Model A roadster safety Q...

hardtimes

hardtimes

Well-known member
This is NOT a seat belt continuation thread, so don't make it one:eek:.
Out of an abundance of concern for ME, when driving my Model A roadster, I ask if anyone has configured/installed a simple design rollbar?
Roadster doors open going over bumps and that doesn't help either, but want any input about rollbar ideas/pictures/drawing. Hey , we install everything else for safety..on individual preference , any reason not to consider rollbar in a roadster:confused:? BTW, I've lived thru my fair share of auto accidents and am near paranoid as a defensive driver. In every case..run into by other drivers....3 drunks and one 80 yr old 'lady'! I have seat belts in my roadster...but that ain't enough!!
Ryan,
Please remove this. Just realized mabe complaints, will ask at jalopy whatever!
 
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Since this is a forum that is on the side of stock restored cars I would have been supprised if anyone here had installed a roll bar.

I do question your statement about doors opening as they should not open when you hit a bump.

If someone is looking for a car as safe as a modern car I might suggest a modern car but even then I have not seen any non sport car convertables that have roll bars.

As much as I lean towards stock Model A's I have no problems with seat belts.
 
I concur with Mike in the premise that these are technology (--and safety) of an 80 year old vehicle. There is always a certain amount of risk involved. Adding to that risk is the premise it sounds like your Model A is "used" in some areas (i.e.: door latches, etc.) but since you mentioned a roll bar, lets explore it a tad further until Ryan fufills your request.

The exact year of your Roadster will determiine precisely how much room is behind the seat back-rest spring but lets just suppose there was an 1¾ inches for a bar to be placed. So if a hoop were made that went from one 18 gauge subrail to another, that really would not be very strong on a sudden impact so this area would definitely need some ¼" plating added. The next issue is all roll bars really need to be trianglated, --meaning at the top it will need to have a minimum of one 45 degree down-bar, ...with a preference for two down-bars. Now we get to choose which direction we want the bars to go. Since going forward would likely create issues for the driver's head, lets just assume we would need to take the bars rearward. Now the convertible top is in the way so "off it goes". :D If you are fortunate enough to have a rumble seat, maybe we could open the lid, remove the cushion and the side panels where we can have access to the subrail in alignment with the frame's rear crossmember. Again, some plating will need to be done in this area for added strength, and due to the quarter panel rolling over the top, maybe we should 'X' the rear down-bars. While this set-up would not be the strongest construction, it would however be somewhat of a measure of added safety ...in only certain kinds of rollovers. Are you thinking this is what you are looking for?

.
 
Hmm, yes that's a start anyway!
Well, no top, so no problem there. No rumble seat cushions , so no problems there either. Use rumble area as trunk now. Would never ride people back there in todays traffic! If I could post pics, could show ole time pics of people riding in rumble seats of my henry made cars going to picnics,etc.. I can put myself in the mental place/state of those in that fiberglass hot rod, for the decision/results that the driver/owner made...not pretty!
 
I have installed roll bars and cages in several stock body A's, both roadsters and closed cars.
They DEFINETLY DO NOT attach to the sub frame!
They weld to the frame which gets boxed through the attachment area.
A street type roll bar for a roadster will be crossbraced at deck height and
back braced from deck height to the frame. This will fit under a stock top
or a chopped one if you measure carefully.
Made from 1 3/4 dia. .120 wall 4130 tubing and tig or gas welded, it should stand up to most any rollover.
This is not a project I would recommend to someone not familiar with roll cage/bar design and construction.
 
I have struggled all day long whether to post on this or not.....but every morning we wake up we assume risks all day long. We all know we are going to go some day, sometime, somewhere, somehow. We just don't know when, where, and how. We can be killed by a monster truck part flying off in Tacoma and killing a little boy, I can be hit by a drunk driver any day in any car, my Firestone Wilderness tire can exlpode, you just can't protect from everything that can kill you. If you are worried about a roll bar, then why not worry about no padded dash, air bags, air cutains. When you drive a Model A you take on certain risks that are not in a modern car, just like a mortorcycle. I least people will say in my case "Well he was doing something he enjoyed".
 
Pete said:
I have installed roll bars and cages in several stock body A's, both roadsters and closed cars.
They DEFINETLY DO NOT attach to the sub frame!
They weld to the frame which gets boxed through the attachment area.
A street type roll bar for a roadster will be crossbraced at deck height and
back braced from deck height to the frame. This will fit under a stock top
or a chopped one if you measure carefully.
Made from 1 3/4 dia. .120 wall 4130 tubing and tig or gas welded, it should stand up to most any rollover.
This is not a project I would recommend to someone not familiar with roll cage/bar design and construction.
Click to expand...
Pete,
Thanks much for sharing your knowledge/skills towards my question!

Yeah, a guy could wander out into an intersection aimlessly and get knocked off quick too. But, that sure as heck likely not happen if you take the seemingly simple precaution of observing traffic before stepping off the curb! I believe in fate...but not in tempting fate!!
 
Talk about unlucky, a guy was killed a couple of years ago here in OZ , by a truck on exhaust brake over-running going down the opposite side, and the truck's universal joint exploded and chopped through the guy's brain from 6 lanes over.

I had a Bolwell kit car 35 years ago, it had a central box tunnel chassis with nothing but fibreglass underfloor and sideways to door.

I cringe now, as wife used to drive it.

It had zero side protection.

One T-bone and she was squashed dead against tunnel.

I have always driven rag tops and drive accordingly.

I know you cannot ever be sure of the other idiots on the road, but if you are so paranoid, go drive a multi airbag new volvo.

You could always wear a crash helmet with roll bar.
 
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