If that's the case, then your car should be ready in 2011!

Get that thing back on the road and stop fookin around already dood!

 

Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooode

Your not the only one givin' me a hard time about ma ride... a few on PH have pm'd me... lol

Was meant to be pickin her up this weekend... waiting on some parts from Germany... looks like she will be comin home next week now.

Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooode

 

Darn you guys, now its getting harder and harder not to order one of these.

 

Just do it... you only live once!

 

This would be a very costly mod and one that should be, as Steve Points out, incorporated with other mods, like full cage. You're essentially going to have to pay for front and rear glass removal, side glass removal, interior removal, cutting off the old skin and braces,epoxy of the new skin, paint of the damaged/ modified areas, and of course, painting the roof skin... I could see a $5000 bill for the labor on this plus the cost of the roof skin... someone correct me if I'm out in left field.

Mike

 

Yip not far away Mike... it's more cost effective and makes sense to do it at the same time as all the other mods... spot on Mike, I definitely would not do this mod without a full cage... safety is paramount!

 

I personally don't see how this is any less safe than running the stock roof. Can someone elaborate? And why removal of the side glass?

From what I've gathered so far the additional costs (sans cage) are not much to take a windsheild and rear window out (about 20 minutes each tops, I've watched myself). Tom said it took Vortex about 20 minutes to pop the roof off include removal of the spot welds. Adhesive bond is easy for anyone who knows what they are doing, then just find some bolts to replace the welded ones. Let's even say a couple of hours to take the inside headliner and stuff out. We are still only talking maybe 10 hours max, and that's being over generous. That should be at or around 1k in labor tops.

If it costs 5k most of that better be in the cage because there isn't much labor. And not much in parts. Most cage shops charge 200-400 per point for a roll cage. Possibly if you're talking about creating a full cage and removal of the roof.

 

Here a few pics of my roof being removed. My car is in the same shop as Tom's and the same people are doing the roof replacement. I wish I was getting CF like Tom! I am replacing with a new skin. I ordered my skin and had it painted before I new about the CF option. Tom beat me again!!!!!
Post some pics Tom. I hear my car is coming along well. I am waiting on some pics from Sara today or tomorrow. Can't wait for this weekend.

 

cabcar's pics above are spot on thanks Lindsey.
the roof removal should be a few hours of labor no where near a 5k job. that would include the full cage and roof for me.

I think Dez is right. the entire support of the roof is still intact and dont think a full cage would be needed



BTW havent ever beat cabcar at anything, but very exciting we will both be making our racing debuts with these cars together next month!!

 

Sweet, two Vortex track beast being unleashed at the same time. That should be awesome!!!!!

 

I have to disagree regarding the Carbon Roof... Carbon is strong but brittle... it shatters, where as a tin lid will more than likely bend/warp... Yes, there is supports up there but these are nowhere near impact supports and I feel more comfortable running a cage, again safety is paramount. Could you imagine this impact with a Carbon Roof without cage.



I want to return home so I can see my wife & kids!

 

Ok let's clear something up, obviously we all know that cage vs no cage is a no brainer. But tin is not going to be any more safe in the event of a roll over than CF or FRP, infact, they are both more sturdy and will brace against the non impact side for more resistance to keep the roof from buckling. You can bend tin with your hand, easily.

What Tom and I are trying to say is that there is no more risk with this mod than tracking with the stock roof supports. There is no more peril added by switching these for the stock units whether you have a cage, don't have a cage, rollbar or whatever. The safety is not in the outer roof panel, it's in the support structure.

 

If there were to be a shunt that involved the roof, I guess it would depend on the freakness of the event. If hit just right the CF will splinter into chards, some of which could be sharp. A steel roof will not have the tendency to do that. Head is well protected but shoulders are not.

We all take some risk at every event and I think we shouldn't dwell too much on the safety issues with a roof skin, cage or no cage.

 

I here what you are saying but I do disagree... carbon fiber is strong but brittle... it will shatter... I don't want to roll a car and have nothing whatsoever above my head. Look at the pic I posted, that is a tin roof, you can see how it has started to lift (and that's with a cage in it!) if that was carbon there would be no roof in that pic.

 

I have come across a few accidents 9 times out of 10 they are slides (front ends, rear ends etc) It's really a matter of feeling comfortable and knowing you are secure/safe when driving... your more focused and drive better, quicker with the knowledge that you are safe. It might be me, but that's the way I feel certainly.