Though I’ve been a racer for many years, I haven’t given as much thought to my own personal safety as I have to going faster. Because my cars were usually my daily drivers, I always felt the installation of a rollbar would be too invasive with all the welding, and it would take up too much passenger space, thereby hindering the vehicle’s use.
Installing a rollbar increases safety and rigidity, and it looks downright cool!
A wake-up call came when two close friends were involved in on-track incidents that were both diffused by their cars’ rollbar systems. "This could happen to me," I thought. What made things even worse was a crash that occurred at Sebring when I was there in May 2010. A Mustang hit the wall going backwards and while the driver was perfectly fine, it clarified just how dangerous racing can be.
After breaking the 130-mph barrier on the track at Sebring and taking corners at high speeds, instructor Jonathan Blevins suggested I seriously consider a rollbar and harnesses for my ’05 GTO. And in the months following our track experience, I’ve been slowly upgrading the GTO in a few areas, including safety.
Since my GTO is a primarily a street car that I take racing, I don’t want a welded-in rollbar, nor do I want the installation to take up too much passenger space. However, I do want improved safety, a place to mount a harness, and an easier and less permanent installation than welding. With those considerations in mind, I ordered a Street-Sport rollbar from Autopower Industries. It’s a bolt-in rollbar system that incorporates a detachable harness bar and was also built to meet IMSA regulations, which covers my Performance Driving Events track outings. This particular product is not NHRA-legal. However, since the NHRA only requires a bar for 11.49 e.t.’s and quicker (13.49 for convertibles), many street cars aren’t quick enough to require a rollbar per the NHRA rules. Simply put, installing this rollbar in an 11.50-and-slower street car is still safer than no rollbar at all. Priced at about $520, it’s relatively cheap insurance.
According to Autopower Industries: "All of our bars and cages are certified-MIG-welded and precision-jig-notched, providing you with the maximum strength and best fit available. Every rollbar or cage has been designed to fit specific car models, so only minor modifications are necessary for the installation. Most applications are a true bolt-in and require no welding."
The Street-Sport bar is a four-point rollbar made from 1.750x0.120-inch DOM mild-steel tubing. It features a removable harness mount tube, allowing the addition of a multipoint safety harness system for the track. The tube itself can be unbolted to provide room for rear seat access for street duty.
In addition to the Street-Sport bar, I also checked off Autopower’s slick Pro-Cam Driver Restraint system, which features a turn release buckle and five-point harnesses. I am installing these as a four-point system because the anti-submarine belt--the belt for your crotch area--is designed to be fed through a racing seat that features an anti-submarine cutout to prevent you from sliding under. According to Dave Young, a fellow Source Interlink staffer who helped me with the installation, "Without the correct seat, the installation of this belt could be more dangerous than it would be helpful." So for now, we will set it aside and focus on the four-point system and rollbar installation.
Part PN Price ’04-’06 GTO Street-Sport Rollbar PN 52154 $519.95 Pro-Cam Five-Point Driver Restraint System PN PC100 $183.95
Conclusion
The Autopower Street-Sport rollbar fits in the GTO like a glove, and that made its installation a challenge at times, demanding a day’s worth of work from two people. To be fair, Dave and I took several breaks along the way, and we had to stop often to take photos.
The most difficult areas were the rear interior panels. While the rear harness bar is removable, it’s not suggested that passengers spend too much time back there as it is a bit cramped. We haven’t installed it yet, but padding for the rollbar is highly recommended to protect you and your passengers.
A Street-Sport rollbar and Pro-Cam restraint system are perfect for the weekend warrior and add a level of confidence to your driving. For just over $700 and a day of work, the GTO is a safer vehicle on the track and on the street. I’m more securely held into the seat and the rollbar will help protect me in the event of a rollover. Not having to worry about holding myself in place while going around a hard corner could also prove to shave off some lap time. It’s time to hit the track!
