996 cab roll bar question...

I have searched the archives and still have a few questions for the Tequipment cab roll bar: 1. If I were to leave the rear seats in, do the backs have to be left up or down? I'll probably take them out. 2. Can I still use the windscreen with the roll bar installed? 3. I need recommendations on a DOT legal harness setup. 4. Does the Tequipment bar install require drilling of the car? I'm also looking into Das Sport cab bars and GT-3 seats... TIA!

I am no expert. In fact I never tracked my car. I assume you mean a roll cage? But a roll cage setup in the cab?? Are you serious? Here's my attempt to answer your questions? 1: I would think you would have to take them out. 2: No. you need full width of the car sidewall to sidewall to install the windscreen. The roll cage would get in the way. 3: Don't know. 4: Not sure. But you probably can't drill into the back wall without knackering the stock popup roll bars. You will probably puncture some electrics. The coupe is for track racing if you want to go that way. The cab is not as rigid as the coupe but great for wind in the hair Porsche sports car experience but if it rolls......Lord help you.

I can't give you a definitive "have to do it this way", but here is what I did. First a picture of the finished product. And on the questions: 1. Lose the seats. Besides, you will need that space for the subs 2. I don't think I have a windscreen (and wouldn't use it if I did), but from the mounting points it looks to me like you can still use one with the roll bar installed. 3. I use the Brey-Kraus mounting hardware to clip the lap belts to the seat belt attachment points. Shoulder belts attache to the roll bar (well, duh!), sub belt attaches to the bar under my GT3 seats. Don't know if it is DOT legal, but it has passed tech at DE events and at the SilverState Classic. Another pic. 4. I didn't do my install (done by Ruf when they built the car), but it doesn't appear any drilling is involved. I think it bolts into the seat belt attachment points (with great difficulty, I was told). So you are going to have to remove those rear seats anyway. Final picutre of the rear brace disappearing into the sub enclosure.

JayM, Really interested in how you did your subs and what subs you used. Any pointers?

Jay, my 2 kids would love those subs under their seats

#3 There is no DOT approved harness

The subs are a pair of Image Dynamics, mounted in fiberglass enclosures made by Rod at Car Audio Innovations. There is a separate volume control for them mounted in the driver's footwell. They are press-fit into the well originally intended for the rear seats, so to remove all I have to do is wedge my fingers under the seams, pull up, and with a little rocking back and forth they lift right out (there is a single set of quick-disconnect connectors on each side). Rod does great work, and will ship some of the boxes he makes for installation by others not in California.

Thanks for the info Jay. Do you mind me asking how much they cost?

Very nice install! The whole package looks terrific. MJones, regarding DOT legality, why does the DOT not rate/approve harness setups? Is it because they are "racing" equipment? So, what do all you cabbies with harness and roll bars do when driving around town? Take the harness down and use the stock belts? Thanks for the help, I'm a newbie to the harness game...

Tracking the cab is tons of fun. It serves its purpose well for the events I attend. My harness/roll bar investigation is purely in the name of improving safety and car control.

Using the BK eye bolts to mount the harness sides both mounting on the stock locations you are able to use fully the stock 3 point harness as normal. The side harnesses can be tucked away on the sides of the seat when not used, the sub belt under the seat and the shoulder belts left hanging behind the seat. I used this setup for almost a year while tracking my cabrio and it works like a charm.

RJ - i recall being warned, once I started doing DE's that the temptations would be ever increasing.. R-compounds, GT3 seats, roll bars, harnesses, camera mounts. Frankly I blame You....Scott....Todd....Doug.....LSRPCA..... ...for just making it all too much fun.

It was part of a package replacing all of the Becker crap. New amp, Focal Utopia speakers (required custom enclosures in the doors, came originally with map pockets), DVD-based GPS with flip-out LCD screen, etc. Total bill was north of 7 large (man, those Focals hurt), but I am very pleased with the result. Anyone who says you can't have good tunes in a cab just hasn't tried hard enough . I leave the sub belts in (they disappear back under the seats with no help required from me), but find the lap and shoulder belts annoying so I take them out. If the lap belts don't have to be safety-wired, I can install/remove them in a few minutes. Same with the shoulder belts, which have a tendency to rattle against the rear seats or the roll bar if I leave them hanging. I just make a note of where the SIMPSON logo on the shouler belt is supposed to fall on the seat back and I can re-install all four shoulder belts in less than 5 minutes.

Wow! Holy mother! 7 Grand. That must be some setup. I agree that it is not hard to get a great sound in a cab. I have a 4 way Cerwin Vega speaker setup with a Magnat 300W base tube using up the back seats I have replaced the crappy CD220 with a Kenwood flip top which outputs to a Kicker power amp situated in the bonnet under a false floor. I also use a iPod directly wired to the aux input of the kenwood. All up the whole lot cost me about $500 by buying everything from ebay. The sound is amazing but the base tube in the back seat is unsightly. I like the seat mods you use. I wonder how much I would be looking at to buy a set? The Magnat base tube. At least the colour matches the car... The power amp in the front: The false floor that covers it:

The Tequipment Rollbar does NOT require any drilling.