Door crash bars
 

Is it legal to remove them and any tips on how to on a 1973 Nova?
TIA
Already gave up.

Re: Door crash bars
 

No, it's not legal. Nor is it legal to remove window regulators, etc.
However , seeing there's no tech, it's not enforced anymore.
PM me and I'll tell you how I would do it on a '73 Nova bracket car ;-)

Re: Door crash bars
 

Not legal but on our '87 Grand Prix bracket car, I chopped off both ends at the welds with a cutoff wheel, (After cutting out most of the inner door panel to make room). It wasn't easy but damn, they sure are HEAVY!
dev0

Re: Door crash bars
 

Mine were easy because we made sheet metal door panels, as Devo said you will be amazed how much they way. My Nova was a bracket car and weighed 2520 minus driver with sbc aluminum heads.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I would never take the crash bar out of the driver's door.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I take the left lane and run close to the wall !
...actually, my '66 nova never had crash bars, maybe we should require them.

Re: Door crash bars
 

Is that not part of what the side bar of the roll bar/cage is supposed to do? Yes I realize not required in slower cars, but it is recommended!

Re: Door crash bars
 

We race a couple slow class cars (N/SA up)
They all have NHRA legal rollbars and 5 pt. Harness.

You can be running 100 MPH and get hit by a 150 - 160 MPH Factory car
thru the top end!

When a fast car was 125 - 130 MPH = I did not worry like I do now!

Re: Door crash bars
 

Not safety related but a 70 Cuda SS/DA car I owned had fiberglass crash bars installed to look like the originals. Pretty creative car with some factory help back in the 70's.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I've done it several times over the years (before plasma cutters). It takes 2 people, one that is good with a torch and a good helper. Fill a large cooler with ice and water, soak a large heavy bath towel in the cooler, wet the inside of the door. Fold and place the cold soaked towel on the outside of the door skin in the area of the cut, quickly cut from the top down with a torch. If it doesn't completely cut on the first attempt, move to the other door. DO NOT COOL THE WARM PANEL IF FIRST ATTEMPT FAILS, the door may shrink and distort panel. Be patient and restart procedure once the door cools naturally. Try this on a junk door first to see how things work, if you can. The object is to keep the door skin COLD while cutting. I have done this on several finished cars to help trim some weight, to compensate for the owners "Second Cheeseburger Syndrome". Hope this Successful Method helps...MB.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I wouldn't do it that way.Too much chance of damaging the door skin /paint.
I would say I'm qualified to use a torch, after 50 years. You're talking to a guy that cuts pressed on bearings with a torch, without damaging the under surface.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I’ve heard of guys removing the door skin, cutting the bars out and putting on a new skin. They didn’t start putting them in the doors until around 1973, mopars anyway. I doubt you can get the old door skins anymore.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I have to wonder if tech has ever requested a door panel be removed to check to ensure any crash bars are still intact? IF one was to attempt to remove said bars, without damaging the paint on the doors ,( of a bracket car, of course!), a cutoff wheel on a die grinder would be a good way to do it.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I believe some of door/crash bars were also glued or epoxied to the door skins.

Re: Door crash bars
 

Might be easier to get an earlier model door. That's what I did on my Duster. Just make sure your 73 door panel, etc., will still work.

Re: Door crash bars
 

I believe around '72 or '73 was when they started Mopar A-body crash bars. They did change the inside door handle configuration in '73 so panels from '72 & earlier won't interchange with '73+.

Re: Door crash bars
 

Pull doors off the car and remove glass. Plug holes if needed, put door on its side, fill door with water and use a plasma cutter. Time consuming but worth it!