Miata Mailing List: October 1994, Message #10
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   From: a.mccombs3@genie.geis.com
Subject: Re: Hard dog bars - Request fo
   Date: Sat, 1 Oct 1994 23:50:39 -0400

I have the lower level Hard Dog bar in Kansei, so I can't comment on the
metal cutting necessary for the bar with the diagonals and crossmember and
all.  I. too, forgot to turn the shoulder harness loops when I first
installed the bar, and had to take things apart again to do it.  (It was in
my instructions, but buried in a "supplemental" sheet in back.  I'd been
through the whole thing, but forgot about it at installation.)  Careful RE:
cutting the plastic trim panels.  The templates are not too close.  I cut
about 1/4 inch undersize, and still ended up with 1/4 inch too wide a cut on
the first one I tried.
 
RE:  Padding:  Car Guys requires that the bar be padded.  They sell the
stuff at various performance equipmt. places; it's fairly easy to find in a
fairly large metro area (DC).  If you get lucky, you may be able to find
pipe insulation sleeve at a hardware store, which will likely be cheaper.
It's the same stuff, but I couldn't find it in the inside diameter required
to fit the roll bar.  Also:  At least with my bar, I found that the
clearance between the sides of the bar and the top frame is so tight, that
it chewed up the padding along the sides of the bar.  I ended up just
padding the top of the bar, and around the curves a ways.  The generally
vertical side portions stayed unpadded.  Car Guys accepted this.
 
And, for those of you who are thinking about a roll bar, the Hard Bar (I
think it was called; the one with no rearward or diagonal bracing) still
allows the rear window to be unzipped fairly easily, and the top goes up and
down around it with no problem; there's about 1/2 inch clearance between the
rear top bow and the roll bar.  It's a bit more awkward getting the top up
and down, since one must use a two handed technique on each side of the bar
now, but if you want to go to a driver's school at the track, or autocross
on non-DOT tires, then you need a roll bar.  It seems that any roll bar will
do, but call your governing authority for whatever it is you're going to do,
before choosing a bar.
                                        --Jack M. & Kansei--