Convertible Roll Bar?

GusinCA · Oct 14, 2005

Any word yet on whether the vert will ever have a roll bar, pop-up or otherwise?
I know it has a reinforced windshield, but that won't help the rear seat passengers and I have a daughter who would ride back there.

Thanks!

JL_Tampa · Oct 14, 2005

You can get a roll/light bar just like all the other Mustang but I don't know what kind of protection it offers (check out that ponybuilder.com in the S197talk forum). As far as a pop up deal like the German cars I have heard no mention of this.

GusinCA · Oct 14, 2005

Well if it's the light bar then it's useless for protection.
That's a shame. I had a cousin killed in a convertible when it rolled over, so I won't buy one without something back there.
I guess I'll have to have one bolted in like I did for my 2000 GT vert.
It would just look so much cleaner with a pop-up system.

JL_Tampa · Oct 14, 2005

We love our convertible totally worth the risk in our case. I guess you will have to get a cage built.

66Satellite · Oct 14, 2005

I agree, Ford should make the pop-up rollbar an option. Pretty lame that they don't. Heck, they own Volvo, so it's not like they don't have acess to the technology. The problem with a bolt in rollbar is you (or your rear passengers) could bash your head on it in a front or side impact. On the whole it would probably make it a lot more dangerous for rear passengers. Aftermarket rollbars tend to be best for track use with helmets--really not the greatest for street use IMO. Maybe someone will come out with a very low profile fixed rear rollbar designed to protect the rear passengers only, but I've never seen anything like this. For myself I figure I am much more likely to be hit by some idiot than roll the car, which generally involves pretty major driver error. But right now I am leaning toward the hardtop for this very reason (young daughter, and no good solution provided by Ford or aftermarket). I hate to say this but if it came down to a choice between a Mustang GT hardtop and a slightly used BMW 3-series with the popup rollbars I'd be pretty torn--and I don't even like German cars.

LordHalbert · Oct 14, 2005

I've flipped a car before and landed upside down. If i was in an 05 vert, i'd be dead.

GusinCA · Oct 14, 2005

Exactly.
Nothing is worth the risk, if there's an easy solution.
Ford is just too cheap to do it, IMO.

GT-03 · Oct 17, 2005

There are suppose to be new federal roll-over standards coming into affect in calender year 2007. That doesn't automatically mean "roll bar", but something.

IMHO, I can't believe that Ford did a total new car design. One Ford itself has said was designed from the start with the convertible in mind. And not have designed into it something as basic as a roll bar.

Doesn't that make the Mustang convertible, the only completely new convertible, without a roll bar???

GusinCA · Oct 17, 2005

I don't know, I'm pretty sure that no American convertible has them (Vette, Sebring, Camaro/Firebird, Solstice, XLR, PT Cruiser (has a fake rollbar), Viper (has hoops that are too short, according to either Motor Trend or Car & Driver))
Also, the Toyota Solara doesn't, nor do the Jag, the MR2, or the Miata.
But all others seem to (TT, Mini Cooper - both fixed hoops, the Beetle, all Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Saab, Volvo).
I think the Crossfire does, but that's because it's based on a Mercedes, I think.

So, it's not really clear cut, some really expensive cars don't (Vette, XLR, Jag and Aston Martin) and some really inexpensive cars do (Beetle, Cooper).

I know it's a rare type of accident, especially with a low slung car, but I've seen it happen, and when it does that angled windshield frame won't help much.

The new Mustang is such a safe, heavy car. My guess is, in the 2007 or 2008 model year we'll see some sort of pop-up system behind the rear seats, or at least I hope so...

GT-03 · Oct 17, 2005

GusinCA said:
I don't know, I'm pretty sure that no American convertible has them (Vette, Sebring, Camaro/Firebird, Solstice, XLR, PT Cruiser (has a fake rollbar), Viper (has hoops that are too short, according to either Motor Trend or Car & Driver))

I don't know for sure if all those are completely new designs. Surely there isn't an "all new" for 2005 (or for 2006) Camaro/Firebird. The new Vette might be.

My point, possibly, is that one would have thought that it would have been easier to simply have designed into the new Mustang, some sort of roll-over protection right from the start, then to try to retrofit such into a design that will only be 3 years old in 2007.

