Building a rollbar for a BE

We have a bugeye at a body shop that has purchased a tubing bender and have been discussing how to build a roll bar that would provide protection and not limit the seating or interfere with the top.

Criteria:
- no impact on fore-aft seat adjustments
- the top can still be put up and work properly

Purpose:
- provide protection against side impact (i.e. large vehicle running a light)
- provide head/neck protection in case of being rear ended


Thus far, we're assuming a 1.5" OD hoop (per SCCA requirements) that would bolt to the floor (double plated on each side) and come up with a slight bend to match the hood support tubing. It would follow the hood support tubing and be just below and just behind it, when the springs are compressed. The problem is fitting the hoop, and having some way of making the hood taut. Ideally, retain the stock spring loaded system, perhaps by removing the lower mounts from the body and welding them onto the roll bar hoop. We may remove the storage mounts near the floor to get more clearance as we won't be able to use the stock single piece tubing support and will use the later two part ones. The hoop would be braced back to the wheel wells.

If we cannot make the stock spring loaded system work, then an alternative is to add webbing straps from the top of the hood, down over the outside of the plastic rear window, and buckle them directly to the steel bar at the base of the top such that they could be tightened. Not aesthetically great, but I don't expect that the car will be driven much with the top up.

I'm also thinking of a horizontal 1.5" OD tube bending slightly back from the vertical legs of the main hoop and over the rear body work, then bending across it to join the two verticals and to provide a mount for four point seatbelts.

The intention is to also fit a 'head pad', mounted on a vertical piece of tubing which would be welded onto either the top hoop or the lower cross brace.

We're going to try mocking things up with some plumbing tubing or perhaps bending electrical conduit.

I've had some communication with others in other threads, but figured I'd start this one and use it to ask for suggestions from folks who've gone this route as well as to provide updates as to how we're doing. And if we ever are successful. Doug

I picked up 2 ten foot long pieces of 1 1/4" galvanized steel electrical conduit today as it has an O.D. of 1.510 " and will be easier to build a mockup with. I checked the SCCA regs and a 1.25 inch outside diameter roll bar would appear to meet their requirements for vehicles sans drivers up to 1500 pounds, but I'd prefer to go with the 1.5" OD stuff which is rated for vehicles from 1501 to 2000 pounds for the additional strength as well as aesthetics. The BE appears to have an empty weight of 1464 pounds. Doug