Geauxtigers

Looking for opinions on what would make the better overall track car primarily from a safety perspective but also keeping in mind what makes the most financial sense.

On a stock for stock comparison using a harness bar and race seat is it fair to assume the C5Z with a steel roof has substantially more support in a rollover than a glass coupe C6?

Do the Pfadt C6 "roll bars" or the DRM c5 "roll bars" provide any true and/or adequate protection or is that just relying on false hope?

I know there is no safety substitute for a full cage and i'm curious how that is affected by height. I only have about an inch of headroom in a C6 as is and wondering if that would create an unsafe situation with a full cage? Does the helmet need to be completely free of the ability to hit the cage in an accident to be safe? I do use a HANS sport so perhaps that will help, but have always wondered what impact if any there are for taller drivers having full cages? Pardon my cage ignorance.

longdaddy

c5z may be marginally better as there is a structural connection between a and b pillars, although i would not trust it to suport 3000+ lbs of weight.

any device that has a 4 points or more weld/multiple bolt attachment to the frame will offer better roll protection than just the roof.

no vendor offering 4pt "roll bar" system will crash test them or publish results of such testing as that would expose them to tremendous liablity so you just have to trust them to know what they are doing.

adequate protection is a very subjective term. anything short of full roll cage would not be adequate by any racing regulations. you kind of have to decide what makes you feel sufficiently safe.

there is no way to guarantee that helmet will not hit the cage, especially in a situation where the seat collapses, that why there is roll cage padding. you have to make sure that in a case of impact/rollover the cage/roll bar structure makes contact first before your helmet does. if the top of your helmet sits higher than the highest point of the roll protection device, you need to find a way to sit lower or raise the protection device.
if you have 1" of headroom with a racing seat, take out the bottom padding or get seat mounts that will allow you to lower the seat.

hans device only protects against a very specific injury and will not make significant difference in a rollover unless it involves frontal impact.

Geauxtigers

Thanks for the response, that answered a lot of the questions on my mind.

Does anyone with a full cage in their car happen to know the distance between the top of the cage and the high point of the roof above the drivers seat? I'm guessing 3 inches max could be achieved by removing seat padding and going to a near floor seat mount?

Perhaps a full cage is too much for de days - but i do like the idea of so much protection in the unlikely event of a rollover.

mgarfias

Don't trust any "roll bar" that attaches with rivnuts/nutserts to keep you safe.

Also, cage designs vary. i've seen some that tuck the halo bars up high and keep the bars away from your head (in a side impact), and others that run the bar right along the top of the window frame.

longdaddy

i am not sure why you are concerned with the space between the roll bar and the roof. the only thing that matters is the height difference between the top of your helmet when you are fully strapped and the top of the roll bar/cage.

drivinhard

There isn't much really "there" on the C5Z roof. It's simply a ragtop rear tub, with a coupe rear hoop behind the driver. The only thing connecting the windshield frame and the rear hoop, is 4 bolts IIRC (on the winshield frame) and a glued on fiberglass roof. There is no real structural piece connecting the windshield frame to the rear hoop, like the C6Z has. (and not that it would do a whole lot in a roll over).

wtknght1

I've got a full cage in my C6 (with the transparent top) and have plenty of room...even more than I did when I raced my C5Z.

Over the years I've seen a couple of C5Zs on their roof...but only in full blown races - never in a DE event. They were just fine and were not crushed in at all.

You really don't need to concern yourself with that issue to be honest. All the vettes have to meet roll-over safety standards and both the C5 and C6 passed with flying colors. I doubt one is any better than the other.

But if you are that concerned, just have a good cage welded in...keeping in mind that it can make the interior a bit more crowded. The Phoenix guys did my C6 and it's really a work of art. They put the NASCAR style door beams on there so it's really easy to get in and out of the car and the cage doesn't obstruct the vision too much...certainly not in the front. I think a cage is probably overkill for DE stuff, but if you plan on racing, then it's a must. Good luck.

gkmccready

A used C5Z makes the most financial sense. It's also got a lot of set up time and knowledge built up around it. It also swallows big wheels and tires better than the C6 (non-Z). I think you'd be amazed at the bracing and strength the windshield provides versus the little bit of sheetmetal/fibreglass that makes up the roof.

Cobra4B turned his C5Z into a removable top... maybe he can comment on how much "structure" he found when removing the roof...

longdaddy

btw, even convertibles are certified by GM to withstand 30 (or 35) mph rollover by supporting the weight on the windshield.

i have seen results of 100+ mph rollover incidents on the track (DE days) and let me tell you, even in a full solid roof cars the roll bar/cage can be a difference between 2 very different outcomes.