floor and then the bar welded to the plates. Uni-body cars, which include Mustangs, have the unique advantage to legally use a bolt-in roll bar for cars 10.00-11.49. While most weld it in, that is not required by NHRA to meet the safety standards.
What does that mean for Mustang owners? A bolt-in roll bar can allow you to have swing-out door bars and to go even further, the back bar behind the driver can be bolted in. So when you are not at the track, the side bars can be removed and the rear bar as well, allowing the back seat to be accessed with ease.
My brother’s 1989 Mustang LX coupe was a combination of a weld-in bar and bolt-together one. He didn’t want to eliminate the use of the backseat so the sidebars are bolt in and the bar behind the seats is as well. On the street, the car has a simple four-point roll bar. But when he goes to the track, the other bars are installed and bolted in, using the NHRA spec hardware, which I think, are ¾-inch minimum bolts, if I am not mistaken. Check the NHRA rulebook or talk to a reputable chassis shop for the proper hardware required to bolt-in bars.
Those with daily driven cars, especially New Edge and S197 cars, at least have an option so the roll bar doesn’t infringe on the comforts of your passengers.