NTMD8R

I am planning on doing some "track days".
I have a convertible.

The track people say that if I can provide some document which shows that the C6 convertible will meet the government requirements for roll over protection, then I can run "as is". Otherwise I need a roll bar.

Any ideas/thoughts where I might find such documentation?

Thanks

Tzzird

There is no real rollover protection on the stock c6 vert. The humps behind the seat are merely for vanity purposes. The pillars provide structure for rollover, but I would not trust my life on it. Majority of tracks out there will not allow a c6 vert on the track without a bar of some sort. I'm still waiting for a manufacturer to come out with a custom bar for it. I don't want to be the guinea pig though.

NTMD8R

I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that GM has said the convertible windshield pillars provide roll over protection which complies with the US government requirements.

If not GM, then who ?

I am looking for a definitive statement from some acceptable authority.

RicK T

That's what I have learned in the past 2 years. Tracks here in the US don't allow verts to race without a race bar. I'm told some tracks will let verts in the novice groups but you don't get to do any real racing. WCC has a bar for the C5 vert and there is an entry on ls1tech forum saying East Coast Supercharging makes them custom but I haven't heard anything about that.

Talon90 will probably have the "from the horses mouth" info and written citation on that. He may come by here, if not you could PM him and ask.

Good luck.

AORoads

Well, meeting some of the rolloever protection laws is one thing. The Corvette convertible is strong, and that front windshield frame does withstand a lot. And the Corvette was conceived as a roadster first so that it was strong enough to withstand certain forces.

In most road racing venues however, that isn't good enough. I'm not saying the g forces are less on the highway than at a track, but it could be. You don't cruise down the "back straight" of I-70 at 100+ mph with cars dicing to pass you and dive into a banked turn.

So far as I know, no one makes a qualified rollbar for the convertible that won't destroy or eliminate the waterfall and the tonneau (top cover). For those ready to do that, in essence creating a purpose-built race car out of a roadster Corvette, then I'm sure many shops can weld up tubing that will cover the head/helmet and provide the side protection, too.

PAULLLLLLL, can y'help me out here?

Tzzird

There was someone on here a few months back that posted pictures of a c6 vert with a rollbar setup that avoided cutting into the waterfall with a curved support bar. Unfortunately, no one on this forum seems to be able to contact that fabricator.

FM

Convertibles are exempt from government roof crush standards. Effectively, there is no standard for rollover protection in a convertible. This is because if there were, most (maybe all, depending on the standard) wouldn't pass.

Federal Motor Vehicle Standard No. 216 (1971) established strength requirements for the passenger compartment roof. School buses, convertibles and some other vehicles were exempt. At the time, convertibles were disappearing from the marketplace and their safety in a rollover was considered moot. Since then, convertibles have made a comeback and there is some thought being given to make them safer in a rollover accident. The other side of the coin is a lack of evidence that convertibles are any more dangerous in an accident than any other car.

Gold Z

You roll over, you die. That's simple enough. Install a roll bar if you are going to track it. Seriously, your head is worth it........

ephraim.dobbins

I ran my C6 convertible up at NHMS last year after digging around and finding some reference to it passing the federal roof crush test,

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ter/index.html

I don't mean to get into a discussion about what is ultimate safety. I club race in SCCA with a fully caged 993 and walked away from a brutal wreck thanks to the cage, harness and HANS.

For a relatively slow track like NHMS, and the more controlled pace of a DE, I took the C6 out for a day and felt safe.

My intent is just to update this thread to show there is some evidence the C6 vert has factory roll over proptection.

Vette Suspension

110%

ohmy

GM recommends to avoid rolling over the car.

cranky

AFVETTE

Can you point me to a source for a C6 roll bar?

Thanks

TCW

The aluminum door-pillar and windshield surround structure is redesigned to use more extrusions and fewer castings for improved dimensional accuracy and rigidity. In fact, this structure is so rigid that the C6 roadster passes federal roof-crush standards (which convertibles are not even required to meet) without the use of any pop-up or freestanding hoops or rollbars.

Here's the standards document:

[URL=http://cryptome.org/0001/nhtsa051209.htm[/URL

Tom

aTX427

Can't remember where it was posted, but someone rolled a C6 vert and I was very surprise how well the a-pillars held up. Hardly any distortion.

VettedCandidate

Now VS...let's not generalize.
I do agree that a rollcage is a great idea if you can get one but the vert is already a very strong structure...


Actually, I think that Karl's Kustoms in Des Moines, IA. AG Automotive in PA. does also...609-322-3034.

z06Bigbird

What page of handbook??

Gearhead Jim

Federal rollover standards require that the roof not deform by more than 18" when a large bird sits on it.
Seriously, real world crashes show that the federal standard is pretty weak.
But...
Looking at the stripped frame at the NCM, you can see how sturdy the W/S pillars are and how well they are attached to the steel frame. I can easily believe it meets the fed standards and provides some meaningful protection. Just a whole lot less than a coupe.

At the factory, I was told that the coupe has the same strong W/S pillars are the 'vert but of course there is also the halo behind your heads.

gbgary

a year or so ago one of the longtime members of the forum rolled his vette and he was unhurt i believe. he had a white one and replaced it with another after the insurance settlement.

Wayne O

There's good reason the sanctioning bodies require a rollbar. I rather doubt showing them a piece of paper will provide the protection you really need on a track (if such documentation even exists). Your best bet would be to get a custom fabricated roll bar. Remember, however, the roll bar/cage has to comply with the specs of the organization(s) you race under. Before you buy a 'store-bought' roll bar or have one custom made, check the requirements to be sure it complies.