El Camino roll bar

[Dragsinger]

I "think" in this situation a lexan rear glass would be allowed. It is allowed in SS.

[HandOverFist]

Just to be clear here guys...no bars will exit the back window on this one. I absolutely hate the way it makes the vehicle look.

Here it is accomplished in a '70 model...I believe it can be executed in a better manner tho.

[Carguy49]

Yes, the bars run through the rear window on Mark's. If you can make it work without doing that, cool. I don't really like the bars though the window, either.

Larry, Mark had a lexan rear window in his El Camino (when it was a S/S car) and had to change it to glass due to complaints from other racers , if I recall correctly.

[HandOverFist]

Yes, Mark and I had conversed before about this when I first picked up the '67. The roll bar was the sticking point which put the project on hold. It was not until recently that I ran across a few examples that did not include bars thru the back glass...that was enough to get me interested in the project again.

It's going to happen...just looking for someone to execute the plan.

[HandOverFist]

Still trying to visualize this...

[Carguy49]

Hey Rich, good luck on this project. In looking at the pictures in post #8 I think the second design will get you in trouble at tech. I believe the main hoop must be vertical or very, very close. I do hope you can achieve your goal of no bars through the rear window. If you want, give me a call. I am on the west coast so big time difference. My phone is 253-942-9027.

[Mark Faul]

Rich, one of the biggest obstacles when doing mine was figuring out the main hoop placement also. I was told that if I had it farther forward like you're showing in the drawing, I would be sitting under or behind the hoop. A tech guy told me that I'd need a funny car cage in that situation. Definitely not happening when it was an 11 second street/strip car! So the only solution was to have the bar as far rearward as possible, which limited the angle of the rear bars, so they had to go through the window.

Ron is correct on the lexan issue. (This was before the SS trucks were allowed). Our D6 tech director said "it's fine with me unless someone complains". Well, I won my first division race, and guess what....I was making a 3 piece glass window. Yeah, much safer....

Who knows, with how relaxed the Stock Eliminator rules have become, maybe your plans for the bar are ok now!?!?!

Hopefully Travis Miller or Dave Ley will help out on your questions.

[HandOverFist]

Thanks so much for the input guys. I read some of the comments tonight while at work on a ipad. This roll bar thing has worried me to death thinking about it...so much so I drove out to the shop after work to do some more measuring.

Unless my eyes, yardstick, cardboard tubing and plumb bob are lying to me I may have just figured this thing out. I sat in the seat and figured out the top of the hoop would be just behind the back of my head. I believe running the rear down tubes off the sides of the hoop within 5" of the top I can actually get them just below the bed floor and into the frame!







I have been talking with a fabricator with a local rock buggy shop who does excellent work, but he has put me off two times now with a quote. I'm beginning to have reservations about him now as I don't think he has had much experience with door cars. My gut tells me he wants to slap it in his way. I may just wait until Marty Gunt gets back from vacation and let him do it...he has a ton of experience with this stuff and I know it will be right.