THSCC Forums

I was in a direct rear end collision in my '81 Datsun 210. The seat did not break. It did deflect enough that I pulled the steering wheel into the shape of a taco. So your seat might deflect enough to put you into the roll bar. BTW My car was hit hard enough tha the ashtray went from the dashboard location to the rear parcel shelf at the back window.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Mike,

I'm working on it. Will post something to this thread, hopefully in the next couple days, then again maybe later.... ;)

Steve 'composition anal and typing challenged' Coleman

I have always wondered about the sanity of all the people that use the Miatas as DD and have roll bars or even worse "style bars" in them. Most have no padding on their rollbars (of limited value at best) and I would ventur to say most of their cars have never seen a track, AX course, or any venue where a rollbar would make a difference.

BTW didn't robert hit his head on the one unpadded part of his rollbar?

The HD sport bar does sit ~ 3" further back than the HDHC, but worse it also sits ~ 3-4" LOWER, putting the main hoop directly behind your head!

To use upper body restraints (harness or torso strap) in an soft top car for AX SCCA requires that you pass the "broomstick test": in your competion seating position the top of your helmet must pass under a straight edge laid from windshield header to (approved) rollbar over the driver. Donna and I both just barely make this requirement with the HDHC in our Miata, I don't see how anyone over 4'10" could pass with the Sport bar.
In my normal street driving position my head is 1-1/2" directly below the (unpadded) main hoop and the seatback is flat against the rear bulkhead so seatback failure is not a major concern. I really should pad the main uprights tho in case of side impact.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

I've got a an HDHCDD in my R package. While the seat is not all the way back against the rear bulkhead, the top of the seat back is 1/8" from contacting the rear diagonals. Anywhere one's head could make contact with the bar or it's diagonals there is SFI padding. I've cut foam out of the seat bottom to make the broomstick clearance so I clear by well over 2 inches without a helmet.

I do know from personal experience a rear end collision can send any of the occupants straight up into the roll bar (ask Rob Keehner about the goose egg he recieved a couple of years ago). When I had my head-on, I never contacted the bar. The factory seat belt did permit a more than desireable amount of travel (flying 1/2" in slow motion is no fun). Personally, I'll take the risk of unwanted bar contact for the safety provided in the event of a rollover. This statement would not apply to sport or vanity bars.

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“I feel safer on a racetrack than I do on Houston's freeways.” - A.J. Foyt

Kevin Butler
Mobetta Autosport Spec E30 #612
2003 C5 Z06 Corvette
AFR Miata, SM2 61, '93 w/200 SC'd RWHP - soon to be resurrected
Waaaay too many other projects....

Well thanks to the "reminder" of this thread I ordered a high-density pad from Bethania with the vinyl cover for my sport bar (which was in the car when I bought it). I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before, since I did have a pad on my HDHCDD bar in my old '93.

As other have said, I'll take my chances with the bar near my head versus the possible pancaking of the car in a rollover.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

What is more valuable in the eyes of the fans, winning the HPDE cup or the street driving annual trophy?

has anyone gotten the Broken Handle Award for their street car?

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Gonna be hard for anybody to top my 'Miata Over Easy' gambit.... ;)

As I may have mentioned here, or if not, then elsewhere; when it stopped, I honestly thought I had a bar in that car because of the relative amount of room to move around in, but then I'm down to 5' 5".... er, make that 5' 4" now..... ;) After extracting my arse from the wreckage I said to Glenn, '"Sure am glad I had a roll bar in that car." At which time he informed me I was thinking about the wrong car. "Well, no sheeet", I replied, looking back around to see the car laying flatter than a pancake on it's bonnet and boot.

Steve 'that's my story and I'm stick'n to it' Coleman

Question: even with a fixed back seat, my head is really close to a metal bar -- the one in the seat. I imagine that this still could cause Excedrin headache number 111. Maybe the distance travelled before impact would be less? Either way, the back of my noggin isn't going to feel great.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

That seat will flex a LOT more than the rollbar. That's the big difference. I never underestimate the potential energy that the body has in an accident. The rollbar can essentially be considered fixed and rigid, but I expect that a typical tube-frame seat will yield quite a bit under the impact from a skull.

(Plus, personally, I shun metal-frame seats. Never have found them comfortable nor do I consider them as safe as fiberglass (to the human body))

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

You could always wear a helmet, and in addition to the added safety it would afford, it'd probably help your looks too, espesicially if full face w/ dark smoke visor...... ;)

Steve 'who knows ugly when he sees it, like every morning in the mirror' Coleman