Autopower roll bar 60783 install/review
 

Hello twin owners.
I recently purchased and installed an Autopower race roll bar (part number 60783) and wanted to leave some feedback for those of you considering this roll bar.

Order Information:
I ordered my roll bar from FT86Speedfactory at the link below. It took a while to arrive (3 weeks) but they are made to order so that is expected. It is shipped freight and may need to be signed for.

Order link:
http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/auto...l#.WArC2_krKUk

How it arrives:
https://i.imgsafe.org/ac6d3dd61d.jpg

Fit:
The fit of the roll bar is spot on and makes install pretty easy.
It does interfere with rear visibility a little bit. (See rear view picture below)
QUICK NOTE -YOU MAY HAVE TO REMOVE THE HEADLINER TO INSTALL THIS ROLL BAR. I had to bc my bar was too tall. Others have found that the headliner will fit with little clearance.

Finish
I am not to impressed with the finish. The paint is looks like a decent job with a rattle can. There were also a few scratches (some pretty deep) that happened during shipping. I recommend having it painted before install.

Install
The directions are hilariously awful, however the install is pretty straightforward so are not really needed. A few things they should have mentioned:

1) There are 4 small pieces of bar tack welded on the bottom of the weld-on plates. Those are only for shipping and need to be removed before install. PRO TIP - grind tack welds flush with the plate and repaint. This will prevent any rust from developing.
2) The main hoop is a little clumsy to get in the car so try to only do it once.
3) There is a driver and passenger side rear bolt on segment. The driver side has a notch cut out of one corner of the rectangular plate on the end. The passenger side is a full rectangle and the plate is curved to the profile of the wheel arch.
4) For some reason Autopower included an additional 4 nuts and did not include washers for the bolt-on mounting plates. I added some stainless steel washers I had on hand.

Driver:
https://image.ibb.co/hWvJ9v/20161021_143724.jpg

Passenger:
https://image.ibb.co/m3G3ba/20161021_143730.jpg

Quick install tips: (This is assuming all the interior is out including the front seats and the battery has been disconnected from the vehicle)
NOTE: The socket to get the seats out is an inverted torx E10. You can use a 12 point socket if you dont have the torx.

Get the main hoop in
Slide the rear side bolt on segments onto the main hoop and bolt them to the main hoop
Mock up roll bar in place
Mark where the weld-on plates land
Move the roll bar towards the front of the car
Remove any paint or seam sealer where weld will be.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Seam sealer will catch on fire if you weld too close to it.
Position roll bar back into its final place.
Tack and weld.
Remove front most section of the rear fender liner.
Drill and bolt the rear segments onto the wheel arches.
Reinstall the rear fender liner.
Reconnect battery/install front seats and enjoy.



Additional pictures:

This is where I ground for welding
https://image.ibb.co/jD4T9v/20161021_141857.jpg

Here is the weld-on plate right before welding
https://image.ibb.co/h0zpGa/20161021_143546.jpg

Drives side interior rear bar mounted
https://image.ibb.co/e4To9v/20161022_194345.jpg

Drives side exterior rear bar mounted
https://image.ibb.co/dEH9Ga/20161022_183058.jpg

Passenger side interior rear bar mounted
https://image.ibb.co/e4To9v/20161022_194345.jpg

Passenger side exterior rear bar mounted
https://image.ibb.co/dxhbwa/20161022_183115.jpg

Rear view mirror shot
https://image.ibb.co/iS1VNF/20161022_194105.jpg

Interior installed pic
https://image.ibb.co/hzJc2F/20161022_194227.jpg

Passenger side installed weld-on mount
https://image.ibb.co/kUGGUv/20161022_194240.jpg

Through the windshield shot
https://image.ibb.co/j9ZLpv/20161022_194258.jpg

Interior installed pic
https://image.ibb.co/ijKaNF/20161022_194319.jpg

Driver side installed weld-on mount
https://image.ibb.co/kXoYba/20161022_194326.jpg

Let me know if you need any specific pictures or if I should add anything to this thread.

Install place plug: (also my place of employment) If you live near Central New York. Phoenix Welding and Fabricating will weld this in for you for $200.

I used to have a 93 Mazda MX6. I ordered one from IO port racing and the thing was spot on then. Autopower has been doing this for a while. Can we get some more pictures of the finished product?

A 93 MX6 was my first car! I loved that car.

I will get more pictures over the weekend.
- Rear view mirror shot
- Finished pictures
- Rear bolt in plate finished pics

Additional pictures were added. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy.

Thanks for posting your impressions. Ironically, after going back and forth over a custom built rear cage, I just ordered the same bar last week. I was also told about two weeks before delivery so I'm hopinge to have it installed by the end of November.

Has the bar restricted seat travel at all? It looks like the harness bar is very close to the front seats.

You can still move the base of the seat through the entire range of the sliders. I am 5'10" and sit pretty up right and I have a ton of room. The harness bar does not allow the entire seat recline range.

Even if you are really tall and the base of the seat is all the way back I doubt you are going to want to be reclined very much. Im guessing here but seeing as you are considering adding a roll bar I doubt you are the hardcore gangster lean type.

Pretty cool install/review thread, I bought mine a few months ago but unfortunately got the one without the harness bar and cross bar so those will be getting welded in over the winter. Just have a few comments:

-the review mirror problem/inconvenience can be solved by getting a convex rearview mirror

-I installed mine with the headliner and it fits literally perfectly with about a millimeter or two from the headliner in the corners of the main hoop

- even without the harness bar the stock seats can't recline all the way back because the outside shoulder bolster things hit into the main hoop (isn't too much of a problem because you can still have the seat slid all the way back and recline it to a spot that wouldn't be too comfortable for driving)

- plastic inner panels can also be installed but need to be cut to have the legs of the cage go through them


to OP: the cage is not painted it is just coated with something to keep it from getting surface rust in shipping. it is meant to be painted once you receive it (not worth powdercoating it is waaay to expensive, I just got it painted by a normal body shop)


If anyone would be interested in pictures let me know and I'll throw some up

I edited the first post to reflect your findings as well. Thanks for the input.

Also, go ahead and add some pics. I think the more we have the better off potential autopower customers will be.

Looks like you welded the main hoop, any reason why you didn't weld the rears?

Are those the original plates for the mounting locations, or did you modify them?

I was talking to the welder about welding the rears. He said he would if I wanted. I figured they were designed to be bolted in so why bother. Now if anything were to happen to the car and I wanted the cage out all I have to cut is the bottom plate off.

They are the original plates. I just painted them.

I cannot find one for the twins. Where did you gets yours from?

I also have this bar and can't see out of my rear view mirror :(

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...75a8329b9f.jpg

:thumbsup: