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I have a 91 Z07 on the way to me and I'm looking at doing both the vette2vette no flex system and also a harness bar. The bar isn't really for harnesses in my case but for chassis stiffness. I'm looking at the Exotic Muscle style that also bolts to the halo. Does anyone know if those 2 additional struts really provide additional torsional stiffness? Here's a pic
I installed that bar in my car. LOTS of squeaks, creaks and moans immediately went away. It acts like the bulkhead behind the back seat of a car (or behind the seats of a 2 seater). Back in the day it was known that the regular hard top Mustang was much stiffer than the hatchback car.
I believe most of the stiffness comes from the triangulation and being bolted into the halo itself via the seat belt bolts. The studs from the targo top holders help locate, stiffen it also.
On mine, it must have slipped on their jig. One hole was off. It was less expensive to have it welded up and redrilled than to send it back. I actually file fitted it in and used the super strong version of JB Weld to create a tight fit. I waxed the seat belt bolt and packed the JB Weld around it. The JB Weld I picked has metal dust in it.
BE AWARE you may not be able to put the targa top holders back in. The studs in my car were not long enough.
The other picture Exotic Muscle uses on eBay is actually my car. I gave them permission to use it.
I installed that bar in my car. LOTS of squeaks, creaks and moans immediately went away. It acts like the bulkhead behind the back seat of a car (or behind the seats of a 2 seater). Back in the day it was known that the regular hard top Mustang was much stiffer than the hatchback car.
I believe most of the stiffness comes from the triangulation and being bolted into the halo itself via the seat belt bolts. The studs from the targo top holders help locate, stiffen it also.
On mine, it must have slipped on their jig. One hole was off. It was less expensive to have it welded up and redrilled than to send it back. I actually file fitted it in and used the super strong version of JB Weld to create a tight fit. I waxed the seat belt bolt and packed the JB Weld around it. The JB Weld I picked has metal dust in it.
BE AWARE you may not be able to put the targa top holders back in. The studs in my car were not long enough.
The other picture Exotic Muscle uses on eBay is actually my car. I gave them permission to use it.
Mine is just for stiffening the car. I do not use it for harnesses. I also put in a camber brace. Other folks think they are a pain, but I believe the benefits far out weigh the occasional inconvenience of having to remove them.
It was mentioned in another post about having to remove it to put a serpentine belt on. IF you are carrying a serpentine belt tensioner in your Corvette, you probably have other tools. If AAA comes, or someone else comes, they probably have a set of tools. Removing the camber brace is easy.
Has anyone put one of these in and been able to retain top storage?
That would almost be a deal breaker for me if the brackets can't go back in. I suppose you could just carry something like the Fox Sport Raincoat in the back just incase.
That would almost be a deal breaker for me if the brackets can't go back in. I suppose you could just carry something like the Fox Sport Raincoat in the back just incase.
I have young kids and a dog around. I am more worried about it getting damaged from being left behind. I guess I could build something to hang it on the wall, but my garage is starting to run out of garage space to hang things too.
The studs in the first picture are much longer than the studs are in my car. I had just enough room to get a lock washer and the nut on. The stud goes through the nut, but barely. I wonder if there was some type of engineering, or source change for the studs in 1996.
You will need to measure the studs in your car and contact EM to find out the flange thickness. The carpet is glued back down around mine and I am not taking it out to measure, sorry.
Then figure out the flange thickness, nuts and washers and the thickness of the top holder where the studs go through and see if there is enough left.
The rear storage compartment(s) don't open very far. Not enough to get anything of any size in or out of it.
For me, the trade offs were worth it. For you ? You have to make that decision. We never take our targa top off.
The studs in the first picture are much longer than the studs are in my car. I had just enough room to get a lock washer and the nut on. The stud goes through the nut, but barely. I wonder if there was some type of engineering, or source change for the studs in 1996.
You will need to measure the studs in your car and contact EM to find out the flange thickness. The carpet is glued back down around mine and I am not taking it out to measure, sorry.
Then figure out the flange thickness, nuts and washers and the thickness of the top holder where the studs go through and see if there is enough left.
The rear storage compartment(s) don't open very far. Not enough to get anything of any size in or out of it.
For me, the trade offs were worth it. For you ? You have to make that decision. We never take our targa top off.
Oh, interesting to note about the storage compartments! I'll have to think about that then.
We carry chairs, and occasionally other stuff. No room for the top. For us, it is no biggie. Different strokes for different folks.
Yup, I get it. My car is mainly a fair weather car. With the top in the back, I can fit the camping chairs I take to events and the cleaning supplies I need. I did take one long trip in it once and hit about 5 minutes of rain. I didn't stop to put the top in, just rolled the windows up and went a bit faster. I figured I got less rain in the car at 70mph than I would have if I would have stopped.
I know this is an old thread, but with the pictures and all being here I though re-using this is simpler than trying to explain it all in a new thread...
Originally Posted by drcook
The rear storage compartment(s) don't open very far. Not enough to get anything of any size in or out of it.
I'm looking to get this harness bar for stiffening the chassis, and it seems like it would also act as a barrier to hold cargo in the cargo area, if one needs to do a quick stop in traffic (the lack of cargo tie-downs is a weird design choice). But losing the storage compartments seems like a big trade-off... I wonder if it's possible to modify the storage doors somehow to keep the compartments usable. Maybe rotate the whole assembly 180 degrees? I know it would make using them even more awkward than in standard form, but at least it would not be wasted space.
I know this is an old thread, but with the pictures and all being here I though re-using this is simpler than trying to explain it all in a new thread...
I'm looking to get this harness bar for stiffening the chassis, and it seems like it would also act as a barrier to hold cargo in the cargo area, if one needs to do a quick stop in traffic (the lack of cargo tie-downs is a weird design choice). But losing the storage compartments seems like a big trade-off... I wonder if it's possible to modify the storage doors somehow to keep the compartments usable. Maybe rotate the whole assembly 180 degrees? I know it would make using them even more awkward than in standard form, but at least it would not be wasted space.
Regardless of which direction they open, the bar is still going to interfere. There are trade-offs for everything. You just have to determine what you can live with when it comes to C4 Corvettes and stiffening them up.
Regardless of which direction they open, the bar is still going to interfere. There are trade-offs for everything. You just have to determine what you can live with when it comes to C4 Corvettes and stiffening them up.
Very true. Same goes for most cars I think, I have certainly compromised comfort in the name of performance many times in the past. I think I will bite the bullet on the Exotic Muscle harness bar and see how it goes. Maybe source another storage compartment lid and modify the doors to be completely removable...
BTW, how is your experience with the camber brace, does it make a noticeable difference?
10-01-2020, 11:52 AM
harness bars
I think I will bite the bullet on the Exotic Muscle harness bar and see how it goes. Maybe source another storage compartment lid and modify the doors to be completely removable...
