Without a roll over bar??

[Olgawld]

After trying out a brooklands aeroscreen on my supersprint, I now like the look of the car without the rollover bar, looks a smoother flow. Does anyone else drive without a roll over bar? How many Caterhams over the years have actually ended up on their roof, in road use not the track? Would I be mad to do it? I like the look of a single roll hoop but can't find one anywhere.

[Ivaan]

Could you get insurance?

A step / risk to far for me.

[garybee]

Risk's a funny thing.  I wouldn't feel comfortable driving a 7 without a roll bar.  But one of my motorbikes does have nearly 1000bhp/tonne.  Realistically I'm far more likely to be injured riding that than driving a Caterham without a roll hoop.  I wouldn't remove mine as I don't see any benefit and there are definite drawbacks (unable to use on track, which is the main reason I own it).  Looks seems an odd reason to remove it though, I doubt anyone else would notice.

edit: thought of another good reason to keep it.  It is the mount for the head restraint in my car.  The thought of broken neck/paralysis scares me far more than the thought of just plain snuffing it.

[Wrightpayne]

If you google pictures of S2 Lotus sevens very few have bars. Some have single hoops.

Many classic convertibles dont have any sort of roll over protection - midgets, MGBs, Spitfires, TR6s, Alfa's etc

 

There is always the triangular VX race bar - maybe worth a call to Arch motors to discuss options?

Ian

[paul richards]

Some more recent special editions (Monaco? Lambretta) were produced without a roll bar although many owners chose as an optional extra. 

[Drumster]

Another Brookland user here. Above photo shows where the oncoming car landed after a head-on.  Freak accident yes, but had the roll-bar not been there we might not be here to tell the tale. 

[bluenose]

Was watching a Petrol Ped video on Youtube at a Bruntingthorpe vmax event and they did 160mph in a Caterham 620R, the yellow lego one with a standard non FIA roll bar, now that just seems idiotic to me?

Nick

[Geoff Brown]

I believe that on Lotus chassis the addition of even a basic rollover bar tightened up the rear end lateral compliance increasing the structural integrity of what was an adequate but 'weak' structure?

Caterham chassis obviously have more structural integrity so I would like to think that a roll over bar may add a bit more lateral integrity but not by much & definitely not where the Westbuy chassis are concerned.  But protection is maximised.

I will not open up the 'pipe cleaner' v track day roll over bar debate again!!

Having seen some pics of accidents involving Sevens if it were not for the rollover bar there probably would have been a fatality.

Not having a roll bar would be a poor idea. I would feel vulnerable without one.

[Billy.Whizz]

Safety first, fit a roll bar, end of.

[garybee]

If the guy wants to run without a roll bar and is happy to accept the risk that is his decision.  I also don't see what's wrong with the 160mph run without a roll bar.  That is surely safer than driving a seven on any public road.  

[Bricol]

I think it adds more than roll over protection - mummy driving an SUV tank turns to see what up with darling child in the back, doesn't notice the less than ultra-bright brake lights mounted so low on a seven . . . muddy white van man fingering his tablet to see where the next drop is . . . imagine where one would end up if its braking ends in a trip up the rear panel of a seven . . .

Bit like seat belts - have you needed them yet ?  Or the air-bag in your normal car ? (although admittedly, two my other normal cars don't have them - too old) 

Think I'd rather have it and not ever need it, than need it once and not have it . . .

[Olgawld]

Taken comments into consideration, and yeah can see about having it and hopefully not needing it being the sensible view. I'm getting some chrome paint to spray it to see if that helps it blend better with the bare ally body, rather than the black. Cheers

[SLR No.77]

Picking up on Geoff's comments about chassis rigidity, I've run my Seven with both an FIA rollbar and a full cage (obviously not at the same time!) and the difference in chassis rigidity is massive. I've not experienced running with no bar but I would imagine there would be some further loss of rigidity, even the non-FIA bar is quite substantial compared to the chassis tubes around it.

On the issue of turning the car over, I've put a motorbike upside down in a ditch and walked away, I suspect the same incident in a 7 with no rollover protection would not have ended well. 

Stu.