>>Targas and T-tops *do* have a roof structure integrated with the rest
of the body shell. Porsche and Fiat made 911s, 914s and X 1/9s into targas
because they believed Federally-mandated rollover protection would prevent
them from selling open top cars.<<
This doesn't fit with the rules. Again, top on = closed car, top off = open
car. In other words, if they run top off, they still need a roll bar 2" above
the driver's helmet. Top on, they don't need it.
>>It may not come off, but will it collapse? That's the real threat in
rollovers. The roof stays attached, but the headroom's kind of short. Of
course, there's no guarantee that a fixed tin top won't collapse<<
Exactly! What would lead one to believe that a fixed roof is any less likely
to collapse than a removable one? If you really want to go there we need to do
structural analysis of every roof. BTW, my TR-6 has a rollbar that meets or
exceeds the criteria for a closed cars, it just isn't tall enough to be 2" over
my helmet.
Tom Gentry
Life is too short to drive upside down!
'96 Ford SVT Cobra, Mystic #1345/2000 (mostly stock)
'72 Triumph TR-6 OD (mostly modified)
'59 Triumph Model 10 Sedan (mostly in boxes)
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