At the very least, put some SFI padding on the side that faces the cockpit & then put some kind of cover on it to make it "showy".
My M2 HDSBDD has SFI padding plus a layer of "pipe insulation foam" all under a vinyl cover I hand stitched on. I've had many compliments on it & most agreeing it looks OEM. Best of all, it fits under the soft AND hard tops. The HT rubs just slightly at the upper corners of the bar/vinyl but the squeaking is easily fixed with a generous dab of petroleum jelly. To get a look at how it looks, go to my website, click on "Miata" at the bottom navigation bar & then click on "M-Edition". Scroll down to see various photos of the car in which some of them show the bar. I understand HD now sells a similar cover to what I did on my own. But I don't know if it has SFI padding with foam or it just has foam. Regards, Sonny If everything is coming your way, You're in the wrong lane!!! http://www.sonny2.com ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tony Cooper Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 8:28 PM To: Larry Alster Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM All, I had a friend literally "lose a day" at VIR when late in the afternoon session he lost control in a corner, the rear came around and hit a row of stacked tires. He was belted in - 6 point, and of course had a full helmet. The impact ripped the seat from the floor board mounts and his head wacked the bar. If he had not been wearing that helmet I am sure he would not be here today. He stands 5' 8" at most. When he regained consciousness at the hospital he had no memories past the point of driving up to VIR. Everything that followed was wiped! I have worried about the height of the bars ever since then. I'm not sure there is a good solution. For all practical purposes the bar must be short to allow the soft top to function. Having a roll bar without wearing a helmet seems risky to me. Play safe. Tony Larry Alster wrote: I have 4 different versions of the bar Yes one of them is the HT version, that's in Janice's car. The rest of them are just different generations of the same bar. Yes it sits forward, that's how you get the height. Am I worried about hitting it, no. I think I stand just as much chance hitting parts of the top too. Larry White Knight 1991 Crystal White #99 CSP Silver Bullet 1992 Silverstone #17 SM2 FM I+ Turbo Honey B 1992 Sunburst Yellow #99 SM2L JR Supercharger Whooosh 2004 Titanium Mazdaspeed MX-5 LowCountry Miata http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net <http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net> Masters Miata RAGS 074 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bryan Wyatt Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 6:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM Sure you don't have the Hard Core Hard Top, Larry? Believe me, the bar sits pretty far forward. -Bryan --- On Wed, 8/13/08, Larry Alster <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Larry Alster <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM To: "'Shaun Bogan'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> , [EMAIL PROTECTED], "'Miata Power List'" <[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:46 PM I have 4 different versions of the HDHC bars in my 4 cars. I don't see any seat travel issues with them and I'm not really sure I'm going to worry about hitting the bar in a crash. Before I hit the bar I would think I would have other things to be worrying about. Larry White Knight 1991 Crystal White #99 CSP Silver Bullet 1992 Silverstone #17 SM2 FM I+ Turbo Honey B 1992 Sunburst Yellow #99 SM2L JR Supercharger Whooosh 2004 Titanium Mazdaspeed MX-5 LowCountry Miata http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net <http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net> Masters Miata RAGS 074 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Shaun Bogan Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 6:32 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Miata Power List' Subject: RE: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM Yeah, I ordered it accidentally. I thought I had a Hard Core in my M1, but It's actually a sport bar. I'm coming back from about a 3 year hiatus from miatas. Picked up a MSM for my girlfriend and meant to get the same bar for it that I had in my M1. Pretty much sucks. I love the way it looks, but I'm not so happy with the "safety" for street use. I'm not really sure what I should do about it. I didn't realize it was the wrong bar till it was installed and I sat in the car. I doubt the holes would all line up with a sport bar if I somehow found a way to swap it out. I was also surprised at how hard the BSCI padding was. Luckily, she sits farther forward than I do, but that doesn't do much for me when I drive it. ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bryan Wyatt Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 6:23 PM To: Miata Power List Subject: Re: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM You're seeing why the HDHC isn't often recommended for most drivers. It sits very far forward and, if you have the wrong seat, will severely cut into your seat travel. It was the one thing I hated about mine. It really has nothing to do with it being in an MSM or any other NB (or NA, for that matter). Basically, the area under a top is a curve and the farther forward you are on that curve, the taller the bar will be. -Bryan --- On Wed, 8/13/08, Shaun Bogan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Shaun Bogan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Hard Dog Hard Core fitment on MSM To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:14 PM Can anyone comment on how this bar is supposed to fit? It seems like it sits a bit too far forward. I can easily hit my head on the side of the main hoop in a normal street driving position. In a more upright track position It's less of an issue. I ordered the bar padding as well, but I still wouldn't want to hit my head on it. The sport bar in my M1 doesn't have this issue. I'm afraid that in a backward / rear end collision at and angle toward the drivers side could result in a seriously painful head to bar impact. Has anyone else seen this? Shaun _______________________________________________ Miatapower mailing list [email protected] http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
