I just found a used bolt on roll bar(roll cage) from a local seller(private),
in the middle of desciding to have it or not.




That's the picture from the seller, anybody recognize the manufacturer?(The seller doesn't know, he said the previous owner installed it)

It looks like I need to remove/cut the side interior panels for sure,
and proly the rear seats as well...
And I won't b able to lay back in the passenger's seat during the lunch time at work..:(

Would that thing worth to get? I know is't 100% personal preference/need, but I want to get some info/experience regarding having a roll cage on a car used for 1 mile distance commuting and track/auto-xing 2~3 times in a year.

I am sure that the cage will make my car look like serious track toy which isn't bad, but wondering that 4 point BOLT ON piping can really improve the driving feel and the chasis stiffness A LOT. ??

Regarding harness mounting, the cage will give me a chance to use real racing harness which is good for tracking/auto-xing, but I can also choose Schroth harness and leave the interior complitely stock...

 

if your mini is your sole daily driver, ide say a full cage is a bit much if you only track it 2-3 times a year....however if your mini is a toy (for lack of a better word), then ide say go for it.

as for stiffening, the mini is a pretty stiff car as it is......im not sure you are going to notice much improvement with a bolt in cage....if you are a good welder, you could always weld the roll cage in.

i would be a little leary of buying an unknown roll cage however.......you dont know if this is some cheap Chinese knockoff or something some guy cooked up in his garage.....if i were willing to commit to a full roll cage, i would rather spend the money and buy something from a reputable dealer......its like buying cheap no-name brake pads.....you can, but that doesnt mean you should.

 

i'm really not sure what the point of a four point cage is in a hardtoped car. most racing organizations require 6+ points.

 

Hmm... I can use racing harness...?
Thx for your reply!

 

Thx for the reply, I am meeting the seller tomorrow after work, wanna see how much does it weigh(will that be more than 50lbs???) and the quality.

Which part should I look to tell if it's cheap crap/garage made piping?

Btw, while I am using my mini as a commuting car/track toy, I have a 4door gti as a PASSENGER CAR. So the mini can go little more hard core if needed

 

It's an Autopower bar like we sell here. It is a must for track days with a harness and seats. It has the optional bolt in cross bars. you can make the panels fit, but really all back set options are gone once installed.

Let me know if i can help. i have the same bar in my car.

Chad
Detroit Tuned

Edit: also note. this is in a R56,but both bars are the same...BUT it is for a Sun roof car. non sunroof ones go a bit higher. so if you don't have one, it might look a bit short. Safety wise it should be fine, but you should keep it as close as you can to the main body of the car as you can. it will ad a bit of weight to the car. but it will stiffen it up a lot.

here is a photo. can't really see the cage much, but seats with harness to it and panels in place.

 

Thank you so much! :D
My mini has sun roof, so that cage would go in as it should be..
Will it be installed at home? Does it give the mini that much of stiffness? Like... 5 times more ridgedity than with the strut tower bars?? (I know we are not the computers can simulate the steress, but Just to make the comparison easier..)

 

You should pass and get a custom cage installed and start walking to work because a mile drive is just ridiculous.

 

Ooops sorry it's 10kilometers, so 7miles.. My bad!!

 

Pass but not on grass

 

this is a nice cage and is already spec'ed for racing a custom cage would have to be inspected. if it's the right price... pluse you will have to paint it as you don't really want it white...you can install it at home. you have to take everything out to do so, don't turn the key on!! or disconnect the battery. it's stiffer. cant really say how much.. strut tower braces don't do anything.

 

I have one of these, actually bought it from DT.

It's not an easy install. I wouldn't DIY this unless you're comfortable gutting the car. It also will require some modification of your rear quarter panels.

It is a great piece though--it allows you to easily store 4 tires in the back, many of the other 4 points attach more medial and don't.

It significantly adds rigidity, welding in would be better for that though. You won't notice the added rigidity on the street, but you will on the track.

I have one on a sunroof car, the fit is perfect; autopower did a fantastic job fitting these to our cars (my sunroof is on the way out though; Chad answered a question I had--wether the bar would be too low now--as long as from a safety standpoint it's ok, it's not a problem, I'm not concerned about it looking too low.).