Hey guys,
I drive an 89 bmw 325i convertible and there's no off the shelf roll bars made for it. I don't have the skills to make my own from scratch, and I don't really have the cash to pay a legit cage builder right now. I would love to track the car this coming summer, it's gonna have a 98 m3 engine and front suspension/brakes, should be fun, but needs a rollbar for bmwcca racing. Anyways I found a guy selling a bar that the hoop and stuff looks to fit nicely, but the mounting is definitely chintzy.

The two mounting points are the bolt that usually holds in the rear seat belt spool, and a bolt that holds the front seatbelt to the car. The rear bulkhead is really stiff stamped/corrugated metal, I think with a little more surface area it would be a safe place to bolt to.

I have a mig welder and was thinking of buying it and modifying it a bit, first of all adding a much larger mounting plate on the rear bulkhead, and probably branching off another tube more verticle and bolting straight to the floorboards of the car.

Can you smart guys look over the rest of the bar and tell me if it looks decent enough that you'd consider running it. This won't be a race car, and I'll probably take it in and out when I want to autocross and do driver's days. Absolutely no wheel to wheel racing. Mostly I just want to be allowed on the track, but if you guys thought this would do nothing in the event of a rollover I will heed your warnings and reconsider.

Pics:

 

just buy some dom and make one your self. there are people that will bend the tubing for you and you can weld it. i would not buy that cage

 

those tabs just supporting that cage is scary as ****

 

I wouldnt run that. Srsly I'm not a big race guy just a welder but would those tabs pass any inspection by any sanctioning body?

 

thats gotta be only for cosmetics .

 

That cage isn't legal for anything...or safe

 

I definately wouldn't run it the way it is. Its definately not safe, and its designed very poorly.

Two things I noticed right away that I myself aren't comfortable with.

1.) The mounting brackets like everyone has said are just crap. They would bend and brake the second a roll over should occur. If your running a bolt in design, the plates should be flat, and you should have a plate on the bottom, so the sheetmetal of the car is "sandwiched" in between the two mounting plates.

2.) It looks like the sections where the tubing comes together is grinded smooth, or has body filler put on it. You have no idea if the tubes are even notched and welded together properly, and if you were to try and get inspected, that wouldn't fly.

And also, Its hard to tell what material it is. Since it looks like a hack job, it could possibly be ERW tubing. And I wouldn't recommend that at all.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Also, it looks like it was made using a crush bender or a muffler type bender which isn't going to pass inspection either. Definately more for show then protection.

 

Looks like a show cage to me. I wouldn't skimp on the cage, especially if the car is a convertible.

 

plus the main hoop has 2 bends in the bottom witch is just flat out a horrible design like i said, get some DOM and make one your self

 

Absolutely do not run that bar. As mentioned before, that is a show bar, not a role bar. I would not pass that bar through tech at even an HPDE. The bend at the bottom of the main hoop is going to buckle under a role. Of course all the seat belt mounting points would rip out before then. Even is you weld supporting gussets and plates all over that thing, it will still be questionable.

 

Pssssst. Guys. I think he gets the point.

 

Sell the convertible and get a hard top. Otherwise you will have problems running many track days and HDPEs.

 

Thanks a bunch fellas. You all confirmed and reconfirmed my suspicions. I just asked him if he could weigh the bar so I could compare it to the weight of my proper autopower bar for e30 coupes and make sure it's pretty close, so I know it's not made out of tubing with 1/2 the wall thickness, but he hasn't had a chance to respond back yet. I guess I'll make do with the street this year, maybe build a bar myself next winter.

As for getting a coupe, already got one, turbo project in the works, and it's getting the proper autopower bar and a much more hardcore suspension but I think it'd be cool to be able to bring the 260 hp vert out on the track from time to time.

Thanks again guys.
-Sam

 

Skip the Autopower bars. They fit like ***, and they do nothing for strengthening the chassis.

 

download the S&W custom cage measurement form. Make your measurements and send it to them. They will bend one for you.