GusinCA · Oct 17, 2005

True, but my guess is there is "space" back there for a spop-up system, maybe even some holes and mounting points that have yet to be used...

LordHalbert · Oct 17, 2005

I recall some time ago a Football player managed to flip a Corvette convertible and killed himself and an occupant.

If you can flip a Corvette, then you can surely flip a Stang.

Edbert · Oct 17, 2005

There's two reasons, the obvious one is cost. But the other reason is liability...if FoMoCo installed a safety device and called it a "roll bar" they'd get sued everytime it failed to keep an occupant alive in a roll-over. They make light-bars that have every safety disclaimer ever thought up on them regarding their safety.

JL_Tampa · Oct 17, 2005

You have to be screwing off pretty bad to flip a car here in FL there are almost no hills. As far as buying a German car been there done that (good luck with service and warranty).

66Satellite · Oct 17, 2005

Edbert said:
There's two reasons, the obvious one is cost. But the other reason is liability...if FoMoCo installed a safety device and called it a "roll bar" they'd get sued everytime it failed to keep an occupant alive in a roll-over. They make light-bars that have every safety disclaimer ever thought up on them regarding their safety.

Yeah, Mazda is refusing to call the hoops in the new MX-5 (Miata) roll bars for this very reason. But like I said, Ford-owned Volvo has had 'em for years and they're really not that complicated.

GusinCA · Oct 18, 2005

If that were true, then the same would apply to most safety devices (the airbag failed to keep me alive, the seat belt failed to keep me alive, the foot well was poorly designed and crushed my legs).

I think you'll have fewer lawsuits from people if they walk away from a rollover accident instead of the family coming after you with pictures of decapitated family members.

I remember seeing a picture of my cousin with most of his upper torso sheared off, not so nice.

I'm sorry, but any excuses not to put something as simple as this into an open top car is just stupid and cheap.

66Satellite · Oct 18, 2005

GusinCA said:
If that were true, then the same would apply to most safety devices (the airbag failed to keep me alive, the seat belt failed to keep me alive, the foot well was poorly designed and crushed my legs).

I think you'll have fewer lawsuits from people if they walk away from a rollover accident instead of the family coming after you with pictures of decapitated family members.

I remember seeing a picture of my cousin with most of his upper torso sheared off, not so nice.

I'm sorry, but any excuses not to put something as simple as this into an open top car is just stupid and cheap.

Well, Ford has a history of being stupid and cheap when it comes to safety--from the Pinto the the Explorer.

So what do you guys think? Any good way to get this feedback to Ford? Sounds like it's kind of a deal-killer for several of us on the vert.

steve05 · Feb 10, 2006

IMHO:

It's a matter of statistics. I don't know what they are, but if the numbers were there either (a) Ford would have made the rollbar, or (b) someone would build a nice one, that doesn't look like it belongs on a race track only.

I'd love to see the prototype light bar built as a real roll bar bolt on (well...weld on) option. It could be formed to at least provide the same protection as a hardtop.

I'm guessing a rollover is a rare incident in any case? Anyone have stats on this?

GusinCA · Feb 10, 2006

It is surely a rarity, but I read that sports cars are flipped quite often, due to the aggressive driving they are put through.
Something like "the most flipped are SUV's, then sports cars, then your average car".

I fully agree, the light bar look would be the sleekest. Something covered in matching plastic with a solid tube of steel underneath and welded to the frame...nice.

But it's not a deal breaker for me. I don't mind putting in a rollbar and having a upholstery shop make a nice padded cover in matching vinyl, I did it on my 00 GT vert and I get compliments on it all the time. It would just make more sense for Ford to put it in, and it would make the rear seats usable for something other than a car seat.

steve05 · Feb 11, 2006

I'd love to see how Mercedes and the others engineer those ones that flip up...it's got to be hinged on just a couple of thick bolts, right? I supposed that hinge connects to the frame somehow? Time to google...

Ok here is something interesting I found:

"The 94 fatalities attributed to 87 convertibles that rolled over in 2004 accounted for fewer than 1 percent of about 10,000 U.S. rollover deaths last year."

(good article)
http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=174&did=1183

Convertible Roll Bar?

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