Aley Roll Bar Removal?

[bonnietiler]

Just a quick question as Ive just got a replacement back board (tan) for the Tr7 however I have an Aley Bar roll affair fitted and I'm thinking of removing it as I discovered that the side plates were only fastened with Rivnuts so came to the conclusion that it might be mainly cosmetic rather than functional.Side plates ate easy I'm assuming please advise that I get under car and somehow try to grip the nuts (painful) somewhere around the back of the petrol tank?
please advise if you have any advice as its HOT out there!
Cheers
Brian

[saabfast]

Assume you mean the backboard behind the seats? Do you need to remove the roll bar? I did not remove mine (the car came with it fitted) when I stripped it out for welding etc and managed to get the board back in. I also think that it strengthens the convertible as mine does not suffer from much of the shake and flex complained of by others.

[bonnietiler]

I have got the rascal out not too hard 2 of the main roll-bar bolts exit through the wheel well and the other two are visible and "just" accessible from beneath between the rear member and the fuel tank, I gripped the nut with a mole, but there is nothing safety conscious about this unit, it looks to be cosmetic only, the side plates were held on via riv-nuts (3 each side, one had stripped in the past and a head had been glued in..amazing) and the main tube with 2 x mild steel 1/1/2 bolts each side. Not certain that I'll put it back in..I'll give it a run and see if it rattles more as suggested.
Cheers
Brian

[Hasbeen]

Other than a full modern roll cage, as fitted to racing & rally cars today, most of this stuff is a cosmetic joke, or worse.

I did the last ever LeMans start sports car race ay Bathurst in 1964. 40 drivers raced across the track, leapt into their cars, & dashed off for 6 laps of a much more dangerous track than is Bathurst today, most of it bounded by trees & barb wire fences.

You know, in those 40 cars there was not a single rollover bar or seat belt to be seen. Would you believe, we all survived.

I have seen a Lotus 20, & a Lotus 19 turned over, the 20 at very slow speed. Both were fitted with fully welded approved rollover bars. Both those bars contributed to killing the driver. I have no doubt that most after market rollover "protection" fitted to cars like ours are of similar value.

Hasbeen

[FI Spyder]

I came upon an accident that had recently happened coming home after a round of "evening" golf. An MGB on it's side on a gentle curve . The RCMP officer had just arrived ahead of us. The driver's girlfriend was sitting on the road in a pool of his blood cradling his crushed head in her lap while he was still restrained by his seat belt. My friend got out to offer his industrial first aid training and the officer said he was beyond that and directed us around the accident. Since it was mid summer with no rain, the blood stain stayed eerily on the road for months. It had a roll bar. What good the roll bar for him?

[Stag76]

The driver's girlfriend was sitting on the road in a pool of his blood cradling his crushed head in her lap

Too much information

[FI Spyder]

Too much information

Sorry. Although it happened over two decades ago it's still fresh in my mind like it happened yesterday.

[bonnietiler]

Just been out and about and I really cant tell any difference from the before and the after so I think I'm going to move it on via the mysteries of the online auction site!
Thanks for the help all the same
much appreciated
Regards
Brian

[supercass]

I have always failed to see the cosmetic attraction of an after market roll bar. Cosmetic detraction yes. Attraction no.
supercass

[dursleyman]

I would be very worried if the roll hoop was only secured by rivnuts. This is how we did mine using captive 10mm nuts by welding a plate into the side bar. The centre rivnut just acted as a guide. I know there are mixed views about the roll hoop but I don't think it detracts from the appearance of the car and it gives me a bit of reassurance in case the worst happens.