| Ame's Image Series Strip Bars Add Style & Performance - Safety Tech
The pursuit of performance is often an evolutionary process-and rightfully so. The journey usually begins innocuously enough with the addition of a performance exhaust and/or high-flow intake. But depending on the car in question, things can redline pretty quickly, especially in factory turbo or turbo-conversion cars.
Before you come up for air, your four-banger can be humming along at 400 to 500 hp. As performance takes a front seat, safety can often be left in the rearview mirror. Most of the time, we'd be talking about the braking system, but it can go deeper than this.
Famed chassis company Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) has seen the light and developed a line-up dubbed "Strip Bars," which address these needs. The bars are available in bolt-in Image Series or weld-in Competition Series. AME claims its Image Bars offer stiffness improvements in the chassis and as well as style. The Competition Series is a full-race NHRA-certifiable proposition and is available in a six-point design not offered in the Image Series.
AME has done its homework, offering its Image Series as full kits or in a modular fashion so enthusiasts can upgrade their bar system as budget or need dictates. The Image Series is manufactured in 1.750x0.134-inch mild-steel tubing, which is an NHRA-approved wall thickness. All an owner needs to do is weld the joints and mounting pads and he has a bar which will pass tech.
The Image Series is also offered in 4130 chrome-moly in NHRA-spec .083-inch wall thickness. In bolt-in form, the bars only require a drill and some wrenches to install. To get the ball rolling a main hoop, a main hoop with video crossbar or a four-point set-up with an accessory bar can be ordered. If the enthusiast wants to add his own accessory or video bar, AME offers the clamps as well. To upgrade from a two-point main hoop to a four-point system, AME offers the down tubes needed for the conversion.
The main hoop is cleverly designed with tabs that incorporate the OE seatbelt system into the bar. This mounting point is convenient for the seatbelts and also provides additional stiffness to the car. Each system is CAD designed for the intended application to ensure a snug fit and expeditious installation.
The Competition weld-in bars can be ordered for cars with or without a rear seat and in configurations that go around or through the dash. This means that if you have a serious show vehicle, full-tilt racecar or anything in between, AME can put you behind bars.
The AME Image Bar is designed for show-or-go street vehicles, but it's a serious product that can be upgraded to NHRA spec if desired. It's this versatility that sets AME Strip Bars apart from other "strictly fashion" offerings on the market.