dibbons
Well-Known Member
It seems a good-looking padded, conventional loop roll bar in a Valiant convertible would help with strength, safety, and a more custom look. Anyone doing this?
Anyone installed a simple roll bar for frame stiffening/safety in their convertible?
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ElFin
Well-Known Member
I installed a 4-point roll bar on my 67 cuda convertible. We tied it into some perches welded outboard of the sub-frame connectors. It gave me a good anchor point for shoulder-belts. Also bolted a piece of steel pipe across the front below the radiator support at the front of the frame rails. Car was much more solid-feeling, and ride was a lot softer with the road surface roughness being handled by the shocks rather than by chassis flex.
ElFin
Well-Known Member
I also made an over elaborate shock tower brace.
64Conv8
64Conv8
Hi, u have a 50 year old unibody..weak and rusted...save a lot of time by putting in the frame extenders from..US car tool.com..919-855-8200...takes about 1 hour each/ side installation...if u get them call me first....for a couple of tricks..I have done 2 of them...
I was wondering how this fit, and what mods you had to do to the rear seat or the top well. I can't see how it would fit without cutting up the rare rear side panels.
I could see if you wanted the stiffening and didn't want to change the looks (and weren't concerned about rollovers), you might go with subframe connectors and a hoop inside the trunk behind the top well. The rad support brace is a good idea. A shock tower brace is another idea, though that's not a major flex point on Mopars. I've also heard of under cowl hoops, though there is a lot of stuff in there already.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
Subframe connectors are the most bang for the buck in stiffening. The difference between my son's Dart and our GTS convertible is amazing. The only difference is the subframe connectors and factory big block torsion bars.
I say get the whole chassis stiffening kit from us car tool. Have all of their products on my car and they are all awesome! Great prices too
ElFin
Well-Known Member
I was able to install the roll bar without cutting into the side trim panels, but then I ended up drilling a hole in the side panels so I could through-bolt the rear door pillars to the roll bar. The bolts go inside a piece of 3/4" pipe that I notched to fit the roll bar. The car was a complete junker to start with, so I'm not trying to create a restoration miracle out of it.
ElFin
Well-Known Member
I'll try to post photos.
ElFin
Well-Known Member
jbc426
Well-Known Member
I installed a four-point rollbar in my '68 Barracuda. It has the complete US Cartool chassis stiffening kit in it too. The middle support bars attach to a plate that's welded above the frame,many those bars pass between the upper seat back and the bottom seat cushion near where the seat belts pass through. I didn't have to cut any of the interior except where the main loop goes through the carpet.
These upgrades transformed the car from what it once was. Fortunately, I started with a nearly rust free garage kept car. I also made a strut tower brace. It needs to be changed slightly, because I used to have a /6 in the car when I made the brace, and now it hits the A/C compressor on my 2001 5.9 swap. That motor has been upgraded to an OBDII 408 Magnum, so the car is really benefiting from the increased chassis rigidity.
I'll post a few pis of the rollbar as soon as I get them.
Here are some pics...
These upgrades transformed the car from what it once was. Fortunately, I started with a nearly rust free garage kept car. I also made a strut tower brace. It needs to be changed slightly, because I used to have a /6 in the car when I made the brace, and now it hits the A/C compressor on my 2001 5.9 swap. That motor has been upgraded to an OBDII 408 Magnum, so the car is really benefiting from the increased chassis rigidity.
I'll post a few pis of the rollbar as soon as I get them.
Here are some pics...
I put a Competition Engineering kit from Summit Racing in mine. Eight points and you can still sit in the back seat.
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