Exotic Muscle Harnes Bar
02-28-2017, 06:02 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Exotic Muscle Harness Bar
I've received a lot of good info here over the years and thought I would post this for what it's worth:
Came across a used EM harness bar for sale here out of a '91. EM's website says there are 2 styles: 84-89 and 90-96. I have a '90 so I was glad to get this bar. It was powder coated black and matched my AFSB truss bar. I had been planning to get one of these for awhile now. It didn't fit. The upper flanges were too low to line up with the seat belt bolts. I called Merle at Exotic Muscle and was told I must have an early '90 and the earlier cars' seat belt holes are higher.
My '90 was manufactured in March of 1990 and is # 12,xxx out of around 20,000 made. Don't think it was an early one.
So I sold the bar and decided to just get a new one. Lost $50 on the deal. New bar was $350 shipped.
The new one arrives and is made wrong. One of the upper flanges is welded on at a lower angle than the other. Merle told me it was made in a jig, but obviously something wasn't done right. The passenger side upper flange hole lines up but the driver's side is nearly an inch low. Not sure how it could have left his shop without someone noticing this.
Plus the bar is painted flat black though the picture clearly shows a glossy finish like the first one.
Merle offered to fix/replace the bar and powder coat it if I pay shipping back to him. Cheapest option is $90. I can get a local guy I know re-weld the flange and powder coat the bar for slightly more than that and I know it will be right when done.
So I'll have $500 in a piece that should have cost me $350 new.
By the way, the newer bar has different upper flanges with two sets of holes so it should fit all C4's.
This car has an EM differential, speedo gears, and Heim sway bar links. No problem with EM in the past, but I'm done with him now.
Came across a used EM harness bar for sale here out of a '91. EM's website says there are 2 styles: 84-89 and 90-96. I have a '90 so I was glad to get this bar. It was powder coated black and matched my AFSB truss bar. I had been planning to get one of these for awhile now. It didn't fit. The upper flanges were too low to line up with the seat belt bolts. I called Merle at Exotic Muscle and was told I must have an early '90 and the earlier cars' seat belt holes are higher.
My '90 was manufactured in March of 1990 and is # 12,xxx out of around 20,000 made. Don't think it was an early one.
So I sold the bar and decided to just get a new one. Lost $50 on the deal. New bar was $350 shipped.
The new one arrives and is made wrong. One of the upper flanges is welded on at a lower angle than the other. Merle told me it was made in a jig, but obviously something wasn't done right. The passenger side upper flange hole lines up but the driver's side is nearly an inch low. Not sure how it could have left his shop without someone noticing this.
Plus the bar is painted flat black though the picture clearly shows a glossy finish like the first one.
Merle offered to fix/replace the bar and powder coat it if I pay shipping back to him. Cheapest option is $90. I can get a local guy I know re-weld the flange and powder coat the bar for slightly more than that and I know it will be right when done.
So I'll have $500 in a piece that should have cost me $350 new.
By the way, the newer bar has different upper flanges with two sets of holes so it should fit all C4's.
This car has an EM differential, speedo gears, and Heim sway bar links. No problem with EM in the past, but I'm done with him now.
Last edited by TimV SR; 02-28-2017 at 06:22 PM.
02-28-2017, 06:22 PM
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2001
Location: Athens AL
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C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
When I installed mine last summer, it was one of the most painful experiences I've had in putting something in the car.
02-28-2017, 06:36 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
03-06-2017, 12:56 PM
#4
Safety Car
The bar I purchased at Christmas time also has alignment issues, the same angular misalignment as described above. It also will cost too much to ship it back.
I will open the side up that is misaligned and fabricate a slug to have welded back in and dress it down. The welding/brazing will be less expensive in the long run.
I suspect that possibly their fixture has been damaged and they didn't catch on, or they did and made a new one. Mine will be OK once I get it adjusted and will do what I want it to and that is triangulate the hoop, as any little bit helps.
In my car, the little studs that attach the targa top holders are not long enough to put them back in. Eventually I will work out a way to do so, but for right now I am on the hunt for some scraps of red Corvette carpet to buy and make a piece so it looks good.
I will open the side up that is misaligned and fabricate a slug to have welded back in and dress it down. The welding/brazing will be less expensive in the long run.
I suspect that possibly their fixture has been damaged and they didn't catch on, or they did and made a new one. Mine will be OK once I get it adjusted and will do what I want it to and that is triangulate the hoop, as any little bit helps.
In my car, the little studs that attach the targa top holders are not long enough to put them back in. Eventually I will work out a way to do so, but for right now I am on the hunt for some scraps of red Corvette carpet to buy and make a piece so it looks good.
Last edited by drcook; 03-06-2017 at 12:57 PM.
03-06-2017, 02:18 PM
#5
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2001
Location: Athens AL
Posts: 59,641
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C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
03-06-2017, 02:52 PM
#6
Safety Car
On my car, there is not enough of the stud to go through the plastic. EM provides washers so the slot of the targa attachments can be opened up (the washers then are inserted in the slot) so the nut won't squash them (the plastic parts) (that would make sense if you saw it all took apart).
With mine, there is only enough of the stud to go through the plate and put the nut on. The screw is then flush with the top of the flange nut.
On your guy's cars, are those 4 studs pretty long then ? Mine are maybe 1/2 in. There just isn't enough left over to put the nuts on when the plastic cover is put back in place.
I might take a 3/8" set screw that is about 1" long, and drill and tap it (lengthwise) on my buddy's lathe. That way I can thread it over the existing stud, effectively lengthening it.
As far as fixing the hole in the wrong place, I just got back from my local weld shop. They are going to charge me a whopping $20.00 to make a slug and weld it in. I will open the hole up to where the bolt fits correctly and fits so the bar doesn't move, then they will weld a slug in and I will finish fitting it.
With mine, there is only enough of the stud to go through the plate and put the nut on. The screw is then flush with the top of the flange nut.
On your guy's cars, are those 4 studs pretty long then ? Mine are maybe 1/2 in. There just isn't enough left over to put the nuts on when the plastic cover is put back in place.
I might take a 3/8" set screw that is about 1" long, and drill and tap it (lengthwise) on my buddy's lathe. That way I can thread it over the existing stud, effectively lengthening it.
As far as fixing the hole in the wrong place, I just got back from my local weld shop. They are going to charge me a whopping $20.00 to make a slug and weld it in. I will open the hole up to where the bolt fits correctly and fits so the bar doesn't move, then they will weld a slug in and I will finish fitting it.
Last edited by drcook; 03-06-2017 at 02:54 PM.
03-06-2017, 02:59 PM
#7
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '05
on your 2nd one Id be wanting a full refund
Bet for $100 you can get one fabbed up that works just fine
Bet for $100 you can get one fabbed up that works just fine
03-06-2017, 08:17 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
03-06-2017, 08:22 PM
#9
