bigbrainonbrad
bigbrainonbrad New Reader
5/12/09 7:47 a.m.

I'm looking for a roll bar for the Miata, don't want to spend much but do want something that will provide some protection. Harness mounts aren't neccesary but would be nice. Most of the stuff I'm seeing is several hundred dollars for what amounts to some tube with mounting plates at the ends! Am I completely off base thinking that is too much?

Kramer
Kramer Reader
5/12/09 7:52 a.m.

You probably won't find a real bar for less than $300-maybe $400. Even second-hand bars hold their value.

bigbrainonbrad
bigbrainonbrad New Reader
5/12/09 7:54 a.m.

gotcha

ChristianL
ChristianL New Reader
5/12/09 7:59 a.m.

Hard Dog Fabrication (also available through Flyin' Miata) is the most popular and make a good product. Just take a look at their website - you'll see how well their bars fare in a rollover. For what you get, their pricing seems very fair to me. You definitely want to stay away from "style bars" which are just there to look pretty. In some cases, they'll even collapse on you in a rollover.

When it comes to choosing a bar, there are a lot of factors to consider - your height, what kind of seats you'll be using, helmet use, hardtop use, what type of top you have on your Miata, etc.

I've had both the M2 Sport bar and Hard Core M2 bars in my cars and, for my money, the Hard Core bar was the best of the two for height and fit. If you're keeping it on the street, or don't really care for padding (you should really pad the bar...), then look into the HD Ace which sits further back away from your head. Unless you're really short, I'd say to skip the Xtreme or the Deuce bars.

Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand Dork
5/12/09 8:51 a.m.

Second vote for Hardcore. I've bought and installed two myself. The installs are straight forward if a bit of a bear for one guy. I did them by myself and I think having help would've made it go easier.

Their prices are fair for what you get. A great product that fits very well.

Call them up before you order. They'll talk to you about your options and let you know the best choice. Great service.

bigbrainonbrad
bigbrainonbrad New Reader
5/12/09 9:33 a.m.

For those that have Hard Dog bars, have you noticed any stiffening of the chassis? (Huh huh.. I said stiffening...) I've contemplated putting some spot welds along the door jams to reduce the flex, as well as fabricating my own "frame" rail reinforcements. The car is a 91 so it doesn't benefit from any of the later improvements and I want a roll bar as much for safety as I do a better feeling chassis.

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
5/12/09 9:52 a.m.

Yes, roll bars do a nice job of stiffening up the chassis. It's a side benefit.

ChristianL
ChristianL New Reader
5/12/09 10:58 a.m.

Definitely added stiffening. My '91 firmed up nicely after installing the Sport bar, especially when it was paired with the Flyin' Miata rear subframe brace. I later replaced it with the Hard Core dual-diagonal and bolt-in harness bar, and the rear end was rock-solid.

The down side is that you quickly realize how flexy the front is.

confuZion3
confuZion3 Dork
5/12/09 7:08 p.m.

I can sell you my old one. It's a pretty basic Hard Dog unit with no cross-bracing, but it will protect you and it's easy to install. If budget is your concern, PM me.

However, if you want strength and track-worthyness, you'll want the bigger hard dog bars. I got mine from Flyin' Miata for around $500 with the dual-diagonal cross braces (a bit of an extra charge for the convenience of excellent rear visibility and symmetry). They got it shipped to my house before they even got me a tracking number and they made a follow-up call to make sure everything was received and in good order.

The bigger bars with multiple mounts require a bit of cutting and some drilling, but honestly, it's easy as pie. It just takes time to get it all right. Plan for an entire day for the install. The smaller bar bolts to existing parts and doesn't require you to cut more than a few interior bits (mine were hacked to bits by the previous owner so I didn't have to do that part).

It's not just a bunch of powder-coated tubes welded together though. It took a lot of effort to make sure they'd fit each Miata easily and with minimal pain. You also get lots and lots of bolts and washers--everything you need to put the car together again. Think about this: I was quoted $3000 to have somebody fabricate up a cage for mine. So, Spec Miata is going to have to wait.

Rumnhammer
Rumnhammer New Reader
5/12/09 7:43 p.m.

Hard Dog is a good choice, I have the Hard core DD HT for the N/A. The install was painless, and yes it makes the car much more rigid, and more aggressive looking as well. The N/B bars fit the N/A as well but have the added advantage that you can use a glass rear window in the soft top.

You may also want to look into the Boss Frog bars, as one of the locals in our club, recently put one in an MSM and the rear view was a bit better then the Hard dog bars....

Any real roll bar is better then any style bar, for the reasons already stated.

Chris Rummel

Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
5/12/09 11:07 p.m.

Don't scrimp on safety.

I went with a Hard Core Hard Top over the regular hard core. My reasoning was that the bar sits a bit further back. Although it doesn't provide as much height clearance, it gives more lateral clearance, which is important on the street. You don't want your or your passengers soft squishy un-helmeted head colliding with a solid steel bar if someone hits you on the street.

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
5/12/09 11:17 p.m.

If any wants help figuring which of the many Hard Dog bars will work best for their application, just give me a call at Flyin' Miata. (800) FLY MX5s.

TJ
TJ Reader
6/10/09 6:50 p.m.

Did I hear group buy?

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