BDR passenger side roll bar

[Mark D. Stamps]

I am considering the purchase of a specific used Backdraft Racing Cobra. The only item giving me concern is that it has a passenger side roll bar that I would prefer it not have. Can passenger side roll bars be easily removed via nuts and bolts or are they welded? I understand holes would remain but I can be easily address them to my satisfaction.

Thanks.

[Soundkillr]

Yes, to the best of my knowledge they can be easily removed. And yes....holes will remain.

[jeffgrice]

Agree with soundkillr...check the trunk. The mounts are viewable from the trunk and attach to the frame.

[Mark D. Stamps]

Thanks for everyone for replying to my question. I feel more comfortable with others having the same opinion as me!

[jhv48]

Before you remove the roll bar, consider whether or not you will regularly ride with a passenger next to you. If you always drive alone, no problem. However, if you have a significant other or child that will regularly ride with you, a passenger side roll bar could protect them in case of an accident.
My wife always accompanies me on my rides. She refused to ride in the car unless I installed a passenger side roll bar. She reasoned her head is just as important as mine.
After 40,000 miles, happy wife, happy life.

[hauss]

Funny thing, I only have one and wish I had two.

[Cashburn]

Yes it unbolts.

[pgermond]

I had an incident last month where I rolled my car. One roll bar and we both walked away except for 30+ staples (my wife's head) and stitches in my head and a pretty good concussion. She loved the car and our drives. She said I should build another but with dual roll bars. I told her no, it isn't period correct and just doesn't look right. End of story.

I won't put heat shields on side pipes either.

Today we saw Ford v Ferrari...... when we were driving home she said, "Okay, a single roll bar will be okay"

[IMG][/IMG]

[snapier]

I have the duel roll bars in my Superformance (SPO1400) so that my wife feels safe when she go for a ride with me...

[Jason900rr]

I love my wife and kids too much not to have a roll bar, that was one of my “must haves” when I ordered mine

[olddog]

Originally Posted by pgermond

I had an incident last month where I rolled my car. One roll bar and we both walked away except for 30+ staples (my wife's head) and stitches in my head and a pretty good concussion. She loved the car and our drives. She said I should build another but with dual roll bars. I told her no, it isn't period correct and just doesn't look right. End of story.

I won't put heat shields on side pipes either.

Today we saw Ford v Ferrari...... when we were driving home she said, "Okay, a single roll bar will be okay"

If she was smart, she would say no problem, but from now on I'm driving.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by pgermond

She said I should build another but with dual roll bars. I told her no, it isn't period correct and just doesn't look right.

Neither does a head with staples.

[twobjshelbys]

You do understand that the dynamics of the passenger side are very different from the driver side in two respects:
1. Roll bar
2. Shoulder harnesses.

After many discussions with some very respected Cobra drivers (Bondurant being one) about passenger safety and a firm no negotiation stance from Shelby American you should note the following:

Without a roll bar there shall be no shoulder harnesses. SAI is firm in that there is no safe attachment point in the trunk area that shoulder harnesses can safely be attached. Period. That is their position as a manufacturer. The bar that goes across the back is not sturdy enough to be a restraint in the case of a head-on collision and the chances of head contact with the dash are almost 100%.

Second, let's say you do accept the risk and put shoulder harnesses but no roll bar. Then the problem is with SOME head on (but not all) but almost ALL rollover incidents. Why? Because if you have shoulder harnesses they will hold you upright. And if you are held upright and don't have a roll bar then guess what? YOU ARE THE ROLL BAR!!!! So the passenger's head, neck and spine supports the passenger side of the car that is supported by the roll bar on the driver side.

As a result (and what Bondurant told me) is that a passenger's chances of survival in a major crash are greater with simply having a properly mounted lap belt. But that they NEVER took a passenger on the track. When I considered using my Cobra at a Bondurant advanced class I was told I would not have an instructor in the car for this reason. (I didn't take the car because of inclement weather.)

pgermond should count his lucky stars that his wife wasn't mortally injured.

PS. As a result of an on-line email exchange between Gary Patterson (before he was Shelby CEO, and which my wife was able to see) in which we discussed SAI's position, my wife never rode in the Cobra again.

[olddog]

So if you are so hung up on originality, why a rectangular tube frame, bumpers instead of quick jacks, and a BDR with a longer wheel base than an original. We wont go into fiberglass instead of aluminum, I think you get the point. You are willing to compromise on all these things, but not the one safety item that could get your wife (passenger) killed. These things are replicas, not exact copies.

People who would rather feed their ego over protecting a life, , , awe never mind. I'm wasting my time.

[IMLost]

I agree with old dogg.
None of these are "correct", period.

[ColoradoCobra1]

Welp, this thread is causing me to look into having at least a driver's side bar installed on my BDR. I love the clean lines, but the lack of rollover safety is terrifying after seeing that picture.

[twobjshelbys]

Original street cars had no roll bar. But that was when they used auto accident fatalities as a factor in population control.

[Buzz]

By far the majority of Cobra accidents are spinouts after losing traction in the rear. Rollovers are comparatively rare, but they do happen. In the case of the more common spinout, the car often impacts an immovable object from the rear. In quite a few reported cases the passengers survived ( single roll bar)while the driver died or was severely injured from blunt force trauma to the back of the head. If your head can touch or even stretch to reach the roll bar when you're seated in the car, just think what will happen to you or your passenger's head if you get rear ended, or even on the rebound in a frontal impact. Roll bars are intended for use in racing applications where the driver's noggin is protected by a helmet. Roll bars on street driven Cobras are more a function of SC-style than actual safety.
Just drive with a bit of extra care when you have a passenger. Accept your own risks - including smacking your head on a steel bar - when you're by yourself. Motorcycles and Cobras are more about enjoyment than foolproof safety. Enjoy accordingly.

[Mattsvtcobra]

Mark- Did you end up taking out? If so, would you sell it to me? Thanks.