[flash]

With the success and popularity of the "Chassis Brace" for the Cabriolet, and the ever increasing desire of people to take their car out on the track, I decided to design a "Chassis Brace" for the hardtop model. There currently is no unit that does what this does. The Autopower is only a 4 point unit, and requires that you drill a bunch of holes in your car. The Redline unit is a Harness Bar only. There just is no other unit out there.

The unit is built of 1.5" diameter DOM tubing and 3/16" steel plates and is designed to meet or exceed all specifications of both PCA and SCCA for 4 point roll bars. We deliberately did not do a diagonal brace because we feel that the stewards will realize the rigidity of the additional 2 outer points, as they then integrate the chassis of the car, and agree that the diagonal is superfluous. This is however why the unit is NOT certified as a Roll Bar, and cannot be called one.

The unit is a true "bolt in" unit, requiring NO cutting, welding, or drilling of ANYTHING. It attaches at all 6 outer seat belt mounting points. The load is managed by the landing plates mounted on top of the frame, and is not dependent upon the mounting points.

While straightforward and simple to remove, it's not particularly easy to maneuver around, and we therefor recommend leaving it in the car.

The optional Harness Bar is easily removed to allow back seat use.

There is ample room between the main hoop and the roof to allow for roll bar padding (can't have the kids banging their little heads)

Installation is very simple, and takes about 15 minutes.

The unit weighs about 24lbs, and will be powdercoated semi-gloss black. (the one in the pics is the prototype and rattle-canned)

The unit allows full use of the back seats (however, the seat backs will no longer fold forward). It allows full use of all seat belts, and does not interfere with entry to the car. It fits all years of 968. (pretty sure it will fit the 944 too)

Price is $675
Optional Harness Bar is $125
Optional Diagonal Brace (not shown) is $125

Shipping and packaging can be expected to be about $175

Inquire by clicking on the RS Barn button on the Index page

Here are some shots:
   
   
   
   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Scott Collins]

That's very nice.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[timbits]

Wow. That looks amazing! Good work Flash!
Although I do have another thing to add to my list of things to get for my 968...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

thanks - i just edited the first post - these will now be available through RS Barn

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Cloud9...68]

Flash,

Wow, it's amazing how little it intrudes into the passenger space. Between this, the lower suspension brace, and the strut tower brace, the chassis rigidity must improve dramatically. I know things are going to be very busy for you the next few weeks, so I don't really want to open a long, and only semi-related discussion, but I wonder how the significantly increased chassis rigidity impacts the alignment requirements. As you've stated many times, large amounts of negative camber are often used to mask chassis flex issues. I'm sure Pete has a solid grasp of this.

Anyway, great work. I need to find a way to get myself one of these...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

thanks - that was the goal - i wanted to come up with something that allowed people to continue to use the back seats (just in case they just HAD to transport their 2 adult cats) but still gave them the ability to go out and play

with all of the chassis stiffening there should now be no need to increase negative camber much beyond stock

lol - to get one, you call pete...................

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

SPECIAL HERSHEY PRICING - $699 INCLUDING HARNESS BAR (shipping and handling still about $175)

OFFER GOOD UNTIL 4-25

CONTACT PETE AT RS BARN

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

we are extending the offer for a bit longer since we didn't get a chance to have one at hershey to show off

p.s. - if you are planning on building a full cage, this unit can be used as the platform for that, and save you a lot of money - we can ship uncoated for that purpose as well

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[wmuldowney]

Yes very nice indeed. Gives me second thought, maybe I will put my car on the track. And the as far as the kids go I think this would be useful in keeping them strapped down as well, so there is that bonus as well.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[xrad]

Flash: this is exactly the same design I was talking to John at Redline Safeguard about.

I asked him if he could add two more mounts to his bar at the B pillar. He said it was not needed. I did not agree and thought the design would only benefit from the extra two mounting points.

Here is a pic of his bar:

http://redlinerennsport.com/SafeguardPage.html

I like your design Flash. Definately interested in getting one. Can you chrome it?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[josephsc]

Just my 2 cents worth, but I'm not a huge fan of Redline rollbar.

I have it mounted in a 944 and the fit isn't that great. It ships with washers that you place between the rollbar and the chassis. Because every chassis is slightly different, the number of washers you need varies across cars. In my case, I had to use 4 large washers at each mounting point because there was a 1/2" gap at each point (in part because this 944 has no carpet). Having to use that many washers does not instill confidence in the rollbar's ability to do its job......

I expect this product to be a better design and fit.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

yeah - i don't think he has looked into the specs of any of the sanctioning bodies - none of them will approve that design as a roll bar - i was very careful when designing mine for exactly those reasons - i didn't go the steps to get it certified, but i followed the design parameters set forth by those bodies

that's exactly why the landing plates are there though - they transfer the load to the frame, which then takes the load, not the hardware

pretty sure i can chrome it - i will look into that

if you're going to race though, then you need to add a diagonal to it and forget about the back seats - this is designed to do DE events and not races

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

looking into chroming - not going to be cheap though, that's for sure - it's not the kind of thing that is particularly popular anymore

time to vent a bit:

with as much interest as there was with in this thing, i am surprised that we have not been swamped with orders - i am a little bent at having gone through the development, even though i really had no interest in doing it, but was urged on by members, only to have the sound of crickets when it is all done

this smacks of what happens with things like a supercharger project - everybody wants it - in the end though, likely extremely few will buy it - thankfully i saw that and bailed before i got too invested in it

i'll definitely think twice before diving into another such project - i realize it is the cost of doing business and such, and this kind of thing happens, but it sure doesn't feel any better by knowing it

