THSCC Forums

Starting to get excited about VIR-S. I actually have a car to drive and it's running well-in spite of a premature rev limiter killing the fun 1000 rpm early!. Of course that will be fixked before VIR! I fear I'll have to sit out the time trial though, due to a roll bar that is out of date (wall thickness is too thin).

Still, it will be nice to get the old car out for a good shake down!

Scott

it's an autopower, right?

IS there anyway to get a replacement by VIR-S? The basic bar should be the same only thicker for the newer ones.

I'm sure than many of us would volunteer to help put it in.

Thanks for the offer.

Autopower doesn't even list an application for my car anymore (not that I think it would be a problem).

However, over a month for the last one to get manufacturerd, and delivered via freight truck, so I doubt another would arrive in time. Not to mention this years budget is shot, if the bar doesn't pass, then I don't timetrial until 2005 - at which point I will likely have a *very* nice Chris Shimmel bar/cage (better fitting, tied into stronger points of the chassis).

Maybe we can do a cage, and extend it forward into a front tube frame setup. Lower the engine a few inches, and add pickups for front A-arms!

Scott

Scott:

Let me get this streight: you purchased a NEW bar from autopower
and it was make of .095 when the SCCA SOLO1 rules require
.120. Why are they not taking it back? I would fight this if I were
you and ship it right back to them. We can talk offline.

Good Luck
Mark V

_________________
Mark Vitacco
THSCC TT Chairman
mvitacco@bellsouth.net

I bought it NEW in 1999, get me a rulebook for 1999 and I might fight it if it was *illegal* then.

I ordered it from IO Port and got what they recommended. It's entirely possible that I ordered the wrong one, however *I* didn't own a rulebook at the time. I was not doing anything but autocross at the time either, I just wanted a bar that would accomodate my harnesses.

Scott

Scott:

I have the '99 SCCA solo rule book as well as most recent years.
The spec was located in Appendex L :
vehicle race weights from 1501 - 2500 specified 1.50 x .120,
over 2500lbs- 2.25 x .120, or 2.00 x .180, or 2.125 x .162

If you car was less than 2500 lbs, then 1.75 x .100 would be
equlivent to 1.50 x .120 back then but not in spec now.

There was a change in either 2000 or 2001 where all the wall
sizes went to .120, 2001 - 3500 is now 1.75 x .120 I think I have
one of these issues at work.

If you have room to add two extra diagnals I think we can
make it work. I'm thinking about making a 'X" in the main
hoop and adding a diagnal to the down tubs from points
at points C to F.

You would have an existing diagnal form
C to A, an additional one from B to D, and a second additional
one from C to F. ( as refrenced in the diagram in appendix K)
YOu would then have 1/2 a roll cage but still 4 points.


MV

_________________
Mark Vitacco
THSCC TT Chairman
mvitacco@bellsouth.net

Interesting, thanks for the research Mark.


Vehicle weight = 2250-2300 w/o driver
Roll bar tubing diameter = 1.75"
Wall thickness = 0.108 (as best as I can measure)

I do think that it's ERW tubing (not positive). Based on this, for when it was bought (1999), I think it was legal. I can't blame IO Port or Autopower for the SCCA making things obsolete. No one ever said racing was cheap.

At this point, adding diagonals and such, would add enough cost that it just isn't worth doing unless I went with a new unit. A new one would tie into the subframes anyhow (rather than just the pan like the Autopower). Depending on things, it might be time for a cage anyhow.

I do appreciate all the help with this.

Scott