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:
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:
Passenger:
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
Here is the weld-on plate right before welding
Drives side interior rear bar mounted
Drives side exterior rear bar mounted
Passenger side interior rear bar mounted
Passenger side exterior rear bar mounted
Rear view mirror shot
Interior installed pic
Passenger side installed weld-on mount
Through the windshield shot
Interior installed pic
Driver side installed weld-on mount
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.