69 finally at the race shop-roll bars to come

[69MyWay]

Here are some quick pics of this mornings adventures.

First I had to load the car on the trailer. I love the new to me 94 seats. Can't wait to get them done in black. You can't tell in these pics but I had to put the crusty old convertible top in so he could spec out the clearance for the hoops behind the seats.

 

[69MyWay]

Here it is at the shop. You can see the new race car being built off to the side. This guy is really good at what he does. He is going to tack weld up the brackets I made up for the seats, then build the bars around the rear panel to hold the four point harness.

 

[Ken]

:J Absolutely gorgeous! :J

I love the windshield header treatment and the flares. Are those the wheels you'll be using? They don't appear wide enough - you gotta get that "wide-track" look!

_ken

 

[vigman]

YOU LEFT THE SEATS IN????!!!!!

Yikes.... hope ya got em covered.

Mike

 

[69MyWay]

Re: YOU LEFT THE SEATS IN????!!!!!

Yikes.... hope ya got em covered.

Mike

Yep, I had to leave them in as he has to build the harness system and rear bars around them. As weird as it sounds, the seats were the last part of the puzzle that I had to nail down before he could do his thing. At least they are not covered yet in the final material.

 

[vigman]

Phew

When I said covered.. I ment plastic but since this is not the "final" seat covering I guess it's ok.

Looking GOOD!

Mike

 

[c4ever]

 

[69MyWay]

Feast your eyes on these guys!

I am posting three quick pics of the finished product.

After the welding was complete he sent them out to a local powder coating shop to do a bright silver with clear coat. They match the face of the gauges. He also went ahead and tied them into the floor for a full five point harness if desired.

I have a set of bright yellow racing belts to finish it off.

 

[69MyWay]

Another angle

 

[69MyWay]

This project is shaping up in a way that far exceeds my wildest imagination. I have to pinch myself when I look at it. For now I have it resting in the house garage next to Nikki's 2000. As soon as I get the 90 back on the road it goes back to the back workshop for the next phase.


BTW, Jimmy Britts of Souther Speed (the fabricator of the bars) would like some feedback on them. One, he would like to know what you think. Two, he would like to know if any of you convertible guys are interested in these.

He does not know what he would charge to build you one yet, but I would guess around $500-$750 including the powder coating and belts. This is a "bolt" in application. What you can't see in these pics is the fact it goes all the way to the floor then forward so that the seat tracks bolt through the roll bar frame. This ties the whole area together providing strength, beauty, and safety.

 

[Ls1smlblck]

Chris those babies look beautiful!!!!!

 

[80convertible]

I'm very interested in this rollbar. I was going to ask you were you purchased it. I have had plans to install a rollbar for about 3 years but just have not had the budget to do so. I was looking at having a custom fab job to avoid cutting the rear deck or interfering with the top. Looks like you solved both! I have not been this excited to read a posting in some time. I have a shop that builds hot rods that can easily install this. Is this bar considered strong enough to protect you in the event of a rollover? Still need to finish restoring my vert frame and get the top installed before I can consider something like this, but I'm glad to know its an option. Are the C4 seats necessary to install this bar?

Regards,


Jim

 

[Black Thunder]

Chris.... You have every right to feel good about the way things are turning out! Those rollbars look very, very nice.
Tell Jimmy Britts I am very impressed with his work. My big question is do you lose alot in rearward travel. I have absolutely none to spare!
John

 

[69MyWay]

Jim,

Although the welding is NHRA/Nascar quality, this particular bar is not certified for any type of crash worthiness. I did not want to cut holes through the body and weld posts to the frame to avoid messing up the lay out of the interior.

However, there is no doubt that with this structure bolted in between the b pillars that the car is much safer than the stock seatbelt mounts. It also has the fifth point in the front and he reinforced the metal structure in the floor that holds the seats.

John,

I have not lost much rearward travel. I gave up maybe 2" max. I will have to measure it and see.

Hey Keith, I bet you saw your share of all kinds of roll bars and crash bars in your racing days.

 

[Nut]

Testimonial

Community,

I have just had the pleasure of seeing the roll bars at Souther Speeds welding shop before they were installed. The pictures do not do them justice. The bar assembly is PERFECTLY symetrical. Though they may not have been certified NASCAR quality, the welds are exquisite with no rough spots of ANY kind. The powder coating job was first class and it took two of us a grand total of 30 seconds to install the assembly in the '69 and the fit was dead on.

The car is a sight to behold. The emphasis on detail that Chris has put into this car is amazing. I can only imagine what she's going to look like when complete. Wait until you see the engine.

Way to go Mod Man!! ........ Nut