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968crazy]

<!--quoteo(post=72694:date=May 27 2009, 08:23 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ May 27 2009, 08:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->looking into chroming - not going to be cheap though, that's for sure - it's not the kind of thing that is particularly popular anymore

time to vent a bit:

with as much interest as there was with in this thing, i am surprised that we have not been swamped with orders - i am a little bent at having gone through the development, even though i really had no interest in doing it, but was urged on by members, only to have the sound of crickets when it is all done

this smacks of what happens with things like a supercharger project - everybody wants it - in the end though, likely extremely few will buy it - thankfully i saw that and bailed before i got too invested in it

i'll definitely think twice before diving into another such project - i realize it is the cost of doing business and such, and this kind of thing happens, but it sure doesn't feel any better by knowing it<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I'm still planning on getting one just waiting for the funds to be freed up. Its tough now during racing season to buy much of anything with all the hotels and fuel and tires

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - no worries - as a note of perspective though, i would think that those would come secondary to the safety items, but then i am one to leave the car in the trailer rather due to a weepy brake cylinder or a leaky tire, rather than risk it

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Cloud9...68]

I'm afraid that for many of us, it's the economy. In my own case, forced weeks off without pay, rumors of plant closures for the foreseeable future, and just plain uncertainty of the future of my company, has completely whacked my disposable income. I'm grateful to still have a job, but the aforementioned cuts means no more trips to the track, which means no need for the chassis brace, as much as I drool every time I open this thread. Sadly, I'm sure I'm not alone...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[white924s]

<!--quoteo(post=72694:date=May 27 2009, 05:23 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ May 27 2009, 05:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->looking into chroming - not going to be cheap though, that's for sure - it's not the kind of thing that is particularly popular anymore

time to vent a bit:

with as much interest as there was with in this thing, i am surprised that we have not been swamped with orders - i am a little bent at having gone through the development, even though i really had no interest in doing it, but was urged on by members, only to have the sound of crickets when it is all done

this smacks of what happens with things like a supercharger project - everybody wants it - in the end though, likely extremely few will buy it - thankfully i saw that and bailed before i got too invested in it

i'll definitely think twice before diving into another such project - i realize it is the cost of doing business and such, and this kind of thing happens, but it sure doesn't feel any better by knowing it<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Flash - thanks for the PM, I've been pretty slammed with work lately and haven't had a ton of time to check out 968forums in a while. As such, I'm just seeing this for the first time, and I must say that the final product looks quite impressive. I like how you tied it in to the C-pillars as well as the traditional 4-point mounts to the frame rails. From the photos you posted, it looks like it should transfer loads down to the rails quite well and it looks like there is good room for the front seat backs to recline (important for tall folks like me). I have a couple quick questions, if you don't mind
- Do you perchance know the included angle between the legs and the main bar? The engineer in me just wants to get as much of the specs as possible before pulling the trigger
- Is shipping from you or from RS Barn? If its from RS Barn, I might try to save on shipping and just drive down there to pick it up myself, but I think that getting to/from California would be more than $175 for me

My interest is definitely piqued as this product looks like it will offer more rigidity and rollover protection than other bolt-in products (eg Redline Rennsport or similar, and yes, I realize that this is not advertised as a "roll bar" per se, but still - if I'm going to pay for a harness bar, might as well get some added safety, right?) at a price that is better than something like a Safety Devices bar that requires cutting/welding. I understand if you're reluctant to share any more info than you mentioned above, but I would be interested to see how the C-pillar mounts compare to Safety Devices' diagonal bar in terms of stiffness and vertical load the bar can support

I'm sorry to hear that sales have been slow on this so far - just thinking out loud here, but is there any chance you might be able to leverage RS Barn to get advertising out on Rennlist or put the word out on Pelican? certainly the market for this extends beyond just 968s, so perhaps you'll be able to generate some more sales through that.

Thanks for seeing this project through and I hope that things pick up

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968crazy]

<!--quoteo(post=72706:date=May 27 2009, 10:34 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ May 27 2009, 10:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->lol - no worries -0 as a note of perspective though, i would think that those would come secondary to the safety items, but then i am one to leave the car in the trailer rather due to a weepy brake cylinder or a leaky tire, rather than risk it<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Safety items aren't at the top of the list for autocross. I want it for the chassis stiffening, but I do see your point.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i thought i responded to this a long time ago, but it looks like my post did not take - odd

to answer the questions though:

yes, the seats recline normally

the included angle is more than 30 degrees, but i'm not sure how much - the prototype is 40 miles away

it would normally ship from california, unless RS Barn decides to carry them in stock

yes, this would do MUCH better job of handling load than the Rennsport unit - that unit would transfer all the load to the bolts and shear them off very easily - this unit transfers load to the frame rails

we have contemplated and could add a diagonal bar easily enough - i opted not to yet only to retain full rear seat use - with a diagonal bar in place this would not happen - it could be a bolt in unit though, just like the harness bar

anybody thinking santa needs to bring them one of these would need to act pretty quickly

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[JWahlsten]

I asked Pete about one of these, and am interested in one. He didn't think you were going to produce though.

I want it to have a removable diagonal and harness section as I would like to have use of the rear seats. The triangulation would be nice. Of course, the roof of my car never touched the roll bar when I had my little snafu back in 98. No need to have it for Christmas, but by next track season, yep. We have seasons out here, Flash...

My only hesitation is the amount of damage this thing could cause to the kiddos in a collision. Think the best prepare for the worst... I would put high density roll bar padding on it.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.