Posted 10 March 2016 - 09:29 PM
Finally got that goddamn roll bar out! My god, what a PITA that was! Still managed without busting anything, sills intact, firewall intact. Happy days. I can't imagine a shop would do it this way though, there's no way that's economical! Cut the B pillar part of the sill moulding perhaps?
Anyway, still tossing up options, but one things for certain, the std vx bar is not going back in! Seriously, that thing is dangerous. I'm glad lotus calls it just a 'seat belt mount'. Really, x2 50% cut outs?? Did Vauxhaull change the brief half way through, and suddenly they wanted more seat adjustability? How can an engineer justify chopping chunks out of a roll bar?! It's insane.
If nothing else, I'll put a std S2 Elise bar in, it might be smaller tube stock, but at least it's an actual complete round tube without 2 massive stress risers in it. I haven't ruled out a proper cage, but I'm very rapidly running out of room, I'm not sure it's feasible (and it's not a race car). I've got an idea to put a diagonal cross in the engine bay though (and remake the rear stays). That will help at least with a little triangulation
Ps, whilst dicking around seeing what my options were, I chopped the head rest parts off the vx bar, and for those interested, they weigh 1200grams